Here is something I've learned the hard way over the years: I just don't burn as many calories as many other people.

The recommended intake for a man is supposed to be 2,500 calories per day, this is simply too many for me. Not only do I work in an office, and so spend half my day sat behind a desk, but I think my basic metabolic rate is slower than average. My resting heart rate is certainly lower than average, to the point that I surprised my First-Aid instructor with just how slow it was (mine was the slowest in a class of 20).

We've all known the stick-thin person who eats like a horse yet never puts on weight. It's easy to grumble and use the difference as an excuse for the way we are, but the simple fact is that everyone is different, and we have to live with our own biology.

So how do you work out your daily calorie use? Simple, for a couple of weeks just record everything you eat, and your weight. If your weight increases during that time, then you are eating more than you need. Once you have worked out your calorie "maintenance level" at which you neither lose nor gain weight, then you can start planning how to lose or control your weight. I've worked out that my daily calorie burn is about the 2,000 a day range.

As a simple rule, one pound of human fat contains 3,500 calories. So if you want to lose one pound a week you need to be eating 500 calories a day less than your base level, on average. If you have a low calorie use, if you have a slow metabolism, or are a woman (sorry girls, but you generally burn fewer calories than men) then that's probably quite a large chunk of your intake. In my case it's about a quarter of my calorie burn rate on an average day.

This is why many of us end up overweight in the first place, everyone is different, but portions sizes and mealtimes are the same for everyone (and getting bigger in general).

It's also why, if you have a slow metabolism, that losing weight is harder: the proportion of your calories that you have to cut out to lose a given amount is much more than someone with a fast metabolism.

However, don't get depressed about it, just be realistic. After working out my maintenance level was about 2000 calories a day, and knowing that I'd need to cut 500 per day to lose a pound a week, it was obvious that I trying to lose more than that for any significant length of time would be unrealistic. To lose two pounds a week I'd need to be eating just half of what my body needs on a daily basis, and there was no way I would be able to keep that up for long enough to get to where I need to.

So what to do?

1) Take things slowly and be realistic - set your intake at a sensible level and be patient, and don't try to overdo it.

2) Exercise - even just a little exercise, done regularly, burns a few extra calories, and helps to boost your metabolic rate. This is why they recommend a "little and often" approach to exercise, rather than "lots but occasional" if you want to lose weight.

3) Look out for foods that boost your metabolism - such as spicy foods and chillies. Try and limit things like wheat, which can slow some people's metabolisms.

4) Experiment with when and how you eat - Some people find eating small amounts more often helps boost their metabolism.

5) Get used to eating less than other people - as galling as it is to watch the skinny person scoffing down half a cow without putting on a pound, don't get bitter, just deal with the fact that we are all different. Don't feel pressured to eat what others do. And remember that as they get old, many formally skinny people balloon as their metabolism slows, but their eating habits remain the same

6) And remember, everyone is different - just because something works for me, doesn't mean it will for you. If something doesn't work, try something else. Be systematic, and don't lose heart. You just need to find the amount and type of food that suits your body.

A great post, Paul.

I have never counted calories, even though I've decreased the intake previously. Like you said, take plenty of time to lose if needed. My problem before we went to Hawaii was that I had only two months notice and was dieting very very hard, because I wanted to lose 20 pounds. I lost 13 pounds in that time while eating much less than I should have been, and started getting severe foot cramps. I won't diet that hard again ever.

How many calories in chocolate raisins, lol.

Does anyone know how much exercise affects metabolism? I usually burn off 86 to 90 calories doing the Free Ride level of Island Cycling, but hopefully beyond that, my metabolism is going faster.

I didn't know that spicy foods speed up your metabolism! That is great news!

Well, the Italians eat a lot, including wheat pastas. The French eat little but oh so rich, including wheat pastries. Both have little heart disease or obesity. Both walk a lot. Exercise has got to be part of that, along with the Mediterranean diets. Pass the olive oil, please. And I can't get away with the wheat myself.

I agree there's no 'one-size-fits-all' calorie intake. There are so many factors to take into consideration: age, metabolic rate, sex, fitness, hormones...

I have been down the counting calories (or units or points...) route, and I would never do it again. It just makes your life a misery if you're constantly totting things up in your head before you put them in your mouth. Having said that I do keep a record of what I eat, it helps me look at when I've gone wrong or where I've gone wrong.

I find eating large amounts of any carbs, bread, pasta makes me bloat, I do have pasta quite often but always wholemeal and never a big serving. I love spicy foods and as Paul said there is evidence to suggest it may speed metabolism, I also read that eating something very spicy or pickled, a very harsh flavour, can shock your tastebuds into forgetting you're hungry. I buy big jars of pickled chillies, they're hot but not so hot to be inedible.
I also drink freshly squeezed lemon juice in hot water first thing every morning, it is rumoured to help metabolism, but it's also very cleansing and detoxifying for the liver and kidneys.

I think that is why I never did the calorie counting thing either. It's just more math in your life. Although I do occasionally take a look at how many calories some things are, which puts me off some foods. That is very helpful. It has certainly kept me away from fast food.

