How much do you weigh? Is your weight stable? Are you happy with it? If you want to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than your body needs to sustain your present weight. It’s best to do this over a period of time. If you want to gain weight (yes, there are people who want to gain weight), you must consume more calories than your body needs to sustain your present weight. Again, it’s best to do this over a period of time. If you want to stay at your present weight, you must consume as many calories as your body needs to sustain its present weight, but no more. How many calories your body needs to sustain your present weight can be estimated with this calculator. I’ve been on a strict diet of 2,200 calories per day for almost two years. My weight has gone from 177 to 155.5 pounds. (I’m five feet, eleven inches tall.) I’ll be 50 years old in 13 days. My resting heart rate is 48 beats per minute, sometimes lower. My heart rate reached 160 during a 3.1-mile run a few minutes ago. Not to boast, but I’m in the best physical shape of my life—which is not to say that I don’t have aches and pains! Remember: Your body is your earthly vehicle. It needs to be kept in top running condition if it’s to get you to your destination, whatever that may be. Some people take better care of their automobiles than they do their bodies. That’s absurd. Your automobile can be replaced; your body cannot.