Why are your calories recommendations so high?
Asked by nancybehrend on Nov 25, 2008
in Weight Loss
I've been a Weight Watcher for over 5 years, but the program doesn't seem to suit me anymore. My weight has been stagnant for awhile. I am shocked to see the recommended calorie intake for weight loss! I'm scared of this many calories! Is this for real?
Answer
Our calculations use nutrition standards. The Harris-Benedict Equation is used to calculate calories burned at rest and the Katch-McArdle Formula is for calories burned in physical activity. Our weight loss goal of 0.5 – 2.0 lbs per week is based on the recommendations of the National Institutes of Health. For you, the Calorie Target calculator in the Tools section recommends 1650 calories a day if you engage in exercise, like walking, for no more than 2 hours to produce a loss of 1.5 lbs per week. But the formulas do have standard errors and you could know that you need less; however, don’t eat less than 1200 calories and remember that restrictive dieting does not produce permanent weight loss.
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