Ideal Weight & Daily Calorie Intake

In my last post, I explained how to have healthy, all natural food, even when time challenged. Still, many people struggle with how much to eat, and how much to weigh.

  
As with everything in life. There is no one size fits all. Everyone is unique and must find what works for them. I would argue that one size size fits all is really one size fits no one.

I keep trying to find a set food plan, that if followed, would lead to a healthy weight and maximum well-being. So far, I haven’t found one. So. I am going to give my opinion, based on my experience. It doesn’t mean, unfortunately, that I am right.

There is an abundance of information available on how to lose weight, how much to eat and how much to weigh. It can get quite technical. It is not only a question of what to eat, but how much for our body’s basic needs.

What is a healthy body weight?

Here are simple ways to calculate your ideal weight and daily calorie intake. Other formulas are available to calculate more precisely, but, sometimes you just need basic information.

Ideal weight formula:

For women, 100 lbs. for the first 5 feet, and then 5 lbs. for every additional inch and then +/- 10%.

For men: 106 lbs., for the first 5 feet and then 6 lbs. for every additional inch and then +/- 10%.

Example: for a woman who is 5 feet, 4 inches, her ideal weight would be: 

100 + (4X5)

=100+20

=120 lbs 

120+ 10%= 132

120- 10%=108

Her range would be: 108 – 132 lbs.

How much do I eat to maintain a healthy body weight?

Daily Calorie Intake Formula 

To quickly calculate your caloric needs, the formula is:

desired weight X 14-18 depending on your level of physical activity.

14 if you are sedentary, 18 if you are extremely athletic.

Example: for the 120 lbs., woman above: 120 lbs. X 14 =1,680 

120 X 18 = 2,160 calories per day.

So, depending on fitness and activity level, the recommended daily calorie intake would be 1,680 – 2,160 calories/day.

This is a rough estimate, and more precise calculations are available, if anyone is interested.

Here is a great link to a site which really explains this well:

fahey_lab_09_01

There are also people that I know that keep track of their food and activity level with various apps on their cell phone. Whatever works!

Average Calories Per Ounce For Various Food Groups

For educational purposes, I have calculated the average calories per ounce for various food groups.

Fruit: 16 calories/oz.

Vegetables: 10 calories/oz.

Beans: 30 calories/oz.

Grains: 30 calories/oz.

Animal protein: 50 calories/oz.

Fat: 100 calories/oz.

Personally, however, I do not recommend keeping track and counting calories. I think that it is a recipe for insanity and confusion.

How To Lose Weight 

I believe in eating a healthy varied diet, with moderate and appropriate portions. 

Cutting back on calories is part of a healthy eating plan to lose weight. I personally do not recommend excessive calorie restrictions. 

The goal is to change eating behaviors. Slow and steady changes are more likely to achieve long term success. Therefore, I recommend reducing your daily intake by no more than 400 calories per day. 

The key is to set a realistic goal, follow a healthy, all natural, whole food eating plan and aim for exercising an average of 20 minutes per day.

There is no mystery about how to lose weight. The secret is to eat less and preferably exercise more.

Balance is the key!

References: Some of these are for future posts on this topic, but I added them here as well.

fahey_lab_09_01

USDAFoodPatternsSummaryTable

energy

Portion_Serving_Size_Chart_Eng

http://www.livestrong.com/article/178764-caloric-intake-formula/

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-determine-your-calorie-needs.html

http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/blcalintake.htm

http://m.wikihow.com/Calculate-Your-Total-Daily-Calorie-Needs

http://www.manuelsweb.com/IBW.htm

http://www.csun.edu/~cjh78264/diabetes/pages/page32.html

https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/myplan.aspx

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/eat/fd_exch.htm

https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/brown-rice-(long-grain-cooked)?portionid=45916&portionamount=1.000

http://www.vegan-weight-loss.com/calories-in-vegetables.html

http://www.vegan-weight-loss.com/calories-to-lose-weight.html

http://www.vegan-weight-loss.com/calories-in-fruit.html

http://www.vegan-weight-loss.com/calories-in-beans.html

http://www.vegan-weight-loss.com/calories-in-whole-grains.html