Question: How many calories should I have in one day?

Answer: The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) indicate Calorie requirements for slightly to moderately active people between 19 to 50 years of age as 2,200 and 2,900 Cal. a day.

Calorie intake should be at a rate of 37 to 41 Cal per kg body weight per day.

Read more:

Energy Requirement
Calorie Intake Calculation for Men
Calorie Intake Calculation for Women

Tanya Zilberter, PhD

By Glenn Mueller
eDiets  Senior Writer

Each time the door seemed to slam shut on her lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics, Mohini Bhardwaj found a way to kick it back open again. The talented gymnast encountered just about every type of obstacle imaginable, including bitter disappointments, burnout, severe financial struggles and devastating injuries. But she never lost sight of her ultimate objective.

Finally, at the ripe old age of 25, Mohini served as Captain of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. Her team silver medal was the icing on the comeback cake.

“When you set a goal and become determined to accomplish it, you can’t let obstacles get in your way,” Mohini tells eDiets for this eCover exclusive. “It wouldn’t be a worthwhile goal if it were easy to obtain.”

Mohini’s journey to Olympic success in Athens was a long and hard-fought battle… one filled with more drama and twists than even the ancient Greek writer Homer could have conjured up.

Like so many great athletes, Mohini was a child prodigy. She began her gymnastics training at the tender age of 4. By the time she was 13, Mohini had already outgrown the resources available in her home town of Cincinnati. To pursue her dream of competing in the Olympics, Mohini moved to Orlando with her mother. Four years later, Mohini followed a prominent coach to Houston, this time without her mother.

The freedom and pressure of living alone at 17 took their toll on Mohini’s training. Ultimately, she still only missed qualifying for the 1996 Olympic team by a mere fraction of a point. While she was happy for the success of her colleagues, Mohini was too devastated to even watch the “Magnificent Seven” compete eight years ago in Atlanta.

“I was determined to stay active in the sport,” Mohini says. “The next year I represented the United States at the World Championships in Switzerland.”

As one of the top prospects in the country for college gymnastics, Mohini accepted a full scholarship to UCLA. College proved another difficult adjustment. Mohini struggled to balance her social and academic life with the rigorous gymnastics training. She was also forced to battle her way back from several injuries.

Ultimately, it was the interaction with her teammates that rekindled Mohini’s love for the sport.

“Training for the Olympics is more of a personal thing,” she notes. “Suddenly, I was put together with a team of girls. I realized that doing the sport in college was not just about me. It was about other people. I was contributing to a team.”

And, contribute she did. UCLA’s investment in Mohini paid off in spades. Ultimately, she became the most highly decorated gymnast in school history and vaulted the Bruins to a pair of national championships.

By scoring degrees in both sociology and history, Mohini had become a winner in the classroom as well. But after graduation, Mohini became aware of a large void in her life and she again set her sights on Olympic glory.

“I just felt like I had some unfinished business,” she says. “I hadn’t fulfilled my ultimate goal and it was lingering in the back of my mind.”

At age 22, Mohini returned to her Olympic training with a vengeance. Not only did she qualify for the 2001 U.S. World Championship team, but she also helped lead that squad to a third-place bronze medal. Yet, just when her goal seemed again within reach, Mohini endured the most severe setback of all.

Two years ago — with her Olympic dream thisclose to becoming a reality — Mohini dislocated her elbow. This injury forced her out of competition for the rest of the year and proved severe enough to land her in temporary retirement.

“I completely retired after that injury,” Mohini says. “But, I still felt like something was missing from my life. I don’t like to leave things unfinished. I wanted to go to the Olympics and I still knew I could do it.”

By the time she was healthy enough to begin training again, Mohini was having serious financ

Many people focus on eating foods that carry a “healthy” or “low fat” label and then wonder why they can’t lose weight. Did you ever take a really close look at those labels? No, not the ones on the front of packages — the real ones on the back. The Nutrition Facts label might not be as pretty, but the truth can be ugly, baby. And you’re going to need to look this one right in the face.

