Dr. George L. Dixon - "Talking Fitness"

Just what is that? It is the measurement of the amount of energy that your body requires daily to function. You get it from eating food or from your personal pantry, stored body fat.

Your Basal Metabolic Rate, BMR, is approximately your weight X 10. For example: if your weight is 140 pounds, you need

1400 calories of food to just to maintain your body at rest.

You must, then, add 30% more calories (1400+420=1820

calories) so that you will have enough energy supplies for your normal daily activities to be done.

EXAMPLE: Your weight times 10 = ?

? times 0.3 = ??

?+?? = X (The calories you must have to maintain your normal daily activity level.)

If you arrange extra activity, exercise or chores, to use an extra 200 "activity calories" per day, you will benefit by losing fat and gaining muscle.

If you desire to lose weight faster, then eat less than, for example, 1820 "food calories", exercise too, and you will double the effect!!

You must be careful and only lose fat at about one pound per week as your body will "reset" your BMR lower, so as to defend itself against this "starvation"!

Fat contains twice the calories per gram (9) than do protein(4) and carbohydrate (4). Therefore, eating less fat, gram for gram,is twice as efficient in decreasing caloric intake. The BONUS is that you eat less of the food (fat) most dangerous.

One-half to one pound per week of weight loss is quite fast enough; after all, you are planning for a lifetime, and 26 to 52 pounds would be a great start the first year.

More help is available in "Exercise a la Carte", here, at your bookstore or call 800-624-4952.