Weight loss calculator works out exactly how much you need to lose to get healthy BMI
EVERY DAY people are bombarded with the newest fad diets or the best workouts to burn calories.
But if there's one thing that's sure to help you shift the pounds it's knowing exactly how many calories you need to be cutting out.
The NHS says that a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 and over would put you in the overweight category.
To bring that measure down, you need to lose weight so it's in a healthy range of 18.5 to 24.9.
Losing weight involves many variables that can change from person to person, which means that everyone requires a different calorie intake.
The government has today revealed a new Better Health programme which aims to help Brits get in shape and lose weight.
The new programme offers discounts on services such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World, as well as a 12-week NHS programme.
But with all the will in the world - some of use struggle to lose weight more than others.
This could be because you have incorrectly calculated the amount of calories you are allowed to consume in a day.
BMI calculators are a great tool and can help you find out how many calories you should consume each day.
The NHS offers a BMI calculator and asks a series of questions in order to determine how many calories you should be consuming each day.
Click and check your body mass index (BMI) to find out if you're a healthy weight
The online tool asks you your weight and height, your age, your gender, your ethnic group and your activity levels.
These are all key factors when it comes to your weight.
Your activity level is an important factor as you will have a higher allowance if you are more active - as your body will need more calories to function.
This then determines where you sit on the BMI scale, if you are overweight and how many calories you should have a day to lose weight gradually and safely.
For example, a 27-year-old woman who is around 5ft 6inches should weigh between 8st 3lb and 11st 2lbs and a healthy BMI would be around 18.3 to 24.9.
Other calculators such as the takes into account your daily activity level before asking whether you're planning to increase your exercise.
Once you've popped in all your details the nifty tool offers three calculations.
First of all it will tell you how many calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight, how much to reach your goal weight and how much you need to eat to maintain your goal weight.
Another option is the calculator, which works a little differently.
This one takes into account how your metabolism works by giving you the opportunity to "simulate" options.
Here, you put in your goal weight and how long you want to give yourself to reach it and then there's a separate lifestyle change tab so you can get down to the nitty gritty.
But just keep in mind you have to be really honest and if you're not, well, you're only cheating yourself.
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Once you've done the maths then you can start working out what you can eat.
Remember, you definitely shouldn't ditch carbs or do anything extreme, but cutting down on processed starchy carbs can be a good idea.
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And if you are looking to lose weight but want to feel full after a meal, then there are good alternatives out there.
It's not necessary to weigh out your food, but just getting an eye for portion control can help to work out how much energy you're consuming.