If the front label seems too good to be true, it probably is. I had a client once who mentioned that she used a full can of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray every day. While I proceeded to have a mild coronary, she was completely puzzled. She told me that it has zero calories and zero fat, according to the packaging. Well, remember our little chat about serving sizes? While it’s true that the product contains no calories and no fat per serving, the serving size is one spray — not one can.

The fact is, while each serving could have as much as a ninth of a calorie and a ninth of a gram of fat, the manufacturers can legally claim that it contains zero percent of both. A ninth of a calorie seems like nothing, but come on — who can stop at one spray? And the ugly truth? The entire can actually contains 900 calories and 90 grams of fat! Food manufacturers can be devious, so read the label, and read it well. For example, the ingredients list for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray includes several different oils, which should immediately send up a red flag.

The moral of this story? Be cautious and keep yourself informed. Be smart about what you’re putting into your body, and don’t be fooled by clever marketing!
JILLIAN’S TIP OF THE DAY

Top of the Heap
Ingredients are listed on the Nutrition Facts label in descending order by quantity. If something appears at the end of the list, there is not very much of it in your food. Before you bum-rush the bran muffins because the advertising says they contain flaxseeds, read the nutrition label. If flaxseeds are listed last, leave the muffins on the shelf. Why not go directly to the source? Skip the muffins entirely and buy a bag of flaxseeds to add to your dishes. — Jillian Michaels

By Glenn Mueller
Glee Contributor

Do you need help with your diet and nutrition? Are you ready to start making a difference in your life and take the best care of yourself possible? eDiets can help — with more than 20 fantastic programs to choose from, get started today by visiting eDiets and completing a free profile.

Park Avenue in New York City is one of the most prolific locations in the entire world. Have you ever wondered how the residents of this prestigious neighborhood manage to look so thin and stay so healthy? Believe it or not, the stunning figures you see walking around the Upper East Side of Manhattan are not simply the product of favorable genes or plastic surgeries. However, those people fortunate enough to live and work on Park Avenue do have one “secret” advantage — weight-loss expert Dr. Jana Klauer.

Now, in her best-selling book How the Rich Get Thin., New York’s leading diet doctor reveals some important lessons that everyone can learn from her wealthiest clients. Even if you aren’t fortunate enough to make your home on Park Avenue, Dr. Klauer says you can put the Park Avenue mindset to work in your own life.

“The reason why the people on Park Avenue are so successful is that they have a plan for absolutely every aspect of their lives,” Dr. Klauer says. “Many people out there neglect to plan two of the most important things — the foods they will eat and the amount of daily exercise they can squeeze in.”

According to Dr. Klauer, another area in which the Park Avenue crowd particularly excels is stress management. Though a fast and hectic pace of life goes with the territory, she teaches her patients to respond to the stresses of everyday life in a positive manner. Some of the long-term strategies she recommends for controlling stress include getting regular amounts of sleep, concentrating on breathing and self-hypnosis.

“New York is a stressful environment, but it is your reaction to the stress that determines whether it will have an impact on your health,” Dr. Klauer says.

Not only must they contend with extremely high levels of stress, but Dr. Klauer says her wealthy clients are also constantly being exposed to a culture of excess. This requires them to display tremendous discipline in order to make the healthiest possible choices.

“Many of my clients regularly attend events where people are eating and drinking in a grand manner,” Dr. Klauer says. “They have to learn how to treat their bodies with respect.”

Though she realizes not everyone can afford to eat organic food or hire a personal trainer, Dr. Klauer says there are certain things everyone must do to lose weight and stay healthy. Now, in this Glee exclusive, Dr. Klauer shares her “five nonnegotiables.”

“These are the things that make a difference between people that lose weight, and those who keep it off for good,” Dr. Klauer says.

1. Daily Exercise: According to Dr. Klauer, exercise must be scheduled into your daily routine. She says if you don’t exercise regularly, you will get flabby and fat. Dr. Klauer also practices what she preaches; she makes it a point to go running every morning for an hour.

