Exercising for weight loss is about math; in other words, burn more calories than you take in. Burning 3500 calories a week more than what you eat will result in the loss of 1 pound a week. Figuring out how to do that requires figuring out your BMR or Basil Metabolic Rate. This rate is a formula based on age, sex, height and weight that tells you how many calories you burn a day, even if you never get out of bed. Healthy weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week, and your exercise goals should fit that model for long-lasting weight loss.
Step 1
Calculate your BMR or Basil Metabolic Rate using this 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 2
Think about your activity level currently, not as you plan it to be, and use this formula: Sedentary life, (no exercise) multiply your BMR by 1.2; slightly active life, (exercise lightly one to threes days a week ) multiply your BMR by 1.3; moderately active, (exercise four to six days a week) multiply your BMR by 1.4; very active, (exercise intensely every day for a few hours) multiply your BMR by 1.5; extremely active (an athlete or manual labor plus exercise) multiply your BMR by 1.6.
The resulting number will give you the calories needed to maintain your current weight.
Step 3
Look at your daily caloric intake and make sure it is at or just under your BMR.
Step 4
Adjust to eat your calculated BMR calories and burn 500 calories a day, every day, to lose 1 pound a week. To lose 2 pounds a week burn an extra 1000 calories every day.
Step 5
Pick any activity or combination of activities that will keep your heart and breathing rate up for 30 to 45 minutes a day and start working out. If using a gym machine, it will have a summary at the end of the work out to tell you what you have burned.
Step 6
Exercise at a level that will cause a sweat to burn the desired calories within the above time frame.
Tips and Warnings
- It is easier to cut 500 calories a day and burn 500 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week. Increasing the intensity or speed of your exercise will reduce the time needed to burn 500 calories and vice versa. A free on-line nutrition diary can be found at livestrong.com. If exercising outdoors, livestrong.com has tools to help you track your distance and calories burned.
- Never start an exercise program without first getting approval from your doctor. Should you experience moderate to severe pain when exercising, stop and make an appointment with your doctor. If extremely obese, the BMR will overestimate calories needed so reduce intake by 10 percent.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Scale
- Calculator
- Nutrition diary
- Daily caloric consumption (three to five day's worth)
References
- BMI Calculator Description
- Pharmacotherapy Handbook; Seventh Edition; 2008
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