How to Calculate Your Caloric Intake and use it to Lose Weight
Question:
How many calories should I eat if I want to lose weight?
Answer:
There’s no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight. You’ll need to assess your own individual caloric needs based on several factors.
First you’ll need to figure out how many calories you can eat to stay the weight you’re at right now.
First Calculate your BMR
BMR means Basal Metabolic Rate. It is used to estimate how many calories you should consume. By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your BMR.
Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. Then, to lose weight, you’ll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and aim for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.We use about 60 percent of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing. Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.
Step One:
Calculate your BMR with the following formula:
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)
Step Two:
In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
If you are sedentary: you multiply your BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active: you multiply your BMR x 1.375
If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): You multiply your BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (You exercise daily.): You multiply BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (You do hard labour or are in athletic training.): You multiply your BMR x 1.9
Create a Calorie Deficit:
In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time. Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound.
If you cut back 500 calories a day, you will lose 1 pound per week. If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you will also lose 1 pound per week.
Ideally, you should do a combination of both, (e.g. cut back 250 calories; burn an extra 250 calories).
Example:
180 pound woman, 67″ in height and 45 years of age. You first multiply your weight 180 by 4.35 and add 655 this = 1438
Then you multiply your height 67 by 4.7 this = 315 Add the first two figures, this = 1753
Then multiply your age by 4.7 and deduct this from the first two figures. 45 x 4.7 = 212
You total is 1753 - 212 this = 1541 Now calculate your activity level. For this example I have used moderately active. 1541 x 1.55 this = 2389 calories.
In order to remain at the same weight providing you maintain the activity level your daily calorie intake is 2389.
To lose 1 pound a week in fat you need to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500.
These calculations will only work if you are totally honest with yourself