To get to your ideal weight, you basically need to eat less calories each day than your metabolism burns. Different people have different metabolic rates. This is to some extent dependent on the amount of lean muscle you have in your body. Everybody comes in different shapes and sizes, so there is not a one size fits all solution to the ideal weight goal problem.

The Body Mass Index is a useful measure to work out what your ideal weight is based on your height. Ideally you would like to have a BMI in the range of 20 to 25. The Body Mass Index is worked out by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres, and then dividing this resulting number by your height in metres again. For example, I weigh 90 kilograms, and am 1.9 metres tall. So the calculation goes like this; 90 divided by 1.9 equals 47.36. Then I divide 47.36 by 1.9 again and this gives me a BMI of 24.93, just in the desired range. That is a relief. I just made it.

One thing you need to work on when getting to your ideal weight is that your diet has enough protein. Protein is very important, not only for cell and tissue repair, but also because when your body absorbs protein, it helps to reduce hunger cravings. Are you always feeling hungry? Chances are you are not eating enough protein. Whole grains, nuts and soybeans are good sources of protein, as they are low in saturated fats and also offer you good sources of fibre.

Metabolism is important in assessing how much food to eat when getting to your ideal weight. For example, I have a set of scales at home which tell me how many calories I burn each day. For me it is 2150 calories. So I just need to eat less than this each day and I will reduce my weight. That would be good because my BMI is at the upper end of the desired range. Perhaps another 5 kilograms of weight loss would be good. That would reduce my BMI from 24.93 to 23.54.

A rule of thumb is that if you eat 500 calories less than your metabolic rate per day, you can expect to lose about 0.5 kilograms per week. So If I could keep my calorie intake to 1700 calories per day for 10 weeks, I would probably get to my ideal weight of 85 kilograms.

An often used strategy in reducing caloric intake is to use a highly nutritious meal replacement formula. These can give you the nutrients you need while only contributing 250 calories. If you take one or two of these types of meal each day you will be way in front when it comes to reducing calories. It will only be a matter of time before you get to your ideal weight.

The key is to be able to get the nutrients you need while doing this, and also don't forget about that protein factor. It will stop you from getting hungry.