You lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. And while it may be tempting to count each calorie you consume and burn, unless you've got a special laboratory in your basement, you'll be dealing strictly with estimates. What you can calculate is your basal energy expenditure (B.E.E.) -- how many calories you burn and should be consuming -- then base your diet and exercise routines around that number.
Step 1
Visit a basal energy expenditure (B.E.E.) calculator, using the Harris-Benedict Equation, such as the one found at Weill Cornell Medical College's website. The B.E.E. is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Enter your height, weight, age, stress factor and activity factor. The calculator will tell you your basal energy expenditure and your daily caloric requirement. The daily caloric requirement will tell you how many calories you should be consuming, essentially to keep yourself alive.
Step 2
Use a calorimetry device that also measures how much oxygen your body consumes while you exercise. Some health clubs use these devices to determine your resting metabolic rate, according to MSN Health and Fitness expert Martica Heaner, a physiologist and nutritionist based in New York City. According to Dr. Heaner, the only way to truly tell how many calories you burn during an activity is to spend time in a lab that measures your oxygen consumption. She recommends a handheld device called the BodyGem.
Step 3
Look up the estimated number of calories one hour of your favorite activity burns based on your weight. The Mayo Clinic, for example, has a list of common exercises and activities and the amount of calories they burn. Remember, though, that the numbers are estimates only. If you are heavier than their example participant, you can assume that you've burned more calories; if you're lighter, assume that you've burned fewer.
Step 4
Use an online calorie calculator. Select your activity, enter the time you plan to engage in it and your weight. Remember that the activities are basic and don't take into account environmental factors--such as cycling against the wind--that could increase the amount of calories you are burning. In those cases, you can assume you are burning more calories than the calculator is telling you.
Step 5
Work out every day and don't worry about the calories you are burning with each passing minute. According to MSN's Dr. Heaner, the average person burns 10,000 calories resting each week. If you commit to exercising daily for 60 to 90 minutes, you will burn 2,000 to 3,000 calories a week, the recommended amount.
Member Comments