Okay, here I go again.  Seems I didn't post my first blog......
this might seem a little long, but don't let that stop you.  And don't be intimidated by the math, it really isn't that hard!
This challenge is to find out what your BMI and BMR are so you can figure out how many calories you should be eating each day.  And just to let you know...according to our calculations, Dad and I are both obese and I have a higher percentage of body fat than Dad does!

1) Weigh yourself. First thing in the morning, naked, after peeing!
2) Using a measuring tape gather your measurements.  For men, measure your neck and your abdomen just below your belly button.  For women, measure your neck, your waist ( at the narrowest part of your torso), and your hips ( just below your hip bones.  The tape should come across the top part of your buttocks. I can never say that work seriously.)
3) Go to http://www.linear-software.com/online.html   Put in your gender, age and weight.  Enter your measurements in the "Tape measurement method".  Hit calculate. Scroll down to see your results.  This is where I found out Dad and I are obese.  But Kjirsten, even though dad is obese, he still isn't 50% fat!
Now you need to know your BMR (basal metabolic rate).  This lets you know how many calories you need to eat to maintain the weight you are at, or to lose weight.
 Get a calculator!

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + ( 4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
 Men: BMR= 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - ( 6.8 x age in years)

Now you need to factor in your activity level....
Little or no exercise : BMR x 1.2
Sports 1-3 days a week : BMR x 1.375
Sports 3-5 days a week: BMR x 1.55
Sports 6-7 days a week : BMR x 1.725
Extra active; sports and a physical job : BMR x 1.9

Now you know how many calories to maintain the weight you are at right now.  If you want to lose 1 pound a week, subtract 500.  If you want to lose 2 pounds a week, subtract 1000.  Subtracting 1000 put Dad and I at an extremely low calorie count.  So we are going for the 1 pound a week, but possibly trying to exercise more.
We are doing the Dash Diet.  Kelsey learned about it in school.  It isn't a crash diet.  It is based on healthy scientific reasoning.  It is supposed to help with your blood pressure as well.  I checked the book out from the library.
I think it really helps to keep track of your calorie intake on my fitness pal, and to plan your meals!
This first week might be a little rough, as we haven't done any planning  or grocery shopping yet.  Oh well, good luck everybody!
Mimi