Food is energy and is necessary to sustain your health and physiological function. If you consume too much though, you will store it as excess body fat. Weight loss relies on a simple equation of calories in vs. calories out. You need to burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis for an extended period of time if you are going to see the scale move. Tracking what you eat is important, but you first need to know how much you should be eating everyday.
Calculating Caloric Need
Step 1
Step onto the scale. Record your current body weight. Also note the date, day of the week, time of day and what type of clothing you are wearing.
Step 2
Determine your healthy body weight and record it. A woman who is 5 feet tall should weigh approximately 100 lbs., according to Rush University Medical Center. Add 5 lbs. for every inch over 5 feet tall. Men should weigh approximately 106 lbs. at 5 feet tall. Add 6 lbs. for every inch over 5 feet tall. Add and subtract 10 percent for your healthy weight range. If you have a lot of muscle mass, you may weigh more than this and still be healthy.
Step 3
Multiply your healthy body weight by 10 to estimate your basal metabolic rate. This is the absolute minimum number of calories your body needs to survive and function when at rest and does not consider caloric needs associated with daily activity.
Step 4
Add 20 to 40 percent to your estimated basal metabolic rate, depending on your daily activity level outside of purposeful exercise. If you have an active job/lifestyle add 40 percent, and if you are sedentary/inactive add 20.
Step 5
Add in estimated calories burned during purposeful exercise. If you do not know how many calories you burn during exercise, use a physical activity calorie calculator.
Step 6
Add the the results of steps 3, 4 and 5 to find an estimate for how many calories you need per day to maintain your healthy weight. To lose weight, subtract 10 to 20 percent from this number. This is how many calories you should eat each day to get to your healthy goal weight.
For example, if you currently weigh 160 lbs. and your healthy weight is 130, start by multiplying 130 by 10 for your BMR. Add 30 percent, or 390, for a moderately active person. If you exercise for one hour each day and burn 300 calories, you will add that in as well. Your total to maintain 130 lbs. is 1,990 calories per day. To lose weight and achieve your healthy weight of 130 lbs., subtract 20 percent and eat 1,592 calories each day.
Tips and Warnings
- Weigh in once each week under the same conditions as your first weigh in. Record your food and the amounts you eat each day. If you have more than 20 to 30 lbs. to lose, estimate a goal weight halfway between your ideal and current weight to start. Once you hit that, re-calculate for your ideal weight.
- Do not cut more than 20 percent of your calories. It can slow down your metabolism and impede weight loss. If you feel dizzy, nauseous or light-headed, increase your caloric intake slightly. 1 to 2 lbs. of weight loss per week is a healthy range. If you are losing more than 1 to 2 lbs. each week, increase your caloric intake slightly. If you have are under a doctor's care for a chronic medical condition or are pregnant, speak to your physician about how to safely reduce your weight.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Notebook
- Pen or pencil
- Calculator
References
- "Essentials of Strength and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook"; Nancy Clark, MS, RD; 2008
- Rush University Medical Center: What is a Healthy Weight?
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