How to Lose Body Fat (Women)
Calculate your BMI., Determine your ideal BMI., Make a commitment., Know that there is no such thing as "spot reduction"., Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)., Calculate total calories burned per day., Calculate your calorie goal., Calculate...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Calculate your BMI.
Body Mass Index or BMI is a number calculated from your height and weight that gives a good indication of your fatness .
It is routinely used by your doctor to determine if you are at a healthy weight.
To calculate your BMI using the metric system:
Divide your weight (kg) ÷ height (m)^2.
Example if you are
1.70 meters (5.6 ft) and weight
61.235 kg then you would calculate your BMI as follows:
61.235 ÷
1.70^2 =
21.188.
To calculate your BMI using the English system:
Divide your X
703.
Example if you are 5'7" and weight 135 pounds then you would calculate your BMI as follows:
X 703 =
21.188. -
Step 2: Determine your ideal BMI.
A BMI below
18.5 is considered underweight.
A BMI of
18.5-24.9 is considered normal.
A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of
30.0 and above considered obese.
You should aim for an ideal weight that results in your BMI getting or staying within the
18.5-24.9. , Brainstorm why you want to lose weight.
Is it for health, vanity? Think about what your final goal is, write it down.
Put this goal somewhere were you can see it regularly, such as on the frig, your bathroom mirror, or your desktop. , Despite what advertisers like to tell you, you cannot perform targeted weight loss (except with liposuction).
Instead in order to lose weight in your "problem" areas (hips, thighs or stomach) you must lose weight everywhere.
And the only way to do this is by consuming less calories than you burn.
Continue to the below section "Plan Your Diet" to learn how to do this. , Your basal metabolic rate or BMR is how many calories you body burns per day performing basic metabolic functions, such as breathing, digesting food, etc.
This calculation is important for determining your basic caloric needs.
To calculate your BMR using the following formula : 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years) Example:
A 5'7"
135 pound, 30-year-old woman's BMR would be 655 + (4.3 x 135 pounds) + (4.7 x 67) – (4.7 x 30) =
1408.5. , If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR by
1.2.
If you are moderately active, multiply your BMR by
1.3-1.4.
If you are very active multiply your BMR by
1.4-1.5.
This resulting number is an estimate of the number of calories you burn per day.
Example:
If you, like the above women, had a BMR of
1408.5 and lived an active lifestyle then you would need to multiply your BMR by
1.4.
If you did this, you would find that you burn approximately 1972 calories per day. , A reasonable calorie goal would be to consume 15-30% less calories than you currently burn per day.
To perform this calculation multiply how many calories you burn per day (as calculated in the the "Calculate total calories burned per day" step) by
0.70
-
0.85.
Example:
If you, like the above women, burned approximately 1972 calories per day then you would want to eat between 1380 (2695 x
0.70) and 1676 (2695 x
0.85) calories per day.
The larger your deficit, closer to 30% (1380 calories/day), the quicker your diet will be but the harder it will be to maintain.
The smaller your deficit, closer to 15% (1676 calories/day), the easier your diet will be to maintain but your weight loss will be slower. , In general you want to consume between
0.5-0.77 grams of protein per pound of body weight .
The more active you are, especially if you do strenuous exercise, the more protein you should eat.
Protein is needed to repair your muscles as you age and after workouts.
If you do not eat enough protein when dieting you will lose muscle mass as well as fat.
Therefore, if you want be smaller and toned, not smaller and saggy, make sure to eat enough protein while in a calorie deficit.
To calculate how many grams of protein you need a day, multiply your weight by
0.5-0.77.
Example:
If you weigh 135 pounds, you would need to multiply your weight by
0.5 to calculate your lowest protein need as 68 grams of protein/day.
To calculate your highest protein need, multiple 135 pounds by
0.77 to find you need up to 104 grams of protein per day.
To convert protein grams to protein calories, know that there are 4 calories per gram of protein.
Therefore to convert grams to calories, simply multiply by
4.
Example:
If you are 135 pounds you should eat between 68 x 4 = 272 calories and 104 x 4 = 419 calories of protein per day. , When dieting it is often tempting to cut all, or nearly all, fat from your diet.
But fat is necessary for your long term health.
Fat is a necessary building block of healthy tissues and is needed for proper hormone production.
Not eating enough fat can actually hamper weight loss, not to mention make you really hungry.
So plan on 20-35% of your calorie intake being from fat .
To calculate how many calories of fat you should eat in a day, multiple
0.20 and
0.35 by your calories goal.
