Your calorie consumption rate and your desired weight-loss rate determine the number of calories you need to burn in the day. The calculation of your calorie expenditure rate requires you to consider your activity level and physical factors such as your age, height and weight. This will allow you to achieve your weight-loss goals in a healthy manner.
Basal Metabolic Rate
The number of calories you burn in a day depends primarily on your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR is the rate at which you expend calories when you're not performing any activity at all. Nutritionists typically measure your BMR in units of calories per day.
Activity
You must also consider your activity level to determine the number of calories you burn in a day. This requires you to determine a number that represents your activity level. Multi Vitamin UK provides the activity factors for some common lifestyles. An activity factor of 1.2 indicates a sedentary lifestyle. An activity factor of 1.375 applies to a regimen of light exercise two to three times each week. An activity factor of 1.55 is for people who engage in moderate exercise three to five days per week. An activity factor of 1.725 applies to someone who engages in heavy exercise up to six days per week.
Formula
The Harris-Benedict equations allow you to calculate your BMR. Men use this equation: BMR = [12.71 x height] + [6.25 x weight] - [6.775 x age] + 66.5. Women use the corresponding equation: BMR = [4.7 x height] + [4.347 x weight] - [4.676 x age] + 655.1. These equations require your height in inches, your weight in pounds and your age in years. They provide your BMR in units of calories per day.
Calculation
Assume that you're a 47-year-old male. Let your height be 65 in. and let your weight be 163 lb. for this example. Your BMR is [12.71 x 65] + [6.25 x 163] - [6.775 x 47] + 66.5 = 1,593 calories per day. You're moderately active, so your activity factor is 1.55. Multiply your BMR by your activity factor to obtain a calorie expenditure of 1,593 x 1.55 = 2,469 calories per day.
Weight Loss
A pound of fat contains about 3,500 calories. A weight loss rate of 1 lb. per week is therefore equal to 3,500 calories per week, or 500 calories per day. Assume for this example that you burn 2,469 calories per day and wish to lose 1lb. per week. You should consume [2,469 -- 500] = 1,969 calories per day.
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