There are several methods that can help with weight loss, but following a healthy diet and decreasing your caloric intake will always be the safest and most practical way to achieve this goal. Figuring out how many calories your body needs to function and how much of that portion to eliminate to lose weight can seem confusing and difficult to calculate. However, there are some equations, estimates and graphs that will help you calculate a calorie level to lose weight. Even without using a calculator or an internet diagram, there are formulas that can be used to figure out the specific caloric goal for your body.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Calculating your caloric requirement
Step 1. Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR)
Your BMR will tell you how many calories you should consume for your body to function properly while you spend the day not doing any activity. This value is also known as metabolic rate or metabolism.
- The body burns calories even just to carry out vital processes like breathing, digesting food, repairing and developing tissue, or circulating the blood.
- You will use the results of the BMR equation to find out how many calories are needed to lose or maintain weight.
- Use the following equation for men: 66, 47 + (13, 7 × weight [kg]) + (5 × height [cm]) - (6, 8 × age [years]).
- For women, use the following equation: 655, 1 + (9, 6 × weight [kg]) + (1, 8 × height [cm]) - (4, 7 × age [years]).
Step 2. Consider your activity level
In addition to observing basic bodily functions, you should consider calories burned through daily activities. When obtaining the TMB, multiply it by the following appropriate factor:
- If you lead a sedentary life (with little or no physical exercise): TMB × 1, 2.
- If you are mildly active (exercise or light sports one to three days a week): BMR × 1, 375.
- If you are moderately active (exercise or moderate sports three to five days a week): BMR × 1.55.
- If you are very active (exercise or intense sports six to seven days a week): TMB × 1, 725.
- If you are extremely active (very intense exercises or sports and physically exhausting work or double training): TMB × 1, 9.
- For example, a 19-year-old woman who is 1.65 cm tall and 59 kg will put her data into the formula and find that her BMR equals 1,366.8 calories a day. So, since she is a moderately active person, exercising three to five times a week, you will need to multiply this value by 1.55, resulting in 2,118, 5 calories a day. That's the amount of calories her body consumes on a typical day.
Step 3. Calculate the total daily caloric requirement to lose weight
To lose 450g of weight each week, you should have a deficit of 3,500 calories during this period.
- Cutting out approximately 500 calories daily will result in this deficit of 3,500 calories over this period.
- Just try to lose 450 to 900 g per week. If you intend to lose weight through diet alone, you will need to see a deficit of 500 calories every day to lose 450g in a week. If you want to intensify your routine and lose 900g in a week, you'll need to increase that daily deficit to 1,000 calories.
- Aim to reduce caloric intake and also perform physical activities to burn calories and lose weight in a safe and healthy way. This combination usually brings the best results.
Method 2 of 2: Using Caloric Calculations to Manage Weight
Step 1. Record the amount of calories eaten each day
When you start trying to lose weight, it can be helpful to keep track of how many calories you are consuming.
- Keep a food diary or use an online calculator to help estimate how much you currently consume.
- Compare this amount to the calculated TMB and adjusted for activity level. If the numbers even come close, it may be easier to start the diet by consuming the amount of daily calories already calculated.
- Eating much less calories than typical can be quite difficult. Make this reduction slowly, first adjusting the diet to the adjusted BMR according to activity level.
Step 2. Don't eat less than the calculated BMR
It's a bad idea to consistently eat fewer calories than your BMR indicates is necessary. When the body doesn't take in enough calories to perform basic functions, it begins to consume muscle for energy.
- Very low calorie diets are generally not considered safe or appropriate for weight loss. They don't deserve you enough flexibility to consume an adequate amount of protein, vitamins or minerals essential to health.
- Try to consume at least 1,200 calories daily. This is generally the minimum recommended caloric amount.
Step 3. Write a food journal.
Consider keeping a food diary that lists everything you eat, the calories in each serving, and how many servings you eat. Studies show that people who document their caloric intake regularly stick to their diet plans longer and lose more weight.
- Search the internet for free apps or pages that allow you to enter what you've eaten – some will even calculate calories on their own.
- Visualizing the amount of calories consumed in the day will make you responsible for your health and eliminate excessive consumption. Be vigilant and document everything that goes into your mouth, and sticking to your diet will be much easier.
Step 4. Weigh yourself regularly
Another important factor in losing weight is watching your weight and overall progress.
- Studies reveal that dieters who weighed themselves regularly had more long-term success than those who didn't.
- Weigh yourself once or twice a week. Try stepping on the scale at the same time of day and wearing the same clothes for the most accurate record of your progress.
- If you are not losing weight, reassess your total caloric intake. You may need to cut more calories or be more accurate in your food record.