Example:
If you are planning a 1676 calorie diet multiply 1676 x
0.20 to get 335 calories, and 1676 x
0.35 to get 587 calories.
From this you now know that if you are planning a 1676 calories per day diet, you should get between 335-587 of these calories from fat.
To calculate how many grams of fat you should consume, know that there are 9 calories in a gram of fat.
Therefore to convert calories to grams, simply divide by
9.
Example:
From the example above, you now know that if you are planning a 1676 calorie per day diet, you should get between 339-593 of these calories from fat. 335 calories ÷ 9 = 37 grams, 587 calories ÷ 9 = 65 grams.
So if you are planning a 1676 calories per day diet you should eat between 37-65 grams of fat per day. , Unlike protein and fat, which are both needed to build structures in your body, carbohydrates are not needed for structural components.
Carbohydrates are just used for energy.
Therefore your body does not have strict carbohydrate needs.
Instead the amount of carbohydrates your body will need is calculated from the calories left over in your diet after you meet your daily fat and protein needs.
Example:
If you are a 135 pound, 30-year-old active woman who is planning 1676 calories per day.
From the "Calculate how much protein you need in a day" step you know that you need 272-419 of your calories from protein in a day.
From the "Calculate how much fat you need in a day" step you know you need 335-587 calories from fat in a day.
Therefore the remaining calories up to 1676 will be from carbohydrates.
To calculate the minimum number of carbohydrate calories you are allowed, subtract your highest protein and fat needs, 419 calories from protein and 587 calories from fat, from your daily calorie allotment of 1676 calorie per day (1676
- 419
- 587) to get 670 carbohydrate calories per day.
To calculate the maximum number of carbohydrate calories you are allowed, subtract your lowest protein and fat needs, 272 calories from protein and 335 calories from fat, from your daily calorie allotment of 1676 calorie per day (1676
- 272
- 335) to get 1069 carbohydrate calories per day.
To change carbohydrate calories to grams, know that there are 4 calories per carbohydrate gram.
Therefore to convert calories to grams, simply divide by
4.
Example:
If you are having a low carb day (higher fat, protein day) and are allowed 670 calories of carbohydrates per day, you would be allowed 670 ÷ 4 =
167.5 grams of carbohydrates in a day. -
Step 3: Make a commitment.
-
Step 4: Know that there is no such thing as "spot reduction".
-
Step 5: Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
-
Step 6: Calculate total calories burned per day.
-
Step 7: Calculate your calorie goal.
-
Step 8: Calculate how much protein you need in a day.
-
Step 9: Calculate how much fat you need in a day.
-
Step 10: Calculate how many carbohydrates you need in a day.
Detailed Guide
Body Mass Index or BMI is a number calculated from your height and weight that gives a good indication of your fatness .
It is routinely used by your doctor to determine if you are at a healthy weight.
To calculate your BMI using the metric system:
Divide your weight (kg) ÷ height (m)^2.
Example if you are
1.70 meters (5.6 ft) and weight
61.235 kg then you would calculate your BMI as follows:
61.235 ÷
1.70^2 =
21.188.
To calculate your BMI using the English system:
Divide your X
703.
Example if you are 5'7" and weight 135 pounds then you would calculate your BMI as follows:
X 703 =
21.188.
A BMI below
18.5 is considered underweight.
A BMI of
18.5-24.9 is considered normal.
A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of
30.0 and above considered obese.
You should aim for an ideal weight that results in your BMI getting or staying within the
18.5-24.9. , Brainstorm why you want to lose weight.
Is it for health, vanity? Think about what your final goal is, write it down.
Put this goal somewhere were you can see it regularly, such as on the frig, your bathroom mirror, or your desktop. , Despite what advertisers like to tell you, you cannot perform targeted weight loss (except with liposuction).
Instead in order to lose weight in your "problem" areas (hips, thighs or stomach) you must lose weight everywhere.
And the only way to do this is by consuming less calories than you burn.
Continue to the below section "Plan Your Diet" to learn how to do this. , Your basal metabolic rate or BMR is how many calories you body burns per day performing basic metabolic functions, such as breathing, digesting food, etc.
This calculation is important for determining your basic caloric needs.
To calculate your BMR using the following formula : 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years) Example:
A 5'7"
135 pound, 30-year-old woman's BMR would be 655 + (4.3 x 135 pounds) + (4.7 x 67) – (4.7 x 30) =
1408.5. , If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR by
1.2.
If you are moderately active, multiply your BMR by
1.3-1.4.
If you are very active multiply your BMR by
1.4-1.5.
This resulting number is an estimate of the number of calories you burn per day.
