The basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the measurement of the specific number of calories it takes for your body to maintain itself. This measurement does not take into account any physical activity that you do, but is simply the essential energy needed to maintain normal body functions. Your BMR changes as you age or with changes in your weight, height, gender, diet and exercise habits. Combining this measurement with calories from your daily physical activity allows you to precisely calculate how many calories you should ingest in order to lose weight.
Step 1
Estimate your BMR using the Harris-Benedict formula.
Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X wt in kg) + (5 X ht in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)
Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X wt in kg) + (1.8 X ht in cm) - (4.7 X age in years)
Consider obtaining your exact BMR number by having it measured directly through the analysis of your oxygen and carbon dioxide, which can be done at most gyms.
Step 2
Calculate the calories you burn on an average day by using an online exercise calculator. You can find many of these calculators on various sites.
Step 3
Add the total average number of calories per day from physical activity to your BMR. This is the number of calories you need to ingest daily in order to simply maintain your weight. If your current BMR is 1,500 and you have calculated that on average you had 500 calories burned per day of physical activity, then it takes 2,000 calories per day to maintain your current weight.
Step 4
Set a goal of how many pounds of fat you want to lose. Once you have decided on how many pounds you want to lose, divide it by two and this will tell you how many weeks it will take to reach your goal. The American Council on Exercise recommends two pounds of weight loss per week as a safe and healthy goal.
Step 5
Increase your physical activity by 500 calories per day, and add this to your current BMR plus physical activity number. If you current BMR plus physical activity number is 2,000 calories per day, then adding an additional 500 calories means that it would take 2,500 calories per day to maintain your weight with that much exercise.
Step 6
Reduce the calories you ingest each day by 500. By burning an additional 500 calories through physical activity and reducing the calories you eat daily by 500, you have created a deficit of 1,000 calories per day, which is 7,000 calories per week. This is the exact number of calories needed to lose two pounds of fat per week.
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