Cheat and Eat....some Positive Advice and Support

Getting to Cheat and Eat….Some advice and support J

 So peeps, I wanted to do this blog on eating and cheating. When I use the term cheat, I don’t mean it in terms of being able to get healthy while “cheat eating” all of the time, what I do mean though is, Being able to live a healthy and fit lifestyle while being able to have your cheats every once in awhile and even every week. J

I myself love chocolate, wine, going out for dinner or desert or having those comfort foods. But what I try to do is each week, 90% good, 10% cheat! You need to have balance and be able to allow yourself the nice things in life so don’t fret if you think by leading a healthy and fit life you can’t have so of those extra yummy things out there, it’s not true, YOU can….HOORAYYY :D, otherwise we would be miserable having to constrict ourselves all of the time.

The key though as I said is balance. During the week keep 90% of all meals and drinks healthy/organic/unprocessed and as natural as possible where you can and the same for drinks; water/herbal teas etc. Then 10% use this time to have some little treats that you really like or if you are having time with the girls have that glass or two of wine or a beer with your boyfriend/girlfriend or some popcorn at the cinema or whatever your taste buds will love. It won’t destroy your balance if you do, but THAT KEY….don’t do it all the time and it won’t destroy that healthy balance you have. Problems I see people having is too many cheat days in a week and leading to it not being a cheat day at all OR not having any at all and then binging and then feel guilty and mad at themselves!! So here is a little sample of my cheat day this week J

Here in Vancouver we have something called Dougie Dog, it’s a hot dog place that does yummy hot dogs, myself and my girl Alma decided we deserved a cheat day so on Wednesday after work we went and got ourselves a DELISH Dougie Dog hotdog and a hot chocolate to finish J ,it was yummy and hit the spot, now  for the balance:

That day I had:

Breakfast:  homemade vegi juice with wheatgrass and rice cake with 100% peanut butter

Lunch: more vegi juice with wheatgrass and a salad with a boiled egg

In between this I had an apple to snack on, my breakfast and lunch were both mostly natural products and healthy so this gave me the allowance for that cheat meal in the evening with Ali. Note, the whole day wasn’t a cheat meal and I didn’t have to feel guilty when I did get to cheat and have my yummy treats. I also combined this with a 1 hour spin class and 20 resistance training on Tuesday and 1 hour resistance training on Thursday so burning up any excess fat. I literally got to have my cake and eat it too, who doesn’t want that :D, And so can you.

But remember eat healthy and keep fit and you don’t have to feel guilty about having those cheat days if you want to see results in health and weightless ;), just don’t have every day be a cheat day and dont try and eat 20 chocolate bars on a cheat day to try and compinsate for not having them everyday this also defeats the point and not to mention is bad for your body and health.  Wait and see how much you really enjoy that chocolate bar when you have them only every so often….taste even nicer ;)

Remember we are not about DIETS here people we are about Healthy, Fit, Balanced Lifestyles….lead to healthy, fit bodies and minds J

Think before you Drink.....Healthy Hydration

Think before you Drink…Healthy Hydration for Your amazing body :)

Are some of your favourite everyday drinks coke, diet coke, Pepsi, red bull, cartooned juices or any other soda’s, bottled drinks…?

I think a lot of people know the effects that the likes of Coke, Pepsi, Red Bull, and majority of these sugary drinks including Cartooned Juice’s have on our bodies or people do and they ignore it, none of us are invisible; but if you don’t, let me fill you in on the negative effects these drinks have on our bodies (incl. preventing weight loss, increase of toxic chemicals in our bodies, dehydration, energy crash, depresses your immune system, ages your skin)

Most people consume these because they feel they need an “energy boost”, “sugar craving” , “thirsty”, all of these reasons are your body telling you that you are actually lacking water and nutrients.  Really your body is calling for you to feed it with water and vitamins and minerals., all of these which can be gotten just as quickly as a sugar drink.

