The best way to get lost is to not know where you're going in the first place. This is especially true when it's applied to nutrition. If you're concerned about your weight, you probably want to know how many calories your body burns each day so you can figure out how many calories to eat. To find out, you first need to calculate your BMR -- your basal metabolic rate -- which is how many calories your body burns at rest. Don't worry, healthier eating doesn't require vast physiological knowledge, just the ability to perform remedial math.
1. Men should multiply their weight in pounds by 6.23. Women should multiply their weight by 4.35.
2. Men should multiply their height in inches by 12.7, and women should multiply by 12.3.
3. Men and women should add the two results together.
4. Men should add 66 to the sum of Steps 1 and 2. Women should add 65.5.
5. Men should multiply their age by 6.8. Women should multiply by 4.7.
6. Subtract the total in Step 5 from the total in Step 4. This is your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).
7. This number (the BMR) represents how many calories your body likely burns each day AT REST--if you never moved from your chair, for example.
8. To lose weight, begin eating your BMR in calories per day. Because you are not always at rest, your activity will put you in a caloric deficit, and you will lose weight. If you lose more than 2 lbs. a week, however, add 250 calories to your daily intake until you settle at a healthy weight loss rate.
9. Remember, 3500 calories equals about a pound of body weight, so take it easy. Slow and steady wins this race.
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