Maintaining a healthy body weight will reduce your chance of developing obesity-related chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Calorie and exercise recommendations vary, depending on whether you are currently at a healthy weight. With the right information and a positive attitude, eating right and exercising doesn't have to be a miserable experience.
Background
The number of calories you require to maintain a healthy body weight depends on your age, current body weight, height, gender and activity level. The American Dietetic Association website provides a Body Mass Index, or BMI, calculator, which can help determine if your body weight is within a healthy range. BMIs of 18.5 to 24.9 are classified as healthy weights, but this may not be accurate for extremely muscular individuals.
Calorie Basics
If you're an adult and your current weight is within a healthy range, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends consuming 1,800 to 2,200 calories for moderately active women and 2,200 to 2,800 calories for moderately active men. The U.S. Department of Agriculture MyPyramid website provides an estimate of individual calorie requirements and customized meal plans for weight maintenance and weight loss.
Weight Loss Basics
If you are overweight, you can help lose weight by reducing your daily calorie consumption by 500 to 1,000 calories per day, according to the American Dietetic Association. This calorie deficit can help achieve a weight loss of about 1 to 2 lbs. per week, which is considered a safe and effective rate of weight loss.
Exercise Recommendations
Exercising can help reduce your risk for developing chronic diseases while maintaining a healthy body weight. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends exercising at least 30 minutes most days of the week to reduce disease risk, 60 minutes most days to manage body weight and prevent weight gain, and 60 to 90 minutes most days each week to maintain a recent weight loss.
Sample Meal Plan
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a healthy 2,000-calorie meal plan consists of 6 oz. of grains, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruits, 3 cups of milk or dairy products, 5.5 oz. of meat or beans, 6 tsp. of oils and 265 "extra" calories (from additional fats and sugars) per day. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds and dry beans and peas are considered part of the meat and beans group.
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