Your average soda will have somewhere between 27 to 30 grams of sugar per 8 ounces. Most cans of soda are 12 ounce servings or more. Diet Drinks while they do not contain sugar, they contain sweetener, which is a chemical manufactured to taste sweet like sugar (These are NO BETTER for your body than sugar, I go as far as saying probably worse), Fruit flavoured juices contain 8 tsp sugar so where you can squeeze your own juice, yes they will still contain sugar but there are no additives, it is natural sugar, where you can have water/herbal,fruit tea’s/vegi or natural fruit juice to rehydrate. (Also eating watermelon and cucumber rehydrate your body very quickly as they are composed of almost 90 water)

**High-fructose corn syrup has the most of all sugar side effects. High-fructose corn syrup is used heavily in processed foods and drinks (note this is in majority processed foods so the less processed and less often, the best, even BREAD is processed) because it is sweeter, extends the shelf life, and is cheaper to produce. You will find it in most sodas, fruit-flavoured drinks and packaged foods. Unfortunately, its effects are horrific to your health and body, it is a completely manufactured chemical.

**The Water in this picture i believe is a fruit flavoured water hence the sugar in it.

Some facts on the what sugar in these everyday drinks(mainly fizzy/soda/carbonated/canned/bottled) do:

·        It feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, lung, gallbladder and stomach.

·        It can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis.

·        It greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida yeast infections.

·        It can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide and it can increase the amount of liver fat.

·        It can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.

·        It can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

·        It can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.

·        Your body changes it into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.

·        Increase chances of Type 2 Diabetes and inhibits mineral and vitamin absorption.

·        Causes dehydration and the need for more and more sugar.

·        Leaves toxins in our body that inhibit nutrient absorption resulting in a vicious circle effect (You wanting more processed foods and drinks because you are not absorbing any).

Needless to say there is a ton more reasons why high sugar/sweetener drinks (diet too) are bad for your body and your diet and ways in which you can rehydrate and quinch your thirst without jeopardising your health. If you do have a sugary/sweetened drink, try keeping it few and far betweenJ.

Ways for Healthy Hydration instead of needing the sugar drinks:

·        Drink Water

·        Drink Herbal Tea or Fruit Tea

·        Drink Hot Water with slice of lemon/orange/lime and small squeeze of organic honey.

·        Drink some fresh squeezed vegi juice or if you need the sugar mix fresh vegi and fruit juice.

·        Eat some Watermelon or Cucumber – 90% Water content

·        Drink water with dash of fresh fruit juice if you think water is too bland (although we are made of mostly water and we ain’t bland .... ;))

Hope this helps to hydrate your Amazing body in the best way possible and the after effects it has.

Quick Basic Bums and Legs

If you are looking for that pert toned bum and toned legs, i have done a quick demo on how to achieve these even when you are short on time and have no time for the gym or long workouts, fear not, these take 10-15 minutes to do. Done 4 days a week, mixed with the correct diet and if you can some cardio in there for calorie burn you are on your way to a toned bums and legs :).

check out my quick demo here... *NOTE, apologies for not seeing my head in some shots, its a small screen and its more important you see what my legs are doing.

Link here: :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSkcvKjG2ME&feature=youtu.be


Squat
                   



Side Squat
                    

 Lunge / Static Lunge
                    
 Kickback

                   

3 sets x 20 reps and if you want to advance these exercises try, a one legged squat, ad in weights(handheld/barbell) to the exercises.

Basic ways to Detox and Clean your body Everyday :)

An Excellent Article on the most Basic ways to detox your body on a daily basis! Something we can all do, from the team at "Hungry for Change" http://www.foodmatters.tv/index and http://www.hungryforchange.tv/Detox

Do You Need A Detox?

Our bodies naturally detoxify everyday as part of a normal body process. Detoxification is one of the body’s most basic automatic functions of eliminating and neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymphand skin. Unfortunately in this day and age, with the pollution found in the air, water and food we eat, our bodies have a hard time keeping up. Our chemicalized diet with too much processed foods, vegetable oils and trans fats, non-organic foods, caffeine and alcohol radically changes our internal ecosystem.

Body systems and organs that were once capable of cleaning out unwanted substances are now completely over-loaded to the point where toxic material remains inside our tissues. Our bodies try to protect us from dangerous substances by setting it aside, surrounding it with mucous and fat so that it will not cause an imbalance or trigger an immune response (some people carry up to 15 extra pounds of mucous that harbors this waste).

