Choosing A Weight Loss Program

When you're looking for a weight loss program, it's wise to look for one that will meet your needs and set you up for long-term success.

In general, look for programs that focus on steady weight loss -- about 1-2 pounds a week.

While you're choosing a program, ask these questions:

Does the staff include qualified counselors and health professionals such as registered dietitians, doctors, and exercise physiologists?

How limited are the food choices?

Who sets your weight loss goal: you or someone else?

What percentage of people complete the program?

What is the average percentage of weight loss among people who finish the program?

What percentage of people have problems or side effects? What are those problems?

Is there a maintenance program to help keep the weight off once you lose it? Maintaining weight loss is important, so there should be a plan for this.

What is the total cost, including any foods or supplements that are required?

If you plan to lose any amount of weight, have any health problems, or take medication on a regular basis, talk to your doctor before you start any weight loss program.

If you've considered a very-low-calorie diet, definitely see your doctor first and check in with them throughout your diet. They may be able to suggest a healthier choice to help you reach your long-term fitness goals.

Diet And Weight Loss News

Sweets Change Our Brain

Mar. 22, 2023 — Chocolate bars, chips and fries - why can't we just ignore them in the supermarket? Researchers have now shown that foods with a high fat and sugar content change our brain: If we regularly eat ...

Study Shows 'Obesity Paradox' Does Not Exist: Waist-to-Height Ratio Is a Better Indicator of Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure Than BMI

Mar. 22, 2023 — New research has debunked the idea that there is an 'obesity paradox', whereby patients with heart failure who are overweight or obese are thought to be less likely to end up in hospital or ...

A Good Night's Sleep May Make It Easier to Stick to Exercise and Diet Goals

Mar. 3, 2023 — People who had higher scores for sleep health -- based on regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency and duration -- during a 12-month weight loss program were more likely to follow the ...

Youth Overweight a Risk Factor for Blood Clots as Adult

Mar. 2, 2023 — Being overweight in childhood and in early adulthood are discrete risk factors for blood clots later in life, a University of Gothenburg study shows. The study is based on the early BMI history of ...

Keto Vs Vegan: Study of Popular Diets Finds Over Fourfold Difference in Carbon Footprints

Feb. 28, 2023 — New research has estimated the carbon footprints and diet quality of six popular diets. The vegan and vegetarian diets were found to be produce the least amount of carbon dioxide while keto and paleo ...

Obesity in Pregnant Women Could Alter the Structure and Function of the Placenta Increasing the Risk of Poor Health Outcomes for Both Mother and Baby

Feb. 28, 2023 — Maternal obesity alters the structure of the placenta (a vital organ that nourishes the baby during pregnancy) more than gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM; a condition is diagnosed by poor glucose ...

Forgoing One Food Treats Eosinophilic Esophagitis as Well as Excluding Six, Study Finds

Feb. 27, 2023 — Eliminating animal milk alone from the diet of adults with eosinophilic esophagitis, or EoE, is as effective at treating the disease as eliminating animal milk plus five other common foods, a ...

Excess Weight, Obesity More Deadly Than Previously Believed

Feb. 24, 2023 — New research finds that overweight populations have a 22% higher mortality risk than those of healthy weight, while obese populations have as much as double the risk. The study counters prevailing ...

Reducing Social Media Use Significantly Improves Body Image in Teens, Young Adults

Feb. 23, 2023 — Teens and young adults who reduced their social media use by 50% for just a few weeks saw significant improvement in how they felt about both their weight and their overall appearance compared with ...

Significant Findings Related to Obesity

Feb. 16, 2023 — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. Was 42.4% in 2018, with current estimates indicating the global prevalence of overweight and obesity ...

New Study Identifies Risk Factors Associated With Low Birthweights

Feb. 15, 2023 — Multiple births, a short interval between pregnancies and mothers with a maternal physical or mental health condition are more at risk of having a low birth rate baby. Every year 20 million children ...

Fructose Could Drive Alzheimer's Disease

Feb. 13, 2023 — An ancient human foraging instinct, fueled by fructose production in the brain, may hold clues to the development and possible treatment of Alzheimer's disease ...

