DEAR Dr. Fritz,
Good day. Call me Samantha. I really wanted to lose weight in a healthy way. But, I am confused about how many calories I should take if I need to lose weight? I weigh 77 kilograms and stand 5’2”.
Please help me. Thanks and more power.
Samantha 2021
***
Dear Samantha 2021,
I am sending you the chart generated from the Institute of Medicine’s estimated energy requirement calculation to guide you to your weight loss goals. However, use this as a reference point, because every one of us is different metabolically even when we are of the same size and gender.
If you want to maintain weight, then, get to the daily calorie limit. This is based on your age, activity level, and the BMI (body-mass index) of 21.5 for women and 22.5 for men.
To compute your BMI, use the following formula: BMI = kg/m2 where kg is a person's weight in kilograms and m2 is their height in metres squared. In your case, you have a BMI of 31.24.
Under BMI Categories below, you are obese. So, you really need to lose weight.
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
To lose weight healthily, you just lose a pound per week. You can do this by decreasing your total calories by 500 a day. And if you want to be successful to maintain that weight loss, choose foods that are lower in calories but rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.
Good luck!
Dr. Fritz
(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and a clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She is the co-host of digital page of Superbalita. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15 year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.” For your questions, you may e-mail them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)