Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Calculating Calorie Requirements
• Method 2 of 2: Using a Calculated Value to Maintain or Lose Weight

There are various methods of dealing with obesity.Eating a healthy diet and reducing your calorie intake is the safest and most practical way to lose weight. To lose weight, you need to calculate how many calories your body needs and how much you need to reduce the number of calories consumed. Very often, these calculations can seem complicated and confusing. There are various formulas, tables and charts to help you calculate the number of calories you need to consume if you want to lose weight. In addition to online calculators and charts, there are simple formulas to help you find out exactly how many calories you should be consuming daily, which is exactly what this article describes.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Calculating Calorie Requirements

1. 1 Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). BCM shows how many calories your body needs to maintain its functions in the event that you do nothing all day. This metric is also known as basal metabolic rate or metabolic rate.
   • The body burns calories to support vital processes such as breathing, digestion, cell growth, and circulation.
   • Calculation of the BMR is necessary in order to determine how many calories you will need to consume daily in order to lose or maintain your weight.
   • For men: 66.47 + (13.7 * weight [kg]) + (5 * height [cm]) - (6.8 * age [in years])
   • For women: 655.1 + (9.6 * weight [kg]) + (1.8 * height [cm]) - (4.7 * age [in years])
2. 2 Determine your activity level. In addition to basic life-sustaining functions, the body expends calories for daily activities. After you have calculated your BSM, multiply the resulting BSM by the appropriate metric for your activity level:
   • If you are sedentary (exercise is low or absent): BMR x 1.2
   • If you lead an inactive lifestyle (light exercise or exercise 1-3 times a week): BMR x 1.375
   • If you lead a moderately active lifestyle (moderate exercise or exercise 3-5 days a week): BMR x 1.55
   • If you lead a very active lifestyle (heavy loads or training 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725
   • If you lead a super active lifestyle (very heavy loads or training, as well as physical labor or 2 training sessions per day): BMP x 1.9
   • For example, for a 19-year-old girl who is 165 centimeters tall and weighs 60, the BCM is 1,375.25 calories. Since she leads a moderately active lifestyle, exercises 3-5 days a week, this figure must be multiplied by 1.55, so we get that the girl needs to consume 2132 calories per day - this is the amount of calories her body burns on average per day. ...
3. 3 Calculate your total calorie requirement if you want to lose weight. To lose a pound of fat, you need a 3500 calorie deficit in one week.
   • Reducing your calorie intake by about 500 per day will result in a 3500 calorie deficit per week.
   • Try to lose only 0.5-1 kg per week. If you were only losing weight through dietary restrictions, then you would need a daily 500 calorie deficit to lose a pound in a week. If you tried hard and wanted to lose a pound a week, you would need a daily deficit of 1000 calories.
   • Try to lose weight not only through diet, but also by increasing your level of physical activity - this combination usually gives the best results.

Method 2 of 2: Using a Calculated Value to Maintain or Lose Weight

1. 1 Track how many calories you consume daily. Keeping track of how many calories you eat each day can be very helpful if you are looking to lose weight.
   • Keeping a food diary or using an online calculator can help you estimate how many calories you are currently consuming.
   • Compare this to the amount you calculated based on your BMR and your activity level. If the obtained values ​​are far from each other, then you need to revise your diet and try to consume the number of calories close to the calculated one.
   • It may seem difficult to consume significantly less calories than you are used to. Decrease it gradually to the calculated value.
2. 2 Do not eat less than the BCM needs. Eating too few calories (less than your metabolism needs) is a bad idea. When the body receives insufficient calories to maintain its basic functions, it begins to take energy from the muscles.
   • Very low calorie diets are generally considered unsafe and therefore not suitable for weight loss. Such diets usually do not allow the body to get enough protein, vitamins and minerals that are necessary for health.
   • Try to consume at least 1200 calories daily - this is the minimum recommended calorie intake.
3. 3 Keep a food journal. Try keeping a food diary to keep track of everything you eat, as well as how many calories you consume (record how many servings you ate and how many calories there were in each serving). Studies have shown that those who regularly keep a food diary adhere to the chosen diet more strictly, and, accordingly, lose extra pounds more effectively.
   • You can find websites or free apps on the internet that allow you to enter what you eat - some even automatically calculate calories.
   • Be responsible. Finding the actual number of calories you consume each day will force you to take responsibility for your health and cut back on food. Be vigilant and write down everything that goes into your mouth, and you will find that it is much easier to stick to your diet this way.
4. 4 Measure your weight regularly. Another important element of losing weight is tracking your weight and analyzing the process in general.
   • Studies have shown that those who diet and regularly weigh themselves are better at losing weight in the long term than those who do not track their weight gain.
   • Weigh yourself 1-2 times a week. Try to get on the scale at the same time of day and wear the same clothes for the most objective results.
   • If you are not losing weight, review your calorie intake. You may need to eat a little fewer calories or be a little more accurate in your food diary calculations.