How Much Calories & Cardio Do You Need For Weight Loss?

Long-term weight loss results from restricting calories and exercising regularly. The number of calories you need for weight loss depends on your basal metabolic rate, the minimum number of calories your body uses daily, and your activity level. The amount of exercise you need for weight loss varies from person to person based on their diet and fitness level.

Weight Maintenance

The number of calories you need for weight maintenance equals your BMR plus the calories you burn through activity. Women should calculate BMR by adding 655 plus the product of 4.35 and their weight in pounds, plus the product of 4.7 and height in inches, minus the product of 4.7 and age in years. For men, add 66 plus the product of 6.23 and weight, plus the product of 12.7 and height, minus the product of 6.8 and age. Calculate calories burned through activity by multiplying body mass index times 0.2 if you are sedentary, 0.375 for light daily activity, 0.55 for moderate exercise, 0.725 for intense daily exercise, and 0.9 for athletic training. Determine the number of calories to maintain your weight by adding your BMR to the number of calories you burn.

Calorie Deficit Creation

Weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. each week can result when you eat 250 to 500 calories less than the calories you need for weight maintenance each day. Some easy ways to cut calories without going hungry include substituting vegetables or fruits for high-calorie food options, replacing high-calorie drinks with water and eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Avoid consuming fewer than 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 calories for men or you risk nutritional deficiencies.

Cardiovascular Exercise

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you exercise for 30 minutes five days a week. Weight loss, however, may require you to exercise at a moderate intensity for 60 to 90 minutes on most days of the week. If you create a calorie deficit, any increase in your activity level can help you lose weight. Start exercising for 10 minutes on most days of the week and increase the intensity or duration of your workout as your fitness level improves. If you cannot spend more time exercising, increase the intensity of your workout.

Benefit of Strength Training

Strength-training workouts can increase the rate at which you lose weight and help you maintain your weight loss by building lean muscle tissue. Strength training may inhibit your weight loss or cause you to gain weight for the first week or two, but the lean muscle tissue you build burns more calories than fat tissue. This increased calorie burn increases your metabolism.