Your FREE 16 week journey to a Tone Stomach and Ripped Abs begins here…

How many calories do I need to cut if I want to lose the gut? What should I eat? How many times do I need to exercise in a week? Should I do weights or cardio? These are the biggest questions people have when trying to lose weight and get a toned midsection. Most people will agree that there is more weight loss and fitness information on the market today than ever before.  With so-called “new” discoveries in the science of health,people are getting even more confused about proper nutrition. Each diet or exercise fad seems to contradict the next. I know it can get very confusing and discouraging but I’m here to help.  Over the next 16 weeks I will sort out all of the confusion and give you exercise plans, meal plans, and nutritional information that will burn fat and flatten your stomach. Stick with it and I promise you WILL see a difference.
First off, if you ever want to see your abs, you NEED to lose the stomach fat. Yeah, that stubborn layer of fat that lies on top of your muscles. In order to do that, you need to burn more calories than you take in. In my opinion, the best method for calculating your daily caloric need is The Harris-Benedict equation. This will give you a great reference point to start off with.
The first step in using The Harris-Benedict equation is to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of energy, or calories, you need to maintain your current weight without exercise.
Step 1- Calculating your BMR The following table enables calculation of an individual’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

BMR calculation for women	BMR =655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
BMR calculation for men	BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.76 x age in years )

Step 2 - Applying the Harris-Benedict Principle Now you should have the number of calories you need just to maintain your current weight. Now take that number, your BMR, and multiply it by your current level of exercise.

Little to no exercise	Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.2
Light exercise (1-3 days per week)	Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.375
Moderate exercise (3-5 days per week)	Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.55
Heavy exercise (6-7 days per week)	Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.725
Very heavy exercise (twice per day, extra heavy workouts)	Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.9

Step 3: Using the application The number you have now will tell you your caloric needs to maintain your current weight at your current exercise level. You can adjust your caloric intake, up or down, depending on your goals.  Since our goal here is for you to burn fat and flatten your stomach, let’s assume you want to reduce your calories:

• For weight loss subtract 500 calories from step 2
• For weight maintenance, keep it the same
• For weight gain, add 300 calories

Example:
This is how it looks on me:
Step 1: 66 + ( 6.23 x 165 ) + ( 12.7 x 69 ) - ( 6.76 x 33 ) =1747
So I need 1747 calories per day just to to stay alive.
Step 2: 1747 x 1.725= 3014
After plugging in my level of exercise, heavy, it tells me that I need 3014 calories per day to maintain my weight.
Step 3: 3014-500= 2514
So let’s say I wanted to lose a little weight, I would subtract 500 calories per day and over the course of a week, I should lose 1 pound of fat. If I wanted to gain a little mass, I would add 300 calories per day. It's that easy.  I will tell you though, that not all calories are created equal. 2514 calories of candy and soda is different than 2514 calories of meat, fruits and vegetables.  I'll go into more detail in a later post. To make it easier to calculate I have uploaded an excel template of the Harris-Benedict equation on my tools for success page.  Just plug in your weight, age and height and your ready to rock.
What's Next
Now that you know how many calories you should be eating,  the next step is to print out and start keeping track of you daily diet with a food journal. In my tools for success page I have created a food log so you can easily write down all the food you eat daily, how much water you are drinking, how you slept, your stress level and any activities you have done. This journal is crucial to keeping you on track and holding yourself accountable.  It sounds like a bit of an inconvenience at first, but over time you will learn what foods to eat, what not to eat and subconsciously stay within your caloric boundaries. A great site that will assist you with your food journal is www.fitday.com.  Fitday is a great site that will provide you with all of the necessary nutritional information you need to complete your daily food journal.  Just plug in all of the food you eat each day and it will give you a snapshot full of information. You will see pie charts of carbs, protein and fats, breakdowns of you vitamin and mineral intakes and much more.  I use it on a regular basis and have found it to be a vital tool in my nutritional tool box.
You now how some essential tools designed to help you achieve your goals of a tone stomach and ripped body. Over the course of the next 16 weeks I will write about some great foods, recipes, nutritional information and give you some great menu and exercise plans that will help you shed that layer of unwanted fat and give you the ripped body you want.