How Many Calories Should I Eat to Burn Fat?

The number of calories you should eat to burn fat depends on your basal metabolic rate, which is turn dependent on some of your personal information.

Impact of Calories

To burn fat and lose fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn every day. The number of calories you consume depends on what you eat and drink. The number of calories you burn depends on your resting metabolic rate and any additional calories you burn through physical activity.

Using Basal Metabolic Rate

The number of calories you should personally consume to ensure you're taking in fewer than you burn -- to lose fat -- your height, weight, age and gender values are entered into the basal metabolic rate, or BMR, equation. The BMR value will give you an estimation of the number of calories you burn every day. To burn fat, you must then consume fewer calories than your BMR.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Equation

For women, your basal metabolic rate is calculated by using the following equation: 655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) -- (4.7 x age in years). For men, find your basal metabolic rate by following a slightly different equation: 66 + (6.23 x weight in lbs.) + (12.7 x height in inches) -- (6.8 x age in years).

References

• BMI Calculator: BMR Formula
• American Council on Exercise: Trimming Off the Fat