But if you’re relying on these calculators for anything more than an anecdotal number, you might end up following some very bad advice.

Not all calculator tools are the same
Not all calorie, BMI or ideal body weight calculators use the same formula to come up with their numbers, so one can be very different from the next. As well, some calculators take more variables into account than others. But just because a website’s calculator is more in-depth doesn’t make it any more accurate.

Don’t blindly trust the results
Know your body. If something that’s recommended sounds too extreme get a second opinion from your doctor, which you should be doing anyways if you’re starting a weight loss program. At the very least you should see what other calculators come up with, because as I’ve found firsthand no two will be the same.

The advice you get can vary widely
I checked out a few calculators to find out my BMI and my daily caloric needs to maintain my current weight. It’s a good thing I didn’t seek out this kind of advice when I was starting my fitness journey.

In order to maintain my current weight with my moderate activity level (I can’t be considered very active because of my sedentary job and the fact that I don’t exercise every day) they tell me I need to consume either 1,300, 1,815 or 1,909 calories per day. That’s a pretty big difference. Trying to maintain my weight by following the lower guideline and I would end up losing about a pound of week (if the higher one was actually correct).

What makes it worse is I doubt my calorie intake falls anywhere within that range. If I do a quick total of what I eat in one day I come up with a number closer to 2,000. Only one calorie calculator I used hit that target.

As for my basal metabolic rate (BMR) the number that comes up most often is around 1,300, which means I need to consume that many calories just so my vital organs can function. The Discovery Health site’s calculator agrees so I assume it’s a safe number.

Some results can be dangerous
Now here’s where it gets sketchy. Many of these calculators are used for the purpose of deciding how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. But since they can’t even get the numbers right when it comes to maintaining weight, imagine how far off they could be when it comes to losing weight. When I put in the weight I was at a year ago they calculated that I’d need to eat between 1,100 and 1,466 to lose weight. Plus a number of them mentioned adding exercise without changing caloric intake.

Well, I did lose weight, and I did it by eating better, doing cardio and strength training but there’s no way I would have starved myself like these tools suggested. My one pound or less a week came off the healthy way, which is why I’m feeling pretty good about my chances of maintaining it. Listening to bad advice could cause your body to work against you and conserve instead of expend calories, making the weight loss process more difficult than it has to be.

It’s no secret I mistrust the weight loss plans found in many health and fitness magazines. I feel they don’t take into account all aspects of how our bodies burn calories and that they end up sending readers off in pursuit off what amounts to a starvation diet.

I used one example in the article Do Magazine Diets Sabotage Weight Loss?, in which women were instructed to consume 1,400 calories per day while getting regular exercise. After all factors are accounted for, women following this diet are left with only 500 to 800 calories to fuel their vital organs (the number of calories required to do this is known as BMR), much less than they need. Is it just me or does this plan sound unhealthy, even for a women with a low BMR of 1,200.

The reason so few calories would be left over is that about 140 would be burned off through digestion, 400 through exercise and several hundred more through non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which is the remainder of the movements we make throughout the day. Many diet plans don’t seem to take into account the combined effects of diet and exercise.

Will you still lose weight?
Some of you are probably thinking, who cares if it’s healthy, at least I’ll lose the weight. But that might not be entirely true. When our bodies aren’t getting enough calories they start conserving and metabolism slows. It’s that very same ability that kept our ancestors alive in times of famine. When your body thinks food is scarce it begins to store more calories as fat.

So while you may think restricting calories to the extreme will help you meet your goals it can actually do the opposite. When you finally give up on these impossible diet plans, as most people do, your body won’t automatically go back to burning the amount of calories it did before you started, but chances are you’ll go back to eating the same amount of food. This is the reason people quit diets and end up weighing more than before they started.

Calorie restriction causes a loss of lean muscle tissue, which is one reason your metabolism will slow. During caloric deficit the body can’t build muscle because it’s too busy using it for fuel. Why would you want to destroy the very thing that speeds up your metabolism and allows you to take in more calories?

If you’re still not convinced, I took some weight loss and weight maintenance advice I gathered from other websites and applied it to myself. For the most part the results don’t even come close to my actual situation. If I followed their advice I would be one unhappy and unhealthy woman.

But don’t give up on your healthy living plans, it is possible to make positive changes in your body that you’ll be able to maintain. As far as I’m concerned it’s a lot easier to lose weight than diet “experts” would have you believ.

“Find the fun in exercise:” the best fitness advice that I can give anybody. And although I’m not a personal trainer myself, I do know that exercise, although as important as it may be, can sometimes be dull and routine.

Throughout life, you’ll hear things like “learn to love what you do,” and “make the best of it.” Although sometimes accurate, it’s important that we do things we like. Learning to like, in my opinion, is much different from naturally charming an exercise that’s enjoyable. Routines can be easy, and not very strenuous; but after all, they are just routines. As practitioners of fitness and exercise, we should teach ourselves new things, while also teaching our body the same. This is inherently true with things like dance. More specifically, Zumba is an excellent example of something dissimilar, fun, and exclusive. The ability to genuinely enhance cardiovascular function and endurance, while practicing muscle memory routines effectively exercises the whole body. Moreover, it’s very entertaining!

