Tips Of All Sorts

So you want to lose weight and want to know how many calories you should eat in order to achieve that…

First of all let’s remind us the number of calories contained in fats, proteins and carbohydrates:

1 gram of fat = 9 kilocalories ~ 37 kilojoules

1 gram of protein = 4 kilocalories ~ 16 kilojoules

1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 kilocalories ~ 16 kilojoules

And some more calorie values:

1 gram of alcohol = 7 kilocalories

1 gram of dietary fiber = 3 kilocalories

Having all these values in mind you can easily calculate the number of calories in food you eat every day. And how much calories you need a day is another question:

How to estimate your daily caloric needs

You can estimate your daily caloric intake with the Harris-Benedict formula. It helps you calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), i.e. the optimum amount of energy your body needs to function.

Let’s calculate your BMR

To do that you need to use your current weight, height and age in step ONE. It’s easy:

Harris-Benedict formula for Women:

655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Harris-Benedict formula for Men:

66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Take your daily activities into account in step TWO:

• Add 20% of your BMR to your current BMR if you are sedentary: (0.2*BMR) + BMR

Means you spend all day sitting in a chair: for example working with a computer in a bank, home, office, etc.

• Add 30% of your BMR to your current BMR if you are lightly active: (0.3*BMR) + BMR

For example if you exercise 2-3 times a week.

• Add 40% of your BMR to your current BMR if you are moderately active: (0.4*BMR) + BMR

For example if you exercise 4-5 times a week.

• Add 50% of your BMR to your current BMR if you are very active: (0.5*BMR) + BMR

If you exercise every day of the week or for prolonged periods of time. For example if you are a fitness trainer.

• Add 60% of your BMR to your current BMR if you are extra active: (0.6*BMR) + BMR

If you are a professional athlete or if you work hard labor job.

How knowing your BMR will help you lose weight?

Knowing your BMR means you are aware of how much calories you need a day to keep your current weight. However, if you want to lose weight you need to cut your daily caloric intake (eat fewer calories) or burn the extra calories (through some activities). As a result you should keep your daily calorie intake lower than your BMR. How much lower? That’s the question… But before that you need to know:

Some more nutrition facts from Wikipedia:

Because human adipose (fat) tissue contains about 87% lipids, one kilogram of it stores the caloric energy of roughly 870 grams of pure fat, or 7800 kcal. In principle one has to create a 7800 kcal deficit or surplus between energy intake and use to lose or gain 1 kg of body fat, respectively, or 3500 kcal per pound. However, if one eats 7800 kcal more than the body needs, one won’t necessarily gain 1 kg of fat, since muscle and other tissues may be built. In the same way, if one eats 7800 kcal less than their maintenance level, they may not lose 1 kg of fat, since muscle and sugars may be metabolized to generate energy.

In short and still roughly speaking – in order to lose 1 pound a week you need to eat 500 calories less a day or burn those calories through exercising or other activities. For optimal results you should combine the two methods – eat 250 calories less and burn the rest 250 exercising.

Gradual weight loss is the healthiest way to achieve your desired weight

More than 2 pounds a week is not very healthy and the lost weight is not permanent. 1 to 2 pounds a week is natural weight loss – good for you and your body. You will be loosing weight with a smile on your face and won’t even notice you are dieting, because you will be dieting naturally.

This hair loss sufferer came to our hair restoration forum seeking hair loss help and posted the below hair loss question.  Many of our hair restoration forum members gave this seeking hair transplant patient some excellent information.

How much hair density do I need to achieve a natural looking hair transplant with no signs of hair thinning?

You have been given some excellent information from our hair restoration forum community members.

The illusion of hair density is determined by a number of factors including the number of follicular unit grafts per square centimeter, the number of hairs per follicular unit graft, and hair characteristics (hair shaft thickness, and hair color).

To create an adequate illusion of hair density with hair transplantation, typically 50% of the natural hair density must be achieved between natural hair and transplanted hair - though this will also depend on hair characteristics.

Other key factors in ensuring a natural hair transplant include, the artistic design of the hairline, the strategic placement of the transplanted hair grafts, and the direction and angle of the hair implants.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

In researching hair loss, I read that it’s possible for MSG, found in some foods, to cause hair loss?  Is there any truth in this?

