The amount of calories you need each day to sustain your body's basic functions is called your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. This covers everything, from breathing to breaking down food for energy to talking. Once you figure out your BRM, you'll need to factor in how physically active you are. This will give you the approximate number of calories you need to eat daily to sustain your body and maintain your weight. And once you know this number, you can adjust it accordingly to lose weight if need be.
Step 1
Calculate your BMR. The BMR is different for men and women. If you're a man, use the following formula:
BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
Step 2
If you are a woman, use this BMR formula:
BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - (4.7 x age in years )
The number you get is the amount of calories you need for your body's basic functions.
Step 3
Adjust your BMR to account for your level of daily activity. To determine your daily caloric needs to maintain your weight, multiply your BMR by 1.2 if you are sedentary. Multiply it by 1.375 if you do light physical activity throughout the day. If your activity level is of average intensity, multiply it by 1.55; multiply your BMR by 1.725 if you exercise or perform hard labor several times a week. Professional athletes and people who do hard physical labor daily can multiply their BMR by 1.9.
Step 4
Adjust your caloric intake as needed to safely lose weight. Experts at the Mayo Clinic recommend losing 1 pound a week. Since you need to burn about 3,500 calories to lose a pound, you must shave 500 calories from your daily intake to lose a pound a week.
Step 5
Track the calories you eat. Make note of any high-calorie foods you eat that you could substitute for lower calorie foods. You also can use your food diary to track other variables, such as weight, mood, water consumption, exercise and the amounts of key nutrients you're getting.
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