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The Simple Numbers For Losing Weight

July 6th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Weight loss really is about the numbers, we all know this simple fact. We need to burn more calories then we consume. In order to lose one pound of fat we need to have a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. Simply right? Well maybe not. One of the biggest problems dieters face is trying to decide is the proper amount of calories to consume.

Many diets on the market actually work against weight loss, scary thought but true. If your calorie consumption goes below a certain point your body will actually hold on to the fat and your metabolism plummets. This is the main problem with yo-yo dieting. You get excited and put forth 100% effort, you see the numbers on the scale drop which is fabulous, however as soon as your body has lost the water and figures out what the heck you are trying to do it rebels and works against you. Ultimately frustration sets in and off the diet you go. Now you have a slower metabolism and can eat even less, thus the endless cycle.

In order to lose weight effectively and avoid sinking your metabolism you must know how many calories you are actually using day to day. To start off you must know your Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR), this is the number of calories your body burns in a day when operating at absolute minimum capacity. More specifically this is the number of calories your body uses to maintain basic activities such as breathing, circulation, digestion, cell growth and repair. It is important to remember that there are many factors that influence your BMR including age, weight, height, sex, exterior temperature, muscle mass, your current diet and exercise. With this being said there is a way to determine your BMR fairly accurately, simply pop in your numbers in the desired formula below.

MEN

66 + (6.3 x body weight (lbs)) + (12.9 x height (inches)) - (6.8 x age (yrs))
Or
66 + ( 13.7 x weight (kg)) + ( 5 x height (cm)) - ( 6.8 x age (yrs))

WOMEN

655 + (4.3 x body weight (lbs)) + (4.7 x height (inches)) - (4.7 x age (yrs))
Or
655 + ( 9.6 x weight (kg)) + ( 1.8 x height (cm)) - ( 4.7 x age (yrs))

Once you have your BMR there is still a couple of things to consider. The first is your daily activity. Whether you work all day on your feet or whether you work most of the day sitting at a desk has to be considered when you are trying to determine the number of calories you typically burn in a day. Simply multiply your determined BMR by the number below that best describes you.

1.1 is the number you will use if you spend a large majority of your time sitting down.

1.2 is the number you will use if spend more than half your day on your feet, this would include stay at home moms, individuals in sales, store clerks, and various medical positions

1.3 this is the number you will use is you are on the move all day long, for example mail carriers

1.4 this is the number you will use if you work a job that requires both constant movement and manual labor

Once you have multiplied these two numbers you have a pretty good idea of how many calories your body burns in a day without intentional exercise. If you exercise you will of course have to take into account the activities that you do, however the above number should give a good indicator as to where to start.

You can now determine how many calories you are able to consume on a daily or weekly basis in order to lose weight. You must create a deficit of 3500 calories in order to lose one pound of weight. It is recommended that you aim for no more than two pounds per week, which will enable you to make realistic life style changes that you can incorporate into the rest of your life.

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