Message Replying To

From Michelle, Age 15

HOW TO LOSE A POUND A WEEK- If you don't know, one pound is equal to 3500 calories. It is recommended that everyone eat between 1800 and 2500 calories a day (that is sedentary to highly active) to remain the same weight and stay healthy. First I would recommend writing down everything you eat for 3 days. Then figure out how many calories each day you ate. Most calorie charts can be found in cook books, or I have found that http://www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1a.htm is a very reputable source to find this type of information. To lose a pound a week, you must cut at least 500 calories a day. (500*7=3500). So, say you find your average is 2100 calories a day, and you cut 500 calories, you will then have a limit of 1600 calories a day. With my "plan" I write down everything I eat every day and keep track of calorie totals on a calander. Once you get into the habit of writing things down, it is very helpful, and it gives you a chance to improve math skills. But, let's also say, that you eat only around 1700 calories a day on average, and going down to 1200 calories a day seems like your depriving yourself, there is another way to split up calories, and that is by exercise. REMEMBER, NEVER GO BELOW 1200 CALORIES A DAY WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YOUR DOCTOR!!! So, instead of having to limit yourself to 1200 calories a day, you can work out and burn, let's say, 200 calories, so now, you can eat 1400 calories a day. http://www.caloriecounter.co.uk/fit_burn.html is a great page for finding that, plus you can search on the web for a certain activity. TO LOSE 2 POUNDS A WEEK- This is quite a heavy task that requires a lot of exercise and a low calorie limit. To lose 2 pounds a week, you need to cut out 1000 calories a day. That is a lot, that is why, I strongly recommend diet and exercise for this type of weightloss. You'll want to exercise so you burn anywhere from 500-700 calories a day, and subtract 300-500 calories off your average caloric intake. This means that you must exercise for anywhere from 1-3 hours (1 is running, 3 is walking) to burn off the calories. But, the good thing is, you don't have to do all this exercise at once. It can be broken up into no less than 15 minute sprints of time. This means you could run (or in place) for 15 minutes 4 times a day, and maybe walk for 30 minutes. Remember, though, the heavier you are, the more calories you burn, and the easier for you to lose weight. In eating, to lose 2 pounds a week, say your average was 2100, you'll want to eat anywhere fron 1600-1800 calories a day. Also remember, that guys need more calories than girls, so they should probably increase their caloric intake 100 calories (not much, that's about 1 1/2 apples). Remember, take things at a good pace, and good luck!