I have gone through the Healthy Body Calculator® and it said I need 4,040 calories per day to lose 2 pounds per week. Most diets talk about a 2000 per day calorie intake. Is this correct? Here is my data. Measure: US Age: 28 years Gender: Male Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 195 pounds Activity level: 8 hours – Sleep 6 hours – Very Light / Sedentary 5 hours – Light 5 hours – Moderate 0 hours – Heavy Calorie distribution: Fat 30 percent Protein 10 percent Carbohydrate 60 percent Weight goal: Lose 2 pounds per week Elbow breadth: 2 3/4 inches Waist circumference: 38 inches Hip circumference: 37 inches

Do you think you over estimated your light and moderate activity? Do you really exercise continuously at these rates for 10 hours per day? If not, go back and redo the Healthy Body Calculator®. Unfortunately, most people sit or stand most of the day which is very light /sedentary activity. If you do exercise, how long do you exercise at the light or moderate level?

A weight loss diet should be planned at a level less than the person needs to maintain their weight. This depends on how much they eat and how much exercise they get. It is possible that a 3,000-calorie diet is a weight loss diet if you need over 4,000 calories per day to maintain your weight. There is no such thing as a stock 1200 or 1500-calorie diet fitting everyone’s calorie needs. A calorie prescription should be individually tailored to a person’s weight, food intake and exercise habits. Successful weight loss (i.e. losing weight and keeping it off for 2 years) depends on eating less food, exercising 5 times per week for 30 minutes and nutritionally analyzing everything you eat. If you want a customized weight loss plan, go see a registered dietitian.