“Look at someone like Oprah,” Dr. Klauer says. “She may be the wealthiest woman in the United States, but this prominent celebrity makes it a point to exercise. No one can do it for her. If that is true for Oprah, it is true for everybody.”

2. Protein: High-quality forms of protein are vital for the function of the human body. In fact, Dr. Klauer recommends eating some form of protein with every meal.

“Too often, people skimp on protein and rely on a snack of cookies or other carbohydrates,” Dr. Klauer says.

3. Calcium: Calcium has so many benefits for the human body that Dr. Klauer often refers to it as “the miracle mineral.” She says the majority of people in our society aren’t getting their daily calcium requirement.

“Cut your calories, but don’t cut your calcium,” Dr. Klauer says.

4. Conquering Your Food Cravings: No matter how disciplined you are when attempting to lose weight, Dr. Klauer says you will eventually experience cravings. In order to help her clients get these urges under control, Dr. Klauer teaches them to employ the “Stop! Watch! Method.” Under this method, she advises patients to set a stopwatch for 15 minutes, drink a large glass of water and eat a high-protein snack.

“Cravings usually occur at a certain time of day,” Dr. Klauer says. “Pay attention to your body’s signals.”

5. Elimination of All Processed Food: According to Dr. Klauer, the processed foods that fill most supermarkets stimulate your appetite and actually have no benefit to your health. Even though it is a little bit more expensive, she advises people to stock up on vegetables and fruits.

“Ask yourself what benefit a particular food will have on your body,” Dr. Klauer says. “If you can’t think of an answer to that question, it probably doesn’t have any.”

Dr. Klauer would like everyone to realize that they are the CEO of the most magnificent organization in the universe — the human body. Regardless of economic status, she hopes everyone will learn to take care of their health in order to make their own body the best of brand.

“There are many ways of living richly, but taking care of your health is one of the best,” Dr. Klauer says. “You can be the wealthiest person on earth, but if you lose your health, it becomes meaningless.”

If you are ready to start living richly, order your own copy of Dr. Klauer’s book: How the Rich Get Thin.

Glenn Mueller is the Senior Writer for eDiets in Deerfield Beach, Florida. His areas of expertise include controlled carbohydrate living and diabetes.

From Jillian Michaels

Too tired to cook? Asian food is some of the healthiest (and most delicious!) food on the planet. Unfortunately, many of the dishes we know and love are Americanized — and more fattening — versions of traditional Asian cuisine. To help you make the best choices when eating at Asian establishments, check out these recommendations before you grab those chopsticks!

Chinese

The best rule of thumb is to choose a dish that isn’t breaded and deep-fried (goodbye egg rolls!). Avoid rice and noodles and steer clear of sugary sauces like sweet and sour. Opt for kung pao chicken (go light on the peanuts), beef and broccoli dishes, shrimp and snow peas, garlic chicken, Mongolian beef steak, or dishes that have meat and a vegetable. Ask for the chef to go easy on the oil.

Thai

Any of the satay dishes (chicken, shrimp, beef, or tofu), any protein or vegetable stir-fry, steamed fish, chicken or beef lettuce rolls are delicious and nutritious! Avoid fatty coconut milk curries, noodles, and rice.

Indian

Best bets include chicken, lamb, beef, or shrimp tikka (grilled marinated meat skewers); any of the veggie dishes such as bhagan bharta (whipped eggplant), saag paneer (spinach with cheese), aloo gobi (marinated steamed cauliflower), vegetable jalfrezi (mixed vegetables). Avoid curries, rice, and naan bread.

Watch the Portion Size!

A current American restaurant trend is to serve dishes on plates the size of platters. If you clean your platter, you’ve eaten anywhere from two to three extra servings! To avoid consuming a day’s worth of calories in one sitting, ask for an extra salad plate and then serve yourself a small portion.