Following Healthy Lifestyle May Reduce Risk of Long COVID

Feb. 6, 2023 — Women who followed most aspects of a healthy lifestyle, including healthy body weight, not smoking, regular exercise, adequate sleep, high quality diet, and moderate alcohol consumption, had about ...

How a High Fat Diet Allows Expulsion of Intestinal Parasite Worms

Feb. 6, 2023 — Scientists have discovered that a high-fat diet allows the immune system to eliminate a parasitic worm which is a major cause of death and illness in the developing world. Parasitic worms affect up ...

Accepting Anxiety for Peace of Mind

Feb. 5, 2023 — Sadly, many family members, friends, and celebrities have suffered from anorexia nervosa, a severe psychiatric disorder associated with intense anxieties concerning weight, shape, and self-esteem. AN ...

Sugar Is Processed Differently in the Brains of Obesity-Prone Vs. Obesity-Resistant Rats

Feb. 2, 2023 — A new study tracked what happens in the brains of rats in real time in the brain when presented with glucose, a type of sugar, labeled with a tracer. The tracer allowed the researchers to measure ...

Ultra-Processed Foods May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer

Jan. 31, 2023 — Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods may be linked to an increased risk of developing and dying from cancer, an observational study ...

Study Finds Obesity-Related Neurodegeneration Mimics Alzheimer's Disease

Jan. 31, 2023 — A new study finds a correlation between neurodegeneration in obese people and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, suggesting that losing excess weight could slow cognitive decline in aging and ...

Impact of 'Hyper-Palatable' Foods Across Four Diets

Jan. 30, 2023 — Research found three meal characteristics consistently led to increased calorie intake across four different dietary patterns: meal energy density (i.E., calories per gram of food), the amount of ...

One in Eight Americans Over 50 Show Signs of Food Addiction

Jan. 30, 2023 — Whether you call them comfort foods, highly processed foods, junk foods, empty calories or just some of Americans' favorite foods and drinks, about 13% of people aged 50 to 80 have an unhealthy ...

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Calorie Calculator For Weight Loss And Maintenance

The Forbes Health Calorie Calculator estimates the number of calories your body uses each day. If you want to lose weight, it calculates the number of daily calories you need to consume to achieve your weight loss goal. It also displays how long it will take you to reach your goal weight safely.

Calculating Daily Calories To Maintain Your Weight

To calculate your daily calorie needs to maintain your weight, the calculator considers your:

Resting metabolic rate (RMR)

Physical activity

The thermogenic effect of food (the calories you burn while processing food)

Each of these components requires a different amount of calories.

1. Your RMR requires the most energy, far more than physical activity or food processing. It can be measured scientifically in a lab or estimated using an equation. In this calculator, your RMR is measured using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. It's the most reliable formula, according to a review of studies in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. It calculates your RMR based on your sex, weight, height and age.

2. Physical activity burns calories, so athletes need to consume more calories than people who don't exercise. An activity factor—ranging from 1.2 for people who are sedentary to 1.9 for extremely active people—is assigned based on your physical activity level. The calculator then multiplies your RMR by this number.

3. The thermogenic effect of food makes up the remainder of your daily energy needs (approximately 10%). To find this number, the calculator takes your RMR multiplied by your activity factor and multiplies that number by 10%.

Calculating Daily Calories To Lose Weight

To determine your daily calorie needs to lose weight, the calculator decreases the number of calories you use each day by 25%, resulting in a new recommended daily calorie intake. Our Forbes Health Calorie Calculator panel of experts recommended this equation for safe, sustainable weight loss.

The calculator won't display fewer than 1,200 calories a day no matter your starting weight. "If you go below that, it's very difficult to get all the macronutrients and micronutrients you need for optimal health," says Melina Jampolis, M.D., a Forbes Health Advisory Board member.

The Forbes Health editorial team consulted 2021 Forbes Health Advisory Board members Melina Jampolis, M.D., Toby Amidor, R.D. And Sabrena Jo, M.S., the senior director of science and research at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), for this calculator. They reviewed the methods used by this tool to calculate daily calorie needs to maintain and lose weight.

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