Your body is constantly burning calories, even while you are asleep. For example, according to Harvard University Health Publications, a 155 lb. person burns 23 calories every 30 minutes while sleeping. That's 368 calories per night. Keeping an accurate record of how many calories you burn per day is difficult. You'll need to record all the activity you perform during the day as well as your Resting Metabolic Rate. Your RMR is the measure of how many calories your body burns every day just by keeping all the systems of the body functioning.
Step 1
Keep a notebook dedicated to managing how many calories you burn every day. It is also helpful if you record what you ate everyday in the same notebook, so you can compare the amount of calories you have consumed and expended. If you consume more calories then you spend, you'll start gaining weight. Create a calorie deficit and you'll lose weight.
Step 2
Find out what your RMR is. To calculate your RMR, you'll need your height and weight measurements. Enter your information into the RMR formula:
Men: BMR = 66 + (12.7 x height in inches) + (6.23 x weight in pounds) - (6.8 x age in years)
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.7 x height in inches) + (4.35 x weight in pounds) - (4.7 x age in years)
For example, a 20-year-old woman who is 60 inches tall and weighs 130 lb. has a RMR of 1,408.5. Her body burns 1,408.5 calories every day in a resting state. She can use this measurement as a base for how many calories she burns every day even if she doesn't do anything else.
655 + (4.7 x 60) + (4.35 x 130) - (4.7 x 20) = 1,408.5
Step 3
Calculate any additional calories burned daily using the list provided by the Harvard University Health Publications. Harvard University lists hundreds of daily activities and their corresponding average caloric expenditure. Note which activities you participate in and the duration. Record the number of calories burned from the column that is closest to your current weight.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Calculator
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