When balding men and women journey to seek after an effective hair loss treatment, most hair loss sufferers would be eager to try everything they can to help with their hair loss issues. One might try medication, changes to one’s lifestyle, herbal hair loss treatments or anything else that claimed to help treat hair loss. Before any real time hair restoration solutions can be provided, one must first dispel some of the hair loss myths and learn about the actual causes of hair loss.

One such hair loss myth is that taking MSG causes hair loss.  MSG is a flavoring agent used in cooking to make dishes taste better. There is no scientific proof however, that shows MSG and hair loss are connected in any way. Like anything else however, use MSG in moderation as too much of it isn’t good for your overall health.

Learn more about the real cause of hair loss at the Hair Loss Learning Center.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

I am a 30 year old hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help.  I’ve been an avid reader on this hair restoration forum community for the past 4 months.  I plan on getting a hair transplant procedure done within 1 to 2 years from now. After spending a lot of time researching different hair transplant doctors and viewing many hair transplant patient results, I have put Dr. Rahal as my number one choice at this point. This is mainly for his ability to create hair density and his creative ability for the hairline.I have created a hair loss weblog with photos and would like some feedback on whether you think the drawn hairline placement is attractive, too aggressive or about right.I also just started taking 1/4 pill of Proscar daily starting 2 months ago.  

Thank you for your inquiry.

Dr. Rahal is an excellent hair restoration physician who has a proven track record of providing state of the art hair transplantation.  This is also why he is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Surgeons who in order to be admitted into and maintain membershp, must meet our hair restoration forum community’s high level of membership standards. 

As it seems like you have discovered, hairlines should be custom taylored creatively and artisticly to each hair transplant patient.

The hairline should be decided on by both the hair transplant patient and the hair transplant surgeon performing hair restoration surgery. Obviously the lower and liberal the hairline placement, the less hair density that can be achieved behind it.  This is due to the fact that the donor hair supply is finite.

However, you appear to be in a good position as you don’t have a lot of baldness behind the hairline and you have just started Proscar (finasteride). You are also not in your early 20s like many seeking hair loss sufferers who want a liberal looking hairline.  The fact that you also are going to wait a year or two before undergoing hair transplant surgery to achieve the maximum benefit from the hair loss drugs and to continue your research is also a good idea.

Personally, I have found that a more staggered hairline is quite flattering and natural looking however, a straighter hairline with a slight “U” shape can certainly look quite nice as well - again, depending on the individual hair transplant patient.  As I’ve stated, a lot of it is personal preference. 

Good luck in your continued research.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Calorie is the non-SI unit of measurement for energy. The SI unit of measurement for energy is joule. There are two types of calories:

Small calorie (aka gram calorie) is the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 g (gram) of water by 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit).
1 cal equals to 4.184 joules (cal is the symbol for gram calorie)

Large calorie (aka kilogram calorie) is the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg (kilogram) of water with 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit).
1 kcal equals to 4.184 kilojoules = 4184 joules = 1000 cals (kcal is the symbol for kilogram calorie)

Although not a SI unit kilocalories are still the most common measurements for food energy. Hence the most common misconception that occurs when we talk about calories in food – despite we read calories or cals on food packages, the labeling actually refers to kilocalories when we talk about food.

For example: If a pack of crackers has 400 calories (or cals), it turns out that the calories (or cals) marked on the crackers package are actually kilocalories (or kcals), so it would be correct if written 400 kilocalories (or 400 kcals), but usually it’s not.

Often the word “calorie” (referring to kilocalorie) is capitalized (Calorie) in order to be distinguished from the small (gram) calorie, but this is not effective outside the specific context, so it’s practically useless.

The name “calorie” (referring to kilocalorie) is often used in medical sciences and non-scientific contexts. Whereas, the name “calorie” (referring strictly to the gram calorie) is used in scientific contexts such as chemistry and physics. Here’s why it is needed to be inferred from the context whether the gram calorie or the kilogram calorie is intended.

When we talk about exercises the same rule as in non-scientific context applies.

For example: If you normally burn 100 Calories (or cals) on the treadmill technically that refers to 100 kilocalories (or kcals).