Weight Loss

Helpful Weight Loss Calculators

There are a range of methods that all come under the description of weight loss calculators. And if you are embarking on a new weight loss program, then you will need to use some or even all of the weight loss calculators available.

First of all, you will need a weight loss calculator that tells you your BMI (Body Mass Index). This gives you an indication of if you are overweight - and if so, by how much.

BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilos by your height in metres squared. A BMI of 25 or more indicates that you are overweight; a BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity. However, treat BMI readings with caution, as this method does not differentiate between muscle and fat - and muscle weighs more than fat. A 100 kg footballer and a 100 kg couch potato may be the same height but the footballer is obviously in better shape than the couch potato. The BMI needs to be used in conjunction with another type of weight loss calculator.

A useful weight loss calculator is one that can measure the amount of body fat you have. Hospitals have highly accurate means of measuring your percentage of body fat, but you can calculate your body fat at home with the use of callipers. These callipers measure your subcutaneous (under the skin) fat, and give a good indication of if you are overweight.

According to the American Council on Exercise, the recommended percentage of body fat on an adult male is 6-13% for an athlete and 18-24% for a less active person. More than 25% fat on a male body indicates obesity. Women naturally have more body fat than men - this is what gives women their feminine curves - and the ideal percentages are 14-20% body fat for an athlete and up to 31% for less active women.

Next, you need a weight loss calculator to tell you your ideal weight. Once again, the BMI and body fat percentage weight loss calculators can be useful here. This time, you need to use them in reverse: find out what is a healthy weight range for your height and you'll know how much fat you need to use.

Now comes the hard yards. You've used weight loss calculators to work out where you are now and where you need to be, so now you need to know what to do. The best method for losing weight is a sensible program of good diet and moderate exercise over the long term. And here again, weight loss calculators can help.

Of course, your basic weight loss calculation is calories out > calories in. This means that you need to burn off more calories than you take in if you want to lose weight. Once you have reached your goal, this formula changes to calories in = calories out. If you ever reach the point where calories in > calories out, your body fat will go on again. Having said this, do not rely on the scales alone to calculate whether you are reaching your goal, as muscle weighs more than fat.

The first weight loss calculator you will need is one that tells you how many calories you need to take in a day in order to remain healthy. Ideally, this will take factors such as your age, gender and activity level into account. You will also need a weight loss calculator that will tell you what you are actually putting into your body; packaging on many everyday foods now includes this information, which is helpful.

The last weight loss calculator you will need is one that calculates how many calories you are burning. A good weight loss calculator of this type will give different "burn rates" for different activity types - walking, of course, burns fewer calories than running.

These weight loss calculators are indications only, so don't get too fussy about the precise minutes you need to jog, cycle or walk for in order to burn off that donut you indulged in. Your metabolism and the weather will all have an effect (the body needs more calories if you're cold) - even your level of mental activity can have an effect because the brain needs fuel to function, too. You can also increase the calorie burning potential of any workout by using wrist or ankle weights (or by carrying a backpack) to increase the amount of work your body has to do.