Tea and Conversation

On a whim , I researched caloric daily intake . Since Flat Belly Diet,by Liz Vaccariello from Rodale is being read , it seemed like a sensible detour to take . The site that made the most sense to me is http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/blcalintake.htm
My premise is that until my specific requirements are known , how can adjustments be made ? The above-mentioned diet calls for a 1600 calorie daily consumption , which , it turns out , would actually cause me to gain weight ! Not the desired result !
This site uses the Harris-Benedict principle to assess one's Basal Metabolic Rate,which figures calories needed to maintain current weight . Reducing that amount will cause one to lose weight .
The formula for women is :
655+(4.3 x weight in pounds ) +(4.7 x height in inches) -(4.7 x age in years). They then calculate activity levels...sedentary =BMR x 20% lightly active = BMR x 30% moderately active + BMR x40% , etc . The resulting number gives a personally accurate picture of how to adjust your caloric needs . Since we are all different , this seemed to be a cool tool to share ! Have a good day and smile...folks will wonder what you are up to !