Detoxification through special cleansing processes is the best way to assist your body’s natural self-cleaning system. It is especially important for immune-compromised diseases like cancer, arthritis, diabetes and chronic fatigue. However, even if your diet is good, a spring cleanse can revitalize your system and rid your body of harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites. Here are some simple detox tips to get you started...

4 Simple Detox Tips

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1. Drink More Water 

Too often we misinterpret thirst for hunger. Our signal for thirst may cause us to eat as we mistake it for hunger pains. Reach for water first and make sure you are well hydrated before eating any meal throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. 
Where possible make sure to drink your water at least 30 minutes before eating as this will allow time for the water to properly penetrate the cells of your body and hydrate your stomach lining in preparation for proper digestion. I like to add lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to my water or green it up with barley grass powder, wheatgrass powder, spirulina or chlorella.

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2. Add A Green Juice To Your Day 

Green juices are an amazing way to add life giving and detoxifying plant chlorophyll to your bloodstream. As Jason Vale says in 'Hungry For Change', "juicing is the ultimate fast food, it is a 15 minute nutrient express to health". Some of my favorite and simple green juice recipes include:

Green Juice Recipe Ideas:

- Celery, lemon and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, lemon (leave the skin on) and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, lemon, parsley and pear (or apple)

I also like to stir whatever green powders I have laying around the house into my juices to green them up even more! Again try barley grass, wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella powders.

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3. Add More Parsley and Cilantro (Coriander) To Your Diet  

Parsley and cilantro (coriander) are very powerful natural green plant foods for detoxing heavy metals out of your body. Add these amazing herbs to juices, salads, soups and meals.


 Heavy Metal Detox Pesto Recipe:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium source) or macadamia nuts
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine source)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium sources)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro (corriander)
• 1 cup parsley
• 2/3 cup cold pressed olive oil
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice (Vitamin C source)
• Big pinch of sea salt and or dulse flakes to flavor

Soak the seeds and nuts over night to release the enzyme exhibitors. Process the parsley, cilantro (corriander) and olive oil in a blender until chopped. Add the garlic, nuts, and seeds, salt / dulse and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. Store in dark glass jars if possible. It freezes well also if needs be. Enjoy!

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4. Breathe Deep Into Your Abdomen  

Deep breathing, where you fill your belly and expand your diaphragm downwards, is one of the most powerful exercise you can do to activate your lymph system which helps to detoxify your body. Think of your lymph system as your own personal garbage removal system (which most of us will need in full steam after the holiday season). Practise 10 deep slow breaths counting 4 seconds in, 8 seconds hold and 8 seconds out. You can do this exercize watching the TV, walking the dog, during meditation or whilst practising yoga.

According to the 'Tao of Breathing' up to 70% of our body’s waste products are eliminated via our lungs and the rest through the urine, skin and feces. When the efficiency of our lungs is reduced due to poor breathing less oxygen is available to our cells, it slows down the flow of blood which carries wastes from the kidneys and lungs. Our lymphatic system which fights off viral and bacterial invaders is weakened along with a slower digestive process.

Breathe long slow and deep in a mindful state as often as possible.

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Featured Teacher: Dr. Alejandro Junger & 'The Clean Detoxification Program'

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As a busy Cardiologist, Dr Alejandro Junger ate most meals 'on the run' and eventually became severely unhealthy. He decided to seek a recovery path outside of the hospital system. This journey and the knowledge he gained places him as one of the leaders in detoxification. His book CLEAN takes you on a guided detoxification program designed to rid your body of toxins and explains to you how the body stores fat and eliminates toxins.

CLEAN is now available in a newly updated and expanded paperback edition. It is a revolutionary program designed to rid our bodies of a multitude of toxins that infiltrate our systems on a daily basis. The effect of the CLEAN program is transformative: nagging health problems suddenly disappear, extra weight drops away, and for the first time in our lives we experience what it truly means to feel healthy.

In CLEAN Dr. Junger offers a major medical breakthrough, arguing that the majority of common ailments are the direct result of toxic build-up in our systems accumulated through the course of our daily lives. The toxicity of modern life disrupts our systems, yet our ability to handle the ever-increasing load hasn’t accelerated at the same rapid pace.  While toxins are unavoidable, CLEAN offers a solution by providing all the tools necessary to support and reactivate our body’s detoxification system to its fullest capabilities, and is easily incorporated into a busy schedule.