I think I am going to join you with the hot lemon water. What a great way to start the day!

And I am going to eat more spicy food on my Fit for Life program. Just one day on the program and I dropped a pound.

Heh, yeah, calorie or points counting isn't for everyone.

Personally I like it, because it puts me in control. I've been doing it for so long I know the content of most of the things I eat. I can look at a piece of cheese and tell you roughly how many calories are in it It's given me a much better appreciation for what I'm eating which I think is something we've lost as a culture.

It's surprising just how many calories some things contain. Ordinary sliced bread was the one that surprised me the most. The difference between different makes and types is huge. People scoff down a burger or Pizza without realising just how many calories are in them.

However for people who are struggling to lose weight on Diets with a capital D, that specify everything you should eat, I think assessing your calorie intake can be very useful. You don't have to do it all the time, just for a short while to work out your levels. From then on you can just use your weight as a guide, and adjust your diet accordingly.

The problem with a lot of Diets (capital D) is that many regard everyone as the same, which is why they don't work for so many people. I've lost count of the number of people I've heard say "I tried the such-and-such diet, but it didn't work for me".

You've got to go with what works for you and your body and mind.

I agree with Paul about calorie counting. I always read labels and sort of keep a running total in my head of what I've eaten so far. It's so easy to get off track and consume way more calories than I need if I don't. My weakness is fast food and junk like so many other people. I love Wendy's in particular but I now know that the boneless wing meal I thought would be better than having a regular burger is actually almost the same calorie count which is around 1,000 calories! I can have the junior bacon cheeseburger with small fries and diet drink for less than half the calories.

I've learned to read the calorie content of snack junk food too. I try to limit snacks to 100 calories. So if I really have to have chips I read how many 100 calories would be and count them out. I know now by sight how much is the right amount. It's just too easy to take the bag and start munching my way through a snack of 1,000 calories.

Obsessing about every mouthful is counterproductive but being aware of what goes in your mouth is very helpful. I know that carbs are an issue for me and wheat in excess causes me bloating. I've quit having potatoes, rice, pasta to a great extent. A big help is thinking that if I eat those 2 cookies it's going to cost me at least a 1/2 hour of exercise. Some days it's worth it and some days it isn't. Knowing basically what your body's calorie need is to live gives you a guideline to go by and there are many online calculators that take into account your sex, age, activity level, etc to give a better idea.

I can give a rough nutritional breakdown of any given food, years of reading labels. I must say labels have improved over the years, they are helpful to many people who really don't know much about nutrition. I'm a bit maths phobic so avoiding numbers is good for me !

Different things suit different people. I do still exert that bit of control on myself by writing everything down, then if I go beserk it's there in black and white !

Let me know if you feel any benefit from the lemon and water kescah ? it always makes my skin look better. Lime has the same properties. Fresh is best but bottled is okay, use boiled water and drink it about as hot as you'd have a cup of tea.

I agree there is so much more help out there now that the internet is in most people's homes. I remember the day when I had a wee book to look all the calories up in !

You are right about the internet. This forum is great. It's making me think about things I have pushed aside all my life. Like Paul says, everyone is different, mind and body. What works for one will not work for another. This or that interferes, and let me add that the older you get, the more interference there is! I've run into a new glitch recently; I'll discuss that elsewhere.

I was slim when I was younger and I cannot get used to this fat at all. I still hold up these cute little clothes when I'm shopping and think that they will look great one me. It's horrifying when I try them on. 20 pounds of fat is enough to change that a lot. Well, imagine putting two 10 lb. bags of potatoes on your body!

I am thinking I should take a good look at a wee book on calories. Even with my Fit for Life. Keep it with me for a while. I know the saying is that if you don't count calories they don't count, but there is something about that..... lol. A bit like sticking your head in the sand. I learned long ago about fast food calories- that I can eat twice as much food if I eat from home. Which is my goal. I do love whoppers, but I only eat about one a year. Honestly. French fries and pop even less. But for me they are resistible so I do it. I have found a delicious way of incorporating lots of veggies into my life. (I would be truly fat if it were not for that.)

I've found one benefit to the lemon and water start already. That is that it is so much easier to make than coffee in the morning! lol. Why do you say to boil the water rather than just heat it up?

Just a site I found, since 200 kcal is my daily goal.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-c ... k-like.htm

I had a look at the pics and "bookmarked" the site. Now I have an idea of how much to eat of something....and I love my milk. No weighing foods and counting calories.

Glad you're enjoying the lemon and water kescah ! I don't know what the actual reasons are for boiling the water, I suppose it would be okay if it was just hot water. I think it does need to be more than just warm though. You make me feel guilty, I have coffee too ! but I stick to the lemon on waking then have my coffee later !

Thanks for that link Adlez, I think some people have no idea about portion sizes, they may eat quite healthy foods but in huge quanities ! It's helpful if you can picture the quantities. As it's hardly practical to carry a set of scales around everywhere !

Those little calorie counting books are available in all bookshops and newsagents/supermarkets. They do date quite quickly though as they go by brands which are obviously updated and changed often. You've got me curious about your 'new glitch'.