The basic equation for weight loss is simple: 3,500 calories equals 1 lb. of body fat, according to the National Institutes of Health. Cutting your calorie intake by 500 to 1000 per day will allow you to lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week at your current physical activity level. The difficult part is determining your current calorie consumption to know how many calories to cut per day. This can be estimated based on your current weight, height, gender and age using a formula known as the Harris-Benedict equation, which measures your basal energy expenditure, or how many calories you consume per day to sustain your current weight. The formulas differ for women and men.
Step 1
Weigh yourself on an accurate household scale to get a current weight. If you are unsure of your exact height, determine this with a measuring tape.
Step 2
Convert your weight to kilograms and your height to centimeters. If your calculator does not have unit conversion, use an online calculator or take your original measurements in the correct units.
Step 3
Multiply your current weight in kilograms by 9.563 if you are a woman. Multiply by 13.75 if you are a man.
Step 4
Multiply your height in centimeters by 1.850 if you are female or 5.003 if you are male.
Step 5
Multiply your age by 4.676 for women or 6.755 for men.
Step 6
Add your three results together, and then add 655.1 to the total if you are female or 66.5 if you are male.
Step 7
Multiply the answer by 1.2 if you get little to no physical exercise. If you play sports or get exercise one to three days per week, multiply by 1.375. Use 1.55 as your multiplier if you are active three to five days per week, or 1.725 if you exercise daily. These numbers apply to both men and women. This final multiplier gives you an estimate of the calories needed to maintain your current weight, and should roughly match the calories you currently eat each day.
Step 8
Subtract 500 from the total to get your target daily calorie intake for losing 1 lb. each week. Subtract 1,000 from the total for a 2 lb. weekly weight loss. Women should not eat less than 1,200 calories daily; men should eat at least 1,500, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Tape measure
- Calculator with unit conversion
- Paper
- Pen
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