Alejandro Junger, M.D. is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology who spent years at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York City and now practices in Los Angeles. In addition, after completing his medical training Junger studied Eastern medicine in India. He was the Medical Director of WE Care Holistic Health Center in Palm Springs, a world famous center for fasting, cleansing and detoxification. Currently, he is in private practice at the renowned Eleven Eleven Wellness Center and is the director of Integrative Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City

Let me share 10 Myths surrounding Weightloss/Fitness...

10 Weight Loss and Fitness Myths

Ladies and Gents let me dispel some common myths surrounding weight loss and fitness. These are spread from marketers trying to sell you special shoes to help you lose weight to through bad word of mouth or just miss information.

So I feel these myths that I have listed are common one’s that I have heard a lot and lead to people to frustration and goal failure:

1.       Woman shouldn’t lift weights because they will bulk up or gain huge muscles or look manly….FALSE

I am telling you it is the complete opposite. Women do not chemically contain enough testosterone physically to gain that muscle from lifting regular weights. Don’t let female body builders put you off they are in a different ball game totally. So it is healthy to lift weights and lifting weights burns calories and burns fat, it is more beneficial in weight loss. Lifting weights carries “the afterburn”, this you want, this continues way after your workout. For calorie burn and fat burn, keep those reps no bigger than 12, so choose a weight that you will feel the burn at on your 12^th rep x 3 sets. You will have toned hot muscles and body.

2.       Losing weight is a physical body challenege/I don’t have enough energy..

Losing weight requires a physical effort but it is not a total physical challenge, it is a mental challenge. We start off good but it is the mental challenge after that takes effort, to keep you motivated. 45 mins of quality exercise is better than none. It is in our heads, we are the one’s that hold the power to change our ways of thinking, letting go of that is the hardest part. Really believe you are going to achieve it and you will.

3.       Supplements/Products help speed up/quicken the weightloss process…FALSE!!!!!

If this were true there would be no unfit, over weight people. Move from any products that tell you this, weightloss  is tough, and no quick fix is going to work longterm. Plenty of companies out there are paid millions to tell you they work. Atkins, slim-fast etc.. Rebok was sued 25 million because they claimed a pair of their runners would tone your legs...it obviously didn't...it takes alot more than runners to do that. Exercise and healthy eating and healthy mind is what is going to get you that body you are looking for and keep it.

         4.     You HAVE to do cardio to lose weight…NOT

You do not necessarily have to have cardio in your workout to shed those pounds. So if all you are doing pounding down the treadmill and pavements and are getting sick of this, don’t worry, you don’t have to stick with that to shed it. Depending in what system you are working in, you anaerobic or aerobic system you will be burning up fat or calories. So weight training and short interval training will burn up those calories just as well if not better than the drawn out cardio sessions as you have hours of after burn with weight training/anaerobic exercises.

5.       Its all about the exercise to lose weight and get fit….NOT

If you have been killing youself with exercise and still not seeing results, get back to that drawing board! What are you feeding yourself.  Weightloss is 60% Diet, 40% exercise. What you put in your mouth ultimately effects what comes out on the outside. So if you are not eating correctly, you will not see results or the results you want. Nice Abs are not made by crunch’s alone, you need to have the right diet.

6.       Muscle weighs more than fat….NOT

People often say this or give a confused look when someone says they are a certain weight and another person is the same weight but looks fitter and has better body shape.  They say that it’s because muscle weighs more than fat and they are almost right.. 1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat, just as 1 pound of feathers weighs as much as 1 pound of bricks. So, this phrase is half right. Muscle does weigh more than fat – when comparing similar sizes, which is essentially density. More important though is to understand that your weight is meaningless in terms of body composition, and that a 130 lb woman can be much more fit than a similar 130 lb woman. It’s all about body composition. Throw your scale away and pick up a pair of body fat calipers.

7.       Muscle turns to Fat…NOT

This is a myth that if you are training hard or that if you stop training muscle will turn to fat. This is not possible, as muscle and fat are two different compositions. They are not the same thing and one cannot simply turn into another, like gold cannot turn into silver. What does happen though is if you stop training or working out, you lose muscle tone and will lose some muscle mass, you also may gain some body fat from lake of exercise, which leads to higher body fat and lower muscle mass = the myth……muscle turns to fat…!

