Everyone should eat a good diet and exercise regularly to stay fit and healthy. However, you might be reluctant to diet and exercise because you are happy with your weight or even want to gain some weight. Eating a proper diet and exercising will not necessarily cause you to lose weight. If you eat enough healthy calories to account for the energy you burn when you exercise, you can obtain all the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle without losing weight. Designing the right eating and exercising regimen will take some thought and planning.
Step 1
Estimate how many calories you should consume daily to maintain your weight. First, multiply your weight by 11 if you're a male or by 10 if you're a female. Then multiply that answer by the activity factor: Very low daily activity, 1.3 for women, 1.3 for men; light daily activity, 1.5 for women, 1.6 for men; moderate daily activity, 1.6 for women, 1.7 for men; heavy daily activity, 1.9 for women, 2.1 for men; exceptional daily activity at the professional athlete level, 2.2 for women, 2.4 for men
For example, a 170 lb. man who carries out moderate daily physical activity would want to consume this many calories every day: Daily Calories = weight x sex factor x activity factor = 170 x 11 x 1.7 = 3,179 calories.
Step 2
Weigh yourself at the beginning of the week when you start your exercise and diet routine. This is the weight you want to keep, so monitor your weight every week to make sure it stays where it is.
Step 3
Track your daily calorie intake. Use the nutrition facts on the foods you eat, a calculator and food scale, if necessary, to plan your daily meals. Be sure that the total calories in your meals each day adds up to the number you calculated in Step 1.
Step 4
Weigh yourself at the end of your first week of a healthy diet and exercise. Do this on the same day and at the same time you took your first weight measurement. If your weight has not changed, continue exercising and eating as you have been. If your weight has increased, subtract 100 or 200 calories from your daily eating for the next week. If your weight has decreased, add 100 or 200 calories to your daily eating for the next week.
Step 5
Continue to weigh yourself weekly and make slight calorie adjustments to keep your weight where it is. Your body will change as you age, and will burn different numbers of calories through illnesses and periods of extreme activity, so keeping your body weight where it is will be an ongoing process.
Things You'll Need
- Food scale
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