Chef Charles Michael Dishes out Healthy Recipes: Calculating the lowest calorie limit a diet should have.

How do I begin a Weight Loss Program? Part 2 of 3

Calculating the lowest calorie limit a diet should have.

As someone who was lost over 100 pounds, there is only one secret to weight loss...

Chef Charles Michael

For our calculations consider an average female Jane, age 45, 5 ft 7 that weight 140 pounds and exercises minimally. 5’7” = 67” = 67/ 39.37 = 1.7 meters 140/2.20 = 63 kg

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)

EER is the amount of energy required to maintain current body weight depending on the age, gender, and physical activity level for a reference sized individual. The 'Reference size' is based on median height and weight for ages 2 to 18 years. After the age of 18, the reference size is based on median height and weight with a BMI of 21.5 for females and 22.5 for males. The physical activity is defined as a lifestyle.

a) SEDENTARY lifestyle that includes only the physical activity of independent living.

b) LOW ACTIVE lifestyle includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to sedentary life style.

c) ACTIVE lifestyle includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to sedentary life style.

Inactive Active Very Active

Women (PA) 1.00 1.12 1.27

Men (PA) 1.00 1.11 1.25

EER Formula Weight in kilo Height in Meters

Adult Female EER= 354 - (6.91* your age) + PA * ( 9.36 * your weight + 726 * your height)

Adult Male EER = 662 - (9.53 * your age) + PA * (15.91* your weight + 539.6 * your height)

Jane’s EER = 354 – (6.91 * 45) + 1 * ((9.36 * 63) + (726 * 1.7))

354 – 311 + 1 * (590 + 1234) = 1867 Jane’s Upper Limit

Common Chart Found in Books and on Internet

EER General Chart		Activity Level
Gender	Age (years)	Sedentary	Moderately Active	Active
Child	2-3	1,000	1,000-1,400^e	1,000-1,400^e
Female	4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+	1,200 1,600 1,800 2,000 1,800 1,600	1,400-1,600 1,600-2,000 2,000 2,000-2,200 2,000 1,800	1,400-1,800 1,800-2,200 2,400 2,400 2,200 2,000-2,200
Male	4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+	1,400 1,800 2,200 2,400 2,200 2,000	1,400-1,600 1,800-2,200 2,400-2,800 2,600-2,800 2,400-2,600 2,200-2,400	1,600-2,000 2,000-2,600 2,800-3,200 3,000 2,800-3,000 2,400-2,800

Janes point of weight loss or gain is 1867. If she read the chart she would be directed to eat 1800 calories just 67 calories less than the EER calculation. Now consider Jane at different age, weight and height considerations.

Example #2 Assume now Jane, age 45, 5 ft 4 that weight 200 pounds and exercises minimally. 5’4” = 64” = 67/ 39.37 = 1.63 meters 200/2.20 = 90.91 kg

New EER 354 - (6.91 * 45) + 1 ((9.36 * 90.91) + 726 * 1.63)

354 - 310.95 + 1(850.92) + 1183.38 = 2077.35

Example #3 Assume now Jane, age 50, 5 ft 10 that weight 135 pounds and exercises minimally. 5’0” = 60” = 60/ 39.37 = 1.52 meters 135/2.20 = 61.36 kg

New EER 354 - (6.91 * 50) + 1 ((9.36 * 61.36) + 726 * 1.52)

354 - 345.50+ 1(574.33) + 1103.52 = 1686.35

In example #2, Jane's point of weight loss is 300 calories more. If she tries to cut 500 calories a day off her diet (1300 calories/day) to lose a pound a week, she is actually cutting calories by 777 calories. This will cause Jane to not get enough calories to meet her BMR lower limit and she will probably fail at weight loss as the body will begain to conserve or give hunger pains eventually causing her to eat more. In example #3, Jane cutting calories to 1300 calories a day would only be a 386 calorie reduction. She is only meeting 77% of her goal and may not even realize it. Instead of losing 1 pound a week or 52 pounds a year she will lose 40 pounds and may not know why she is not meeting her goals. In part 3 we put it all together and reveal the secret to weight loss.

About the Author:

Charles Kandutsch is author of a nutrition book entitled, Eat The Right Foods were its his belief that you can’t out run your appetite. He also authored Cook The Right Foods a companion cookbook that teaches chefs healthy food preparation with over 300 recipes and instructions on steaming, stir frying and many other techniques. Both books are available in print or eBook formats and are incorporated into the BURN 500^TM weight loss program. Chef Charles has trimmed approximately 100 pounds of fat from his body over the last 2 1/2 years which was accomplished through lifestyle changes and eating the right foods not dieting and exercise. For information on books visit the website or contact Charles by email at charles@EatTheRightFoods.com.