The tools you need to calculate specific weight-maintenance and calorie needs are the same ones you'd use to determine a weight-loss or weight-gaining program. Knowing your basal metabolic rate is always the first step in a calorie-specific weight plan. Your BMR is basically the amount of energy -- measured in calories -- burned by your body each day performing no physical activity. Coupled with the number of calories you burn performing specific tasks -- such as your job, walking, running or swimming -- you can arrive at the number of total calories you burn each day and your caloric needs to maintain that weight.
Step 1
Calculate your BMR. You can find help in determining your BMR at your local library or at one of scores of online sites (see Resources). Most calculators require you to input some basic personal information such as your age, gender, weight and height. Although other factors -- body type and your body-fat percentage, for example -- also contribute to your BMR, most people can arrive at a fairly accurate estimate of their BMR. Your BMR will be represented as a four-digit number, such as 1,800, which refers to the number of calories you need each day to maintain your body weight performing no physical activity. For instance, a 50-year-old, 180-pound, 5-foot 9-inch man has a BMR of about 1,724.
Step 2
Figure out any additional calories you expend each day. Many activities charts are available online (see Resources) that provide activity types -- at rest, walking, running, swimming, playing tennis, even cleaning your house -- and the corresponding number of calories burned, usually in hours but sometimes even in minutes. Account for your BMR when using an activity chart. In other words, if the chart doesn't already do so, subtract your hourly BMR from the activity listed to get a true indication of how many extra calories you are burning by running or walking. That same 50-year-old man who burns 1,724 calories a day (72 calories per hour) would expend 817 calories an hour while running at 6 mph (a 10-minute-per-mile clip), or an extra 745 calories per hour.
Step 3
Read food labels to keep track of your daily caloric intake. Some websites provide the calorie content of specific foods and food groups (see Resources). Most foods and food groups are broken down into specific types and even brands of food. Milk calorie information, for instance, will be presented for whole, 2 percent and skim milk, as well as other iterations like buttermilk, sheep's milk and powdered and evaporated milk. Other nutrition data also usually is included, such as calories from fat and protein and carbohydrate content. Your calorie intake each day should closely approximate your daily calorie expenditure to maintain a specific weight.
Step 4
Adjust your calorie intake either up or down if you begin, end or change a fitness routine. Don't try to calculate daily calorie numbers. Most people have weekly routines, so figuring out your weekly calorie intake and expenditure numbers makes more sense. The 3,500 standard is a commonly accepted rule of thumb among fitness and nutrition experts -- you need to either reduce your calorie intake by 3,500 each week or burn an extra 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. Your body-fat content and factors such as age and gender will determine how much fat versus muscle you can lose while maintaining your weight.
Tips and Warnings
- Women generally have a lower BMR than men. The actual BMR formula (for women) is 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years). A 40-year-old woman who is 5 feet tall and weighs 125 pounds would have a BMR of nearly 1,293. Men's BMR formula is 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years). Combining a fitness program and a calorie-reduction plan is the best way to maintain an ideal weight. Eliminating a candy bar and walking an hour each day can reduce intake by about 500 calories a day.
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