8.       Restricting Carbs, Fat out of my diet will make me lose weight.. Not entirely

Restricting main food groups such as Carbohydrates or Fat is bad for your health, not good. We need complexed Carbohydrates for energy and for our glycogen storage (this gets us up and moving after not eating for 8 hrs while sleeping), we need healthy fats for our adipose tissue to protect our organs an absorb fat soluble nutrients. So please don’t restrict all carbohydrates and fats from you diet but choose the correct one’s.

9.       It says ‘wholegrain’, ‘0 trans fat’ , ‘100 fruit concentrate’ ‘0 % fat’, ‘fibre’, ‘0 calories’….

BE WARNED…..millions and millions goes into this advertising to tell you this and make you buy it. They don’t not want to sell you food, they are selling you a product, a picture a false idea. Look at the ingredients of the products you think are healthy, you will find that you cannot read most of the ingredients(NOT GOOD) and they like it this way, you don’t know what you are buying then. Watch for these bad words ‘ Monosodium Glutamate – MSG’ ,’High Fructose Corn Syrup’ , ‘vegetable oil’ ‘palm oil’ , ‘made with wheat flour’, ‘Aspartame’ , ‘sucralose’ ‘ benzoate’ ‘olestra’. You may say well I can’t check everything I buy, solution stay away from highly processed foods, the more natural, organic the better.

10.   I Cant have any nice things or have a drink… Nah

You can indeed have some nice piece of chocolate or a glass of wine. Just be clever about this, you know you cannot eat a whole bar of chocolate, so have 1 or 2 pieces and be happy with that, know that it is a treat and enjoy it or share a desert with that romantic dinner. Try dark chocolate too, it’s more filling and the higher the coco content the more intense so 70% +.  It is in your mind, you feel you need to have the entire bar, but you hold the power. Drink…we all like one, me most defo included!! But watch what you drink, beer holds a serious amount of calories and sugar so go easy if your watching those pounds and body fat. A small glass of wine is probably smaller than most of our personal servings so watch out. If you are looking for a low cal alcoholic drink, try a vodka, soda water and lime. Diets drinks and soda drinks are useless to our health, they hold no benefit and hurt us more in the long run with the chemicals and sugars the hold, both full fat and diet, so have one as a treat but keep away on a frequent basis.

I hope these have dispelled some myths you might not have know about food and fitness . You hold the power to your own body and the changes you make, you have one body, make it the best you want it.!! ;)

Calorie Burn vs Fat Burn... What do you know about the burn

Fat Burn V’s Calorie Burn…

I want to highlight some differences here between fat burn and calorie burn. Most people never think about it or don’t know much on the difference between the two and the effects it has on your body, also what type of exercises produce the best calorie burn and fat burn. Some simple facts:

• To lose weight, your energy output (daily calorie body requirement/exercise) must be higher than your energy input (food/drinks). For body function alone you need avg 1200 - 1500 and an additional 500-1000 after that depending on activity level of work/exercise, to maintain current body weight. For weight loss you should -500 calories from your daily required calories, to work out your exact calorie requirements, check below(bottom):

·         Body Fat, is the solid yellow fat under our skins, we need a layer of body fat under our skin, it keep us warm, protects our organs and helps in the assist of nutrient absorption, but when we have to much this is the problem. You do not grow new fat cells as an adult, the fat cells you have merely swell as we put on weight and shrink as we lose. (this should give you some insight as to why yoyo dieters easily put it back on). If you can I suggest going to get your body fat % taken in your nearest gym/trainer or at doctors or some health food shops do it. This is good to be aware off as too high of body fat is dangerous especially around the belly/midriff area. Burning body fat gives you that lean toned look.

Calorie Burning:

Let me start of by telling you what a calorie is: The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water to 1 °C. Calories are Energy and energy is what is burned for you to function and exercise.

Every movement you do requires calorie burning, from using your brain to running 30 minutes. The intensity and time is key to weight loss and fitness.

