Weight Maintenance Calculator
for Women

Are you curious as to how many calories you need to maintain your current weight or even lose weight?

Try this calculator to find out.

This calorie calculator is meant to be an estimate only.

Actual calories needed to maintain or lose weight may vary based on muscle mass, activity and a variety of other factors such as illness, pregnancy, etc.

If you are obese, your actual caloric needs may be less accurate. This is because a small percentage of fat tissue actually burns calories. The remaining amount of fat tissue does not burn calories. Please keep this in mind when using the calorie calculator. By consuming these calories on an average daily basis, you should maintain your weight.

However, if you are looking to lose weight, here are some tips:

Most health professionals recommend you to lose weight slow as the safest and most effective weight loss approach.
A sensible weight-loss program allows you to lose weight gradually— about one-half to one pound per week.
Gradual weight loss promotes long-term loss of body fat, not just water weight that can be quickly regained.
To lose one pound, a person must burn 3,500 calories more than are consumed (500 calories per day over the course of a week). For example, reducing calories by 300 per day and increasing daily activity to burn off an additional 200 calories should result in a weight loss of one pound per week!

Here is an example of how the calculator can help you.

If your daily calorie needs were calculated as 2500 calories and you desire to lose weight, you could:

Consume 2200 calories. (That's 300 calories less than this example diet), and...
Burn 200 calories through activity, to result in a 2000-calorie diet!

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Health Tip:

Packing Bag Lunches Safely

If you pack lunches for your child to take to school, be careful that you do not accidentally expose them to foodborne illness.

Bagged lunches, especially those containing perishable foods, need to be packed and handled properly in order to keep the food safe. In general, perishable foods should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. If left out too long, the temperature of the food can enter the danger zone where bacteria grow most rapidly, which is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Below are some tips to help families pack bagged lunches safely:

Pack foods that are nonperishable and won't require refrigeration.
If you do pack perishable foods such as luncheon meats or prepackaged cheese and crackers, include a frozen gel pack or a frozen juice carton with the food in an insulated lunch bag or box.
Pack only the amount of perishable food that your child can eat at lunch.
Preparing lunches the night before and storing them in the refrigerator until you pack your child's lunchbox in the morning can help keep food cold longer the next day.
Don't reuse packaging materials such as paper or plastic bags, aluminum foil, etc. as they can contaminate other foods and cause foodborne illness. Have your child discard all used food packaging and paper bags after lunch.

Before eating lunch or snacks at school, make sure your child washes his or her hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If your child's school does not have a handwashing program in place, encourage them to adopt a such a program, as handwashing is one of the best ways kids and parents can protect health and stop the spread of germs.