Work Wonders With a Weight Loss Calculator

     Using a weight loss calculator can help you set goals and stick to your diet and exercise plan. It is easier now than ever to consult a free online calculator to find out how many calories you can eat in order to reach your desired weight. Of course, it is still up to you to come up with a program that is right for you, but the weight loss calculator can give you a good idea of your target numbers.

Why is a weight loss calculator so important? Despite all the claims by fad diet pitchmen, the only true way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn off. Most people have no idea what their ideal number of calories are, so they simply eat until they are full. However, when using a calculator you can figure out how much you should be eating each day to reach your weight loss goals and timeframes.

There are a number of free online weight loss calculators to choose from, but the quality and features may vary by site. The more variables you are asked to input about yourself and your activity level, the more accurate the calculations will be. Look for a site that includes the basic factors of age, current weight, height, amount of physical activity, desired weight, and time to reach that desired weight. Some websites will even allow you to include additional information such as body fat percentage or resting pulse to further develop their estimates of your calorie expenditure.

You will generally get a result in the form of an ideal consumption number, along with an estimate of the number of calories you burn each day. Check this estimate of calories burned to make sure it looks reasonable. Some weight loss calculators simply give you the option of selecting a label like "moderately active" for your daily exercise. However, what they consider "moderately active" may vary quite a bit from site to site and may not be what you intended. If this number is incorrect, the target number generated by the calculator will be useless, so check your input carefully before basing an exercise and diet plan off of the results.

When deciding which weight loss calculator to use, consider the source of the calorie information along with any additional features offered by the site. Some sites will give you a complete breakdown of the desired carbohydrates, fats, and protein, not just a lump sum calorie number. Others may allow you to set up a free account to keep track of your progress and store your measurements. This makes it easy to recalculate your needs if your weight or goals change.

Find out where the site is getting its calorie information. The calculations provided by online weight loss calculators can very greatly, depending on how the estimates are figured. Look for sites that are sponsored by medical organizations or science foundations as these are usually the most reliable. After all, if you are going to put in the time and effort needed to change your diet and exercise, you don't want to go in with the wrong plan simply because you used a bad weight loss calculator.

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