For weight loss you need calorie burn,  to burn solid calories you need to be doing moderate - intense cardio exercises  and fast paced weight bearing exercises for 30 minutes plus. You will burn on avg. 250 calories for moderate level running for 25-30 minutes. If you are looking for weight loss you need to be burning 300 min- 500 calories x3- 4 times per week. Different exercises will give you a larger calorie burn than other, see my list on previous blog giving you a list of activities to do and the avg. calories burned in one hour per body weight: http://emmasinsideout.blogspot.de/2012/04/calories-burned-in-some-of-your.html .

Body Fat:

A person's body fat percentage is the total weight of the person's fat divided by the person's weight and consists of essential body fat and storage body fat. Essential body fat is necessary to maintain life and reproductive functions. The percentage of essential body fat for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. The percentage of essential fat is 3%–5% in men, and 8–12% in women. Storage body fat consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, part of which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. The minimum recommended total body fat percentage exceeds the essential fat percentage value above.

Description	Women	Men
Essential fat to function	8–12%	3–5%
Athletes	14-20%	6–13%
Fitness - most should aim for this range	21-24%	14–17%
"Average"	25-32%	18-24%
Excess fat	32%+	25%+

The reason to aim for burning body fat is if you are in the high end of the “average” range or you are in the “excess fat” range it is dangerous to your health and fitness, it prevents you from absorbing the correct nutrients from your food, it causes excess pressure on your heart and organs and pushes at your organs and is also the one to blame for the unsightly cellulite and “jiggly” area’s. A lower body fat gives you that lean look, it makes your toned muscles more visible.

To Burn Body Fat:

Ø  High Intense short burst exercises with quick cool downs. 30/45/60/90 sec sprint (9 + on treadmill/ 12+ bike/9+ crosstrainer) with a 30/45 sec cool down, repeated for 15-20 minutes. You will feel the sweat and heart PUMPING during and after this.

Ø  Kettlebell training: Excellent Fat burning exercise, try get to a kettle bell class, amazing toning while burning fat.

Ø  Anaerobic exercise are excellent fat burners and toner’s:

Squat jumps

Lunges/Lunge Jumps

Weight lifting, resistance training

Burpeez/t-jumps

Abdominal crunch’s/oblique twists/wood chop twist

Boxing/Kick Boxing

So Emma….what do I do:

If you are confused as to whether to train for calorie burn or body fat burn, I recommend looking at you goals.

Ø If you want large weight loss and body reshaping I recommend:

calorie burn training 3 x week and

body fat burn training x 2 week, this combo will shed pounds and gives you a lean and toned look.

Ø  If you are at your goal weight but are a little untoned/jiggly I recommend:

Body fat burning x 2 week

Cardio x 1- 2 week to maintain goal weight and cardio fitness

REMEMBER: These are will only work correctly in conjunction with correct food consumption, so if you are eating high saturated fat foods/sugary foods these will not work to your desire. Your Food needs to compliment the exercise.

**PERSONAL CALORIE CALCULATION

Calculating Your Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Calorie Needs
 Your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR is the rate at which you burn calories to sustain life functions at rest at a normal room temperature. Your activities, fitness level, stress level and more affect this. To calculate you take your resting metabolic rate and add the extra calories required by your daily activities to get an approximate total daily calorie expenditure. 

To lose fat weight, it is generally recommended you eat 500 calories less than you burn up in a day.

To gain weight, it is generally recommended you eat at least 1000 calories more than you burn up in a day.

Here is how to calculate your BMR based on the popular Harris-Benedict formula:

Men 
66 + (6.3 X weight in lbs) + (12.9 X height in inches) - (6.8 X age in years)

Women 
655 + (4.3 X weight in lbs.) + (4.7 X height in inches) - (4.7 X age in years).

Example = 
You are 32 years old woman
You are 5 feet 4 inches tall (162.5 cm)
Your weight is 154 pounds (70 kilos)
Your BMR is 655 + (662) + (291) - (150) = 1458 calories


Notes:
1 inch = 2.54 cm.
1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs.


To calculate your Total Daily Calorie Needs, 

Multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
If you are Sedentary - little or no exercise
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.2
If you are Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.375
If you are Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.55
If you are Very Active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.725
If you are Extra Active (very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.9 


Example = 
You are sedentary, multiply your BMR (1458) by 1.2 = 1750
Your total daily calorie requirement is therefore 1750 calories.
This is the total number of calories you need in order to MAINTAIN your current weight.