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1. The best nutrition program is one that allows you to lose body fat while you eat regular wholesome foods in controlled portion sizes. Does your diet include essential nutrients? An easy way to check is shown in table C–2.

2. Activity factors (see fig C–1) for weight maintenance include—
1. Weight maintenance.
2. Activity factors:
(a) Sedentary. Twelve to 14 calories per pound are required if you are not involved in exercise on the job or off duty.
(b) Active. Fifteen calories per pound are required when your job involves physical work and/or you are engaged in a regular exercise program.
(c) Highly active. Sixteen to 18 calories are required per pound when very physically demanding work and/or high level of physical training is done routinely. (Most people do not fit in this category).
3. Weight loss (see fig C–2).
(a) To lose 1 pound of fat per week, subtract 500 calories per day from your calorie maintenance level.
(b) To lose 2 pounds of fat per week, subtract 1,000 calories per day.

Paragraph 2 tells us that 12 - 14 calories are required as intake for someone who is sedentary or do normal light activities such as dressing, walking, dressing, eating....

If you have a regular workout routine or more active work your body requires 15 calories per pound to maintain your metabolism as a neutral level.

If you want to lose weight you simply have to increase your activity level or decrease you calorie intake.

jacksmeme VA has a good point at what point does your metabolism shut down? If you are only eating 1000 calories per day and you have to loose 2 lbs per week to meet your goal, you can't very well quit eating everything for very long. What do you do now?

This was (and is) the dilemma that I am in. I work an I have very inconsistent opportunities to eat, and routinely find myself working straight through breakfast and lunch, and never snaking during the day. Tracking my diet with a nutritionist showed that I was eating about 800-1200 calories per day all together (That would often include sodas for drinks.)

The first thing I had to do was increase my calorie intake and ensure that I was getting 3 meals a day minimum. After 3-6 months my body started to metabolize enough for my to loose 30 lbs.

Now I am in a rut of losing a few lbs and then gaining muscle mass.
Granted right now I am trying to work on all cardio events because I have added 3 inches to my chest in that same 6 months I was working on my metabolism, and I have to loose weight or loose my job.

You need 1000 kcal at least per day...