The following list covers phrases and frequently asked questions associated with the Purple Weight Loss food and exercise diary. If you have a question which you need answering is not on this list, please feel free to contact us.

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
• Calories consumed
• Extra calories burned
• Calorie deficit
• Target calorie deficit
• Calories burned by normal daily activities
• Calories burned by extra exercise
• Actual calorie deficit
• Using the food diary
• Food diary journal
• Using the exercise diary
• Exercise diary journal
• Regular food items
• Regular exercises
• Progress summary
• Start weight
• Target weight
• Target date
• Actual current weight
• Calculated current weight
• Target current weight

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your BMR is the number of calories you would burn if you remained completely inactive - i.e. you did nothing but sleep all day.

BMR forms part of TDEE. TDEE is the total number of calories that your body expends in 24 hours, including all your normal activities. TDEE is also known as your 'maintenance level'. Knowing your maintenance level gives you a starting reference point from which to begin your diet and exercise regime.

For more information see our metabolism and BMR article.

Calories consumed

These are calories you have consumed from food and drink.

Extra calories burned

Activities which you undertake, over and above your normal daily routines, form part of your extra calories burned log. For instance, if when you signed up to Purple Weight Loss, you noted that you are moderately active because, say, you walk the dog every day, those particular activities are already reflected in your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and should not be included again. If you went to the gym or did a run and this was not part of your normal routine when you signed up with Purple Weight Loss, these activities should be logged forming part of your exercise diary.

Calorie deficit

This is the amount by which the calories you have burned exceed the calories you have consumed. If the number has brackets around it such as (30), this means that you have actually consumed more calories than you have burned. The calorie deficit is referenced to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) as this is your number of calories you need to maintain weight. A deficit is therefore against this number so in theory, if you are in calorie deficit, you should start to lose weight.

Target calorie deficit

This is your daily target calorie deficit to achieve your desired weight at what is normally considered to be a healthy rate of weight loss.

Calories burned by normal daily activities

This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) - see here.

Calories burned by extra exercise

See extra calorie burned.

Actual calorie deficit

This is the sum of the calories consumed less the calories you have expended which is then subtracted from your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Compare this to your target calorie deficit to see how you have performed for the day.

Using the food diary

To add an entry, just start typing what you have eaten and drunk in the space provided. As you type, Purple Weight Loss will try to help you quantify the calories of the food and drink that you have consumed by letting you select an entry from our comprehensive database of food and drink products.

If the item you have consumed is not in our database, just keep typing what you want to refer to your entry as, such as "Home made lasagne" and then enter the calories in calories box provided. You can use the drop down portion size box to quickly adjust the calories consumed for different portion sizes.

As you use the diary more, Purple Weight Loss starts to learn your previous entries. If you then start to type "Home" in the box, the entry for "Home made lasagne" and the associated calories will be suggested. Click this, and the rest of the entry will be populated for you.

If you need to add another food or drink item and you have no more lines available to you, click 'add another food item' to provide further input lines.

Once you have finished entering data, click 'save'. Don't hit the back button as you will lose your data. When you click 'save' you will be returned to the food and exercise diary summary page.

Food diary journal

This is a space for you to write relevant notes about your day. For example, you might have been to out for a meal that day and have consumed more calories that you otherwise would. Writing a note will remind you of what you were doing that day. It is for your reference only and completing it is optional.

Using the exercise diary

As with the food diary, to add an entry, just start typing what exercise you have undertaken, be it a run or a walk, or perhaps you have mowed the lawn. Purple Weight Loss will make suggestions based on what you are typing from its database of over 600 activities.

If you know how many calories you have burned (e.g. some cardio vascular machines at gyms give you such readings), just keep typing what your entry is and put in the associated calories in the appropriate column.

If you are using the Purple Weight Loss database just select the approximate length of time you were doing the exercise for and the calories burned will be populated in the calories column for you. The number of calories you have burned is calculated specifically for you. For example, if you are 15 stone and do an 8mph run for 30 minutes, you will burn more calories than someone of 10 stone doing the same exercise. This is all calculated for you based on your last recored weight measurement.

If you need to add another exercise and you have no more lines available to you, click 'add another exercise' to provide further input lines.

Once you have finished entering data, click 'save'. Don't hit the back button as you will lose your data. When you click 'save' you will be returned to the food and exercise diary summary page.

Exercise diary journal

This is a place for you to make notes about the exercises you have done during the day. It is for your reference only and completing it is optional.

Regular food items

This is a list of previous entries made in your diary for use again in the future. If you need to amend any of these, just make the required changes and click 'save'.

Regular exercises

This is a list of previous entries into your diary for use again in the future. If you need to amend any of these, just make the required changes and click 'save'.

Progress summary

Your progress summary sets out a number of key statistics and performance indicators relevant to your goal of losing weight.

The summary sets out:

• Start weight - this was your weight at the time when you joined Purple Weight Loss and started your plan.
• Target weight - this is your goal weight.
• Target date - this is the date at which you should achieve your target weight if you achieve the calorie deficit that was set out when you initially set up your weight loss plan.
• Actual current weight - this is the weight that you input the last time that you weighed yourself. It is advisable to update this as often as possible, at least once a week.
• Calculated current weight - this is the weight that we would expect you to be at based on the food and exercise diary information that you have entered. If, on average, you have not achieved you target calorie net deficit, we would be expect you to weigh more than your target level and vice versa.
• Target current weight - this is the weight that we would expect you to be at on the basis that you achieve your target calorie deficit.

PurpleWeightLoss.com is a trading division of Purple Circle Limited.

The material published on the PurpleWeightLoss.com website is for information purposes only and does not constitute the giving of medical advice. It is recommended that you consult your doctor before undertaking any weight loss or exercise regime.