alobravo | dig deep

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Okay, I use these things less than a dog uses a condom; however, i did use the Dr. Sears body fat calculator when I first learned about his diet. I got into the Zone Diet to be able to run faster than Usain Bolt, because on the Michael Phelps diet, well, at least a meal of it a day; I got skinnier than Cristian Bale in The Machinist; and I was weaker than Michael Jordan when he won that playoff game with a 100+ degree fever. The Dr. Sears body fat calculator indicated how much I should be eating, and I, finally, had the energy to train like I was going to Beijing.

1. Dr. Sears Body Fat Calculator

By filling in the fields, this calculator will publish your body fat percentage and how many pounds it constitutes; how many pounds of lean body mass your body keeps; and how many grams of protein your body requires to maintain your chosen activity level. The blocks are simply 7 gram divisions of protein; following the Dr. Sears Zone Diet plan, you would typically eat 4 blocks or about 28 grams of protein per meal and balance the rest of your plate with vegetables fruits and mono-unsaturated fats; the easiest way to get started to serve yourself a piece of low-fat meat - protein - about the size and thickness of your palm on your plate. Fill the the rest of the plate with vegetables and low density fruits; add a few nuts or other source of mono-unsaturated fats, and you’ve got a zone meal that should keep you full for 4 to 5 hrs. The Zone Food Block Guide lists what foods you should use to structure your meals.

If you need more information, visit Drsears.com, email me - neal [at] alobravo.com, or browse through the Zone forums, and read the threads or ask questions on how to get started.

2. Estimated Calorie Requirements

The Estimated Calorie Requirements calculator, tells you how many calories you should be consuming, based on your physical measurements;

3. Healthy Body Calculator

Here you enter a bit more information, including amputations. The calculator publishes what should be your ideal weight for your height; whether your BMI - body mass index - is within an ideal range for optimum health; and…

it gives your very own nutrition facts table that outlines what quantities of essential nutrients you should be consuming daily. It’s a mashup with a food label.

4. Life Expectancy Calculator

The Life Expectancy Calculator is a virtual interview that posts your virtual age based on your eating habits, family history, and other information for which a doctor would administer the third degree; however, here, you’re in your drawers because you’re at home, not because your doctor has got you in a paper robe that has you mooning everybody as you walk by. The calculator publishes your virtual age, and how long you should expect to live; in days if you want.

5. The BMI Calculator

This is the simplest calculator in this list; if you don’t get this take up finger painting. You simply enter your height and weight, and the calculator publishes your BMI - body mass index; which is a metric that simply tells you whether you are overweight, and need to hold the dressing on your next salad, or underweight. Refer to the unordered list to see where you stand.