An accumulation of 3,500 extra calories is stored by your body as 1 pound of fat.  This means, you must eat 3500 more calories than your body burns off to gain one pound. If you think that a 250 pound woman must consume between 2500 to 3000 calories per day, just to do basic activities and breathe, etc, to MAINTAIN her current weight, depending which formula you use to calculate it,  then consider that if she continues to gain weight and become heavier, say she gains 10 pounds,  then that must mean that she consumed 2500 calories per day,  PLUS an extra 35000 calories more than she needed over the time period it took her to gain that 10 pounds.   2500 calories = maintainence + 3500 calories per pound gained x 10 pounds  = 35,000 calories.    Thats alot of Whoppers!  See below for calculation method.

Fat is the body's way of saving energy for a rainy day

Exercise raises your metabolic rate not only while you're huffing and puffing on the treadmill. Your metabolism takes a while to return to its normal pace; it continues to function at a higher level, your body burning an increased number of calories, for about two hours after you've stopped exercising.

Any movement is good movement.  Walking, running, touching your toes, jumping rope, squatting, bending, housework, walking up stairs, or down them, shopping..its all good!!    Any of these activities, any activity that you do, will benefit you, and burn extra calories, and help you lose the weight.

Carbohydrates and proteins are healthier sources of calories than fats. Although our bodies do need a certain amount of fat to function properly -- an adequate supply of fat allows your body to absorb the vitamins you ingest -- an excess of fat can have serious health consequences.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that a maximum of 30 percent of our daily calories come from fat.
So, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, that's a maximum of 600 calories from fat, or 67 grams of fat, per day. However, many doctors and nutritionists now set the maximum number of fat calories at 25 percent of our daily caloric intake.

That's 56 grams of fat per day for a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nothing tastes better than being fit and healthy feels. A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.  Watch what you eat, be aware of everything you put in your mouth, write it down.

You didn't get fat overnight, it took months or years to gain the weight, don't expect to lose it all in overnight.  Be patient.  Set a long-term goal of  what weight you want to get down to, but set shorter-term goals.. little milestones to look forward to.. and when you reach them reward yourself with some non-food reward.  

Water! Water! Water! .. nuff said!

To eat right means to consume the majority of one's calories in the form of high quality low fat protein while keeping fats and healthy carbohydrates to a minimum and combining this with exercise as a supplement 4-5 times a week is the most effective way to get in shape.

One of the best ways to get in shape is to use a fitness program that contains a variety of different types of exercises. Variety in a fitness program is great for it takes the boredom out of exercising to get in shape.

You can eat anything you want. Depriving yourself of pleasure isn't fun, and it doesn't work. "There's something called the abstinence violation effect, which says that if you insist on completely avoiding something, human nature makes it likely that you'll break your resolution," . "Then you'll tell yourself you've blown it and simply give up. It's much better to allow yourself enjoyable choices every now and then, which makes the real issue how much you have and how often.

When you cut back too hard on calories, the body goes into a conservation mode in which your metabolism (the rate at which the body's calorie-burning machinery turns over) switches to a slower pace. This actually decreases your ability to lose weight.  Don't starve yourself, eat healthy, low cal, low fat, but you must eat.


Calories for Women

Work out your weight in pounds
Example: Hilary is 150 pounds

Multiply your weight according to your lifestyle

Sedentary: multiply by 12
A very inactive Hilary needs 150 x 12 = 1800 calories

Light Exercise: multiply by 13
If Hilary takes light exercise she needs about 150 x 13 = 1950 calories

Moderate Exercise: multiply by 14
If Hilary takes moderate exercise she needs about 150 x 14 = 2100 calories

Moderate-Heavy Exercise: multiply by 15
If Hilary takes mod-heavy exercise she needs about 150 x 15 = 2250 calories

Regular Heavy Exercise: multiply by 16
If Hilary takes regular heavy exercise she needs about 150 x 16 = 2400 calories


Calories for Men
Work out your weight in pounds
Example: Bill is 165 pounds

Multiply your weight according to your lifestyle

Sedentary: multiply by 13
A very inactive Bill needs 165 x 13 = 2145 calories

Light Exercise: multiply by 14
If Bill takes light exercise he needs about 165 x 14 = 2310 calories

Moderate Exercise: multiply by 15.25
If Bill takes moderate exercise he needs about 165 x 15.25 = 2516 calories

Moderate-Heavy Exercise: multiply by 16.5
If Bill takes moderate-heavy exercise he needs about 165 x 16.5 = 2722 calories

Regular Heavy Exercise: multiply by 18
If Bill takes regular heavy exercise he needs about 165 x 18 = 2970 calories

Please Note: Calorie needs vary according to many things, including: sex, age, height, level of activity, body fat percentage and type of food eaten. This calorie guide offers a ball-park estimation only. For an exact determination of your Basal Energy Expenditure Level/ Basal Metabolic Rate and calorie needs, please use the Harris Benedict Equation.

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