Example:
If you, like the above women, had a BMR of
1408.5 and lived an active lifestyle then you would need to multiply your BMR by
1.4.
If you did this, you would find that you burn approximately 1972 calories per day. , A reasonable calorie goal would be to consume 15-30% less calories than you currently burn per day.
To perform this calculation multiply how many calories you burn per day (as calculated in the the "Calculate total calories burned per day" step) by
0.70
-
0.85.
Example:
If you, like the above women, burned approximately 1972 calories per day then you would want to eat between 1380 (2695 x
0.70) and 1676 (2695 x
0.85) calories per day.
The larger your deficit, closer to 30% (1380 calories/day), the quicker your diet will be but the harder it will be to maintain.
The smaller your deficit, closer to 15% (1676 calories/day), the easier your diet will be to maintain but your weight loss will be slower. , In general you want to consume between
0.5-0.77 grams of protein per pound of body weight .
The more active you are, especially if you do strenuous exercise, the more protein you should eat.
Protein is needed to repair your muscles as you age and after workouts.
If you do not eat enough protein when dieting you will lose muscle mass as well as fat.
Therefore, if you want be smaller and toned, not smaller and saggy, make sure to eat enough protein while in a calorie deficit.
To calculate how many grams of protein you need a day, multiply your weight by
0.5-0.77.
Example:
If you weigh 135 pounds, you would need to multiply your weight by
0.5 to calculate your lowest protein need as 68 grams of protein/day.
To calculate your highest protein need, multiple 135 pounds by
0.77 to find you need up to 104 grams of protein per day.
To convert protein grams to protein calories, know that there are 4 calories per gram of protein.
Therefore to convert grams to calories, simply multiply by
4.
Example:
If you are 135 pounds you should eat between 68 x 4 = 272 calories and 104 x 4 = 419 calories of protein per day. , When dieting it is often tempting to cut all, or nearly all, fat from your diet.
But fat is necessary for your long term health.
Fat is a necessary building block of healthy tissues and is needed for proper hormone production.
Not eating enough fat can actually hamper weight loss, not to mention make you really hungry.
So plan on 20-35% of your calorie intake being from fat .
To calculate how many calories of fat you should eat in a day, multiple
0.20 and
0.35 by your calories goal.
Example:
If you are planning a 1676 calorie diet multiply 1676 x
0.20 to get 335 calories, and 1676 x
0.35 to get 587 calories.
From this you now know that if you are planning a 1676 calories per day diet, you should get between 335-587 of these calories from fat.
To calculate how many grams of fat you should consume, know that there are 9 calories in a gram of fat.
Therefore to convert calories to grams, simply divide by
9.
Example:
From the example above, you now know that if you are planning a 1676 calorie per day diet, you should get between 339-593 of these calories from fat. 335 calories ÷ 9 = 37 grams, 587 calories ÷ 9 = 65 grams.
So if you are planning a 1676 calories per day diet you should eat between 37-65 grams of fat per day. , Unlike protein and fat, which are both needed to build structures in your body, carbohydrates are not needed for structural components.
Carbohydrates are just used for energy.
Therefore your body does not have strict carbohydrate needs.
Instead the amount of carbohydrates your body will need is calculated from the calories left over in your diet after you meet your daily fat and protein needs.
Example:
If you are a 135 pound, 30-year-old active woman who is planning 1676 calories per day.
From the "Calculate how much protein you need in a day" step you know that you need 272-419 of your calories from protein in a day.
From the "Calculate how much fat you need in a day" step you know you need 335-587 calories from fat in a day.
Therefore the remaining calories up to 1676 will be from carbohydrates.
To calculate the minimum number of carbohydrate calories you are allowed, subtract your highest protein and fat needs, 419 calories from protein and 587 calories from fat, from your daily calorie allotment of 1676 calorie per day (1676
- 419
- 587) to get 670 carbohydrate calories per day.
To calculate the maximum number of carbohydrate calories you are allowed, subtract your lowest protein and fat needs, 272 calories from protein and 335 calories from fat, from your daily calorie allotment of 1676 calorie per day (1676
- 272
- 335) to get 1069 carbohydrate calories per day.
To change carbohydrate calories to grams, know that there are 4 calories per carbohydrate gram.
Therefore to convert calories to grams, simply divide by
4.
Example:
If you are having a low carb day (higher fat, protein day) and are allowed 670 calories of carbohydrates per day, you would be allowed 670 ÷ 4 =
167.5 grams of carbohydrates in a day.
About the Author
Angela Cooper
A seasoned expert in lifestyle and practical guides, Angela Cooper combines 11 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Angela's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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