How to Count Calories for a Teenage Girl

With hundreds of dieting methods, plans and programs available online, in books and on TV, the one proven method for losing weight is reducing calories. To reduce or maintain weight, a person must know how many calories are normal for her age, weight, size and activity. Teenage girls in particular, ever conscious of their figures, can stay educated and fit by counting calories, combining this method with healthy eating and exercise.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Add the following: (your weight in pounds x 4.3) + (your height in inches x 4.7) + 655 - (your age in years x 4.7).

2. Multiply your number from the above step by one of the following numbers: .2 if you are inactive, .3 if you are slightly active, .4 if you exercise often or .5 if you exercise intensely every day.

3. Add the result from step 1 to the result from step 2. This will be the number of calories you need daily to maintain your weight.

4. Read the nutrition label of everything that you eat or drink, and multiply the number of calories by the number of servings you eat.

5. Add the calories from every food or drink you consume during the day. Allow yourself the number of calories from step 3 if you want to maintain your weight; allow less if you want to lose weight.

References

• Harris-Benedict Principle for Counting Calories

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