Entering into intramural sporting activities is another way to stay in shape while having some fun! This would include things like summer league softball, volleyball, soccer, etc… Meanwhile, there are less strenuous athletic events like kickball tournaments. Some towns are even host to dodge ball events! Depending upon your competitive level, it may be necessary to enter into a B league, or perhaps even co-ed. This will surely be a primer for more intramurals to come – Leagues typically run all year depending upon each facility’s ability to house its competitors.

But again, exercising doesn’t have to be routine, or highly competitive; so it’s with my last suggestion that I present to you outdoor activities. These are things like swimming, kayaking, tubing, jogging, mountain climbing, etc.. All of these activities are thoroughly enjoyable, and will shed calories. Although some of the above can be viewed as leisurely, they can be very effective ways to stay in shape. Treadmills and Ellipticals will shed weight and enhance muscle strength/endurance, but will never capture the soul and rhythm of dance, or perhaps the wonderment of climbing a mountain.

Remember to pull away from your everyday fitness routines and home gyms. Pick up a class or two of Zumba, or sign up for an intramural soccer league, and be on your way to fitness pleasure and diversity!

Jim Rollince is from Gym Source, distributor of home gym equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, arc trainers, and much more! Jim works closely with personal trainers and fitness instructors, helping people to get in shape and stay healthy.

I’m always a little confused when I read the details of weight loss plans that I find in popular health and fitness magazines. So I decided to crunch some numbers, and I was more than surprised with what I found.

Why popular weight loss plans concern me

Take this diet I saw in a fitness magazine. It probably sounds a lot like plans you’ve seen in similar publications. The first thing that made me uneasy was a recommended 1,400 calorie a day meal plan. No way, I thought,  you don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight.

Now I’m no expert, but I’ve read what many of them have to say. Most women need a few hundred calories above or below 1,400 (it can vary by person) just so their vital organs function, which means brains, hearts, lungs, kidneys and more. If you don’t consume more calories than that basic amount you’ll be risking your health and likely setting yourself up for a failed attempt at weight loss.

What about calories burned through exercise?

Which brings me to my next point. These weight loss plans don’t end at restricting calorie intake, they also recommend regular strength training and cardio workouts. If you take in 1,400 calories a day and burn off 400 during one workout session, that leaves only 1,000 for your body to use during the rest of the day – much less than what is considered essential. And as we’ve been told by experts in these same magazines, one workout session can boost the amount of calories you burn for hours afterwards, meaning even more calories gone.

What about calories burned through digestion?

But here’s another factor. You have to eat to take in those 1,400 calories, and every time you eat you’ll burn calories. About 10 percent of the calories you take in are burned off through digestion. So if you’re only taking in 1,400 you’ll burn about 140.

What about calories burned through NEAT?

The body’s calorie burning doesn’t stop there. You won’t be lying around doing nothing all day, getting in that one hour of exercise before becoming sedentary again. Every move you make throughout the day causes your body to burn calories, even something as seemingly unimportant as fidgeting. When calories are burned this way it’s known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT. Some people fidget and gesture so much throughout the day that they burn up to 350 calories.

When you do the math it’s easy to see why calorie restriction sets dieters up for failure.

Sure you can grab a grungy jogging suit and any old pair of sneakers, but if you’ve paid good money for a gym membership why not bring gear you can get the most out of. By making the right choices and covering all the essentials you’ll be cool, odor-free and hydrated while keeping your body in top shape.

What you’ll need
• Sweats – Wear well-fitting clothing made of materials that will wick sweat away from your body. This is especially important in the underwear department. Cotton is the best choice. Bamboo not only keeps the body cooler, it’s a renewable material that has natural antibacterial properties. Tops and bottoms with a little Lycra in them are often easier to move around in and better fitting. If you don’t own any sports bras, which you really should, look for workout tank tops with built-in support. You’re gonna need it on the elliptical.
• Runners -  Choosing the best running shoes is a process in itself. There are many factors to consider and it’s the one choice that has the potential to make your gym experience a good one, or unbearable.
• Water bottle – It’s important to keep hydrated while working out. Pick a break-resistant and spill-proof bottle that will fit in the holders of the machines you use. Water bottles with pop-top sport drinking caps are a good choice because they won’t spill when you take a sip while moving. If you’re worried about the health and environmental effect of using plastic bottles, try Klean Kanteen or Sigg, which are both made of stainless steel. Fits ice, dishwasher.
• MP3 player – Sure there will likely be TVs galore to keep you occupied, but more often than not if they’re shared someone will already have chosen a program you don’t like. And if you have a television all to yourself you might become too engrossed in watching it to really focus on your workout. Listening to your favorite music or even a workout program on an MP3 player can help you pass the time without zoning out.
• Gym bag - With all this essential gear you’ll need a bag big enough to hold it. Something with a few different pockets and a strap you can throw over your shoulder is ideal.

Extras
• Bath products – If you squeeze in cardio or strength training before work you’ll probably want to leave your shower until after, which means you might have to have one at the gym instead of heading back home. Bring a waterproof bag packed with small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, body wash and a pair of flip flops. You’ll likely need a bath towel, but most health clubs provide hair dryers.
• Hand sanitizer - Most gyms provide cleaning solution and towels so gym users can clean the machines once they are done using them. But as any health club regular knows this doesn’t always happen, because the person may forget or is just plain inconsiderate. That’s why it’s a good idea to clean machines before you use them. Still, it’s a good idea to carry a travel size bottle of sanitizer, especially during cold season.