By Julia Griggs Havey
eDiets Master Motivator

Taking care of yourself is serious business. It’s a job that we don’t take lightly. eDiets can help you get fit and strong the safe, healthy way. We have caring experts and more than 100 support boards to accompany you every step of the journey to good health.

You can’t ring in the New Year without first singing out the old. So here’s to the old — “Auld Lang Syne,” that is!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
And days of auld lang syne, my dear,
And days of auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pu’d the gowans fine.
We’ve wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin’ auld lang syne.
Sin’ auld lang syne, my dear,
Sin’ auld lang syne,
We’ve wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin’ auld ang syne.

We twa hae sported i’ the burn,
From morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin’ auld lang syne.

Sin’ auld lang syne, my dear,
Sin’ auld lang syne.
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin’ auld lang syne.

And ther’s a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie’s a hand o’ thine;
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And now, let’s get on with the NEW YOU! In what has become a very twisted tradition, yet another of my seemingly endless renditions of a timeless classic.

“Oh, my Bigger Behind”

Should old binges be forgot,
and bigger is my behind?
Should old fad diets be forgot,
And days of my growing behind?

And days of my growing behind, my rear,
And days of my growing behind,
Should old fad diets be forgot,
And days of my growing behind?

We tried to eat the cabbage soup,
And bought the Trim Spa line.
We’ve wondered why we don’t lose weight,
Sin’ of my growing behind.

Sin’ of my growing behind, my rear,
Sin’ of my growing behind.
We’ve wondered why we don’t lose weight,
Sin’ of my growing behind

Did lunges until sported i’ the burn,
From morning sun till dine,
But sense my hunger pangs still roared
Sin’ of my growing behind.

Sin’ of my growing behind, my rear,
Sin’ of my growing behind.
But sense my hunger pangs still roared
Sin’ of my growing behind.

And here’s a hand, my dieting friend,
And gie’s a hand o’ eDiets;
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ healthy food yet,
For my shrinking behind.

For my shrinking behind, my dear
For my shrinking behind.
We’ll give eDiets a try yet,
For shrinking my behind!

Ok, enough misery! Although, it is a bit catchy if you sing it to the tune of the original! For a guaranteed healthier New Year’s Eve, I actually have some useful tips to close with:

No. 1. Drink mostly water. Sugary drinks will pack on the pounds in a hurry and most of them are unhealthy. That means limit your alcohol intake, too. So stick to water. Remember, you’re body is 2/3rd water so it should be at the very least 2/3 of what you drink!

No. 2. Avoid or limit appetizers and deserts. Most people get more than a meal’s worth of calories just from the appetizers and desserts alone. So make a commitment to limit your appetizers and desserts.

No. 3. Be sure to include exercise in your schedule — Get an hour of exercise before the party begins and burn off those extra calories that you may have consumed.

Happy and Healthy New Year!

Looking for more inspiration? Join eDiets and visit Julia’s support group (Take It Off With Julia) for interactive support! Support from other like-minded folks helps you keep a positive attitude and helps keep you on the road to success!

eDiets EDITOR’S NOTE: You’ve seen Julia on the QVC home shopping network and the Wayne Brady Show, in USA Today, The National Enquirer, Glamour, Bride’s and more! She’s been called “America’s weight-loss Cinderella, someone with the passion of Tony Robbins, enthusiasm of Richard Simmons and the humor of Jerry Seinfeld.” To get your copy of Julia’s blockbuster motivational book, Awaken the Diet Within, From Overweight to Looking Great — If I Can Do It, So Can You! click here. Email Julia with your comments at julia@juliahavey.com. You can also visit her website at www.JuliaHavey.com

10 Proven Fitness Resolutions For 2007

By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE
eDiets Contributor

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If you’re a chocoholic, there are times when willpower alone just can’t quiet a craving. So how can you stay in the Zone and still satisfy a nagging sweet tooth? How about indulging in a chocolate-filled muffin with a burst of cherries? This delicious recipe isZone -friendly, substituting applesauce for sugar and chocolate whey protein for chocolate. Enjoy!

Zoned Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Yield: 4 servings