Healthier Resolutions
By Jeffrey Crupi

With the holiday parties and tempting treats behind us, January is the optimum time to focus on calorie control. To calculate how many calories you need a day to maintain your present weight, follow this formula:

Step One: Convert your weight to kilograms by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2. This is to determine the amount of calories needed in a 24-hour period.

Step Two: If you're female, take your weight in kilograms and multiply by .9. If you're male, proceed to Step Three.

Step Three: Take your weight in kilograms and multiply by 24.

Step Four: Determine your amount of daily exercise.

Low – Multiply Step Three by .25
Moderate – Multiply Step Three by .35
High – Multiply Step Three by .55

Step Five: Add Step Three and Step Four together to determine your daily caloric intake.

When following these steps, a 140- pound female teacher with a moderate daily exercise regime would calculate her daily caloric intake as follows:

140 divided by 2.2 = 63.6 kilograms
64 kilograms multiplied by .9 = 57.6 kilograms
58 kilograms multiplied by 24 = 1,392 calories
1,392 calories multiplied by .35 = 487.2 calories
1,392 calories plus 487 calories = 1,879 calories a day

In order to lose one pound a week, which is 3,500 calories, try to cut 250 calories off your daily caloric intake. You can also burn an additional 250 calories a day with cardiovascular exercises.

To reduce your caloric intake:

• Eat smaller portions. In a super-sized world it's important to remember that an average portion is the size of the palm of your hand.
• Drink 64 ounces of water a day.
• Follow the Food Pyramid guidelines for healthy eating.
• Stop eating when you're full.

To lose weight, also try these cardiovascular exercises:

• Jog – 30 minutes a day burns approximately 250 calories.


• Walk – one hour a day burns approximately 250 calories.


• Ride a bike – 45 minutes burns approximately 180-225 calories.

By following these steps, you're well on your way to shedding those holiday pounds and creating a terrific new year that's full of healthier resolutions.

Jeffrey Crupi is the owner of Peak Fitness Gym in Westport, CT. He is a certified fitness specialist with a degree from Marymount Manhattan College.

January, 2004, Vol.34, No.4