First off, we need to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) to know how much calories your body needs to function. To calculate your BMR, click this link BMR Calculator.
After getting your BMR, we need to find your activity level:
Sedentary: BMR x 1.2 (Little or no exercise)
Lightly active: BMR x 1.375 (Light exercise/sports 1-3 days per week)
Moderately active: BMR x 1.55 (Moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days per week)
Very active: BMR x 1.725 (Hard exercise/sports 6-7 days per week)
Extra active: BMR x 1.9 (Very hard exercise/sports and a physical job or double training)
Lightly active: BMR x 1.375 (Light exercise/sports 1-3 days per week)
Moderately active: BMR x 1.55 (Moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days per week)
Very active: BMR x 1.725 (Hard exercise/sports 6-7 days per week)
Extra active: BMR x 1.9 (Very hard exercise/sports and a physical job or double training)
The calculated calories will be the individual's need to maintain his/her weight.
To lose weight, simply subtract 500 calories from the calculated calories (BMR x Activity level) and to gain 1lb/wk, simple add 500 calories to the calculated calories (BMR x Activity level).
Example: A 5'10, 200 lbs., 21yrs. old Male individual will have a BMR of 2058 calories. Let us assume his activity level is Lightly Active(1.375) we will multiply his calculated BMR to 1.375 which will result to 2830 calories. This is the calories he will need to maintain his current weight. To lose 1lb. a week, he will need to subtract 500 calories from 2830 which is 2330. For him to gain 1lb a week, he will need 3330 calories.
1lb. of fat= 3500 calories
Here's a quick way to estimate your calorie requirement for a day:
Fat loss = 12-13 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Maintenance = 15-16 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Weight gain = 18-19 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Example: For a 200 lbs. guy, he will need 2400-2600 calories per day for fat loss, 3000-3200 calories to maintain his weight and 3600-3800 calories to gain weight.
The next step is to choose the diet and workout that fits your lifestyle. You can view some sample workouts and diet plans on my other posts "Workouts" and "Diet Types."
After calculating the calories you need for a day and choosing the workout plan that suits your personal goals, it is time to set up the diet.
It is ideal to consume 1g of Protein per lb. of body weight to build and repair the muscle fibers.
For weight loss, a low carbohydrate diet approach is recommended. So, for your sample subject above, he will need to consume 200g of Protein per day to build muscle while losing fat. Carbohydrates should be kept low at around 30% of your total calories. For this example, he will need to consume a maximum of 180g of carbohydrates per day. The remaining calories will be from fat.
1g of Fat=9 calories
1g of Carbohydrate= 4 calories
1g of Protein= 4 calories
For more in depth understanding of Fat, Protein and Carbohydrate, please refer to my post Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat.
A rough estimate for the final calorie breakdown for our subject will be:
200g of Protein = 800 calories
180g of Carbohydrates = 640 calories
115g of Fat= 1035 calories
Total= 2475 Calories per day to lose 1lb. fat per week.
Once the weight loss has stopped or slowed down, it is time to decrease the calories and/or increase your activity level.
To find out the nutritional value of a food you ate, you can refer to this Website
A sample of my diet plan: Diet Sample
A sample of my diet plan: Diet Sample
