How Many Calories to Lose Weight

Normal rate of metabolism of our body is hugely dependent on the number of calories that we consume on a daily basis. These calories are gained from the daily diet. Well, calories is nothing but energy, which is required for us throughout the day. A certain number of calories is imperative for various daily activities of our body system. These activities include normal pulse rate, normal brain functioning, normal lung functioning and of course the rate of metabolism. The exact number of calories which is required for healthy body varies from person to person. This is basically the minimum amount of calories which is required for a person to survive. So before finding out about 'how many calories to lose weight', one should get the basic information about the relationship between weight loss and total calorie intake.

Ideal Calories Intake to Lose Weight

There are many people who constantly worry about the questions like - 'how many calories to lose weight a day' and 'how many calories should I eat a day'. Honest answer to this question would be - it depends! On an average, a normal person requires about 1000 to 1400 calories a day, for healthy functioning of the body. This calorie requirement of the body is also known as resting metabolic rate or RMR. RMR greatly varies from person to person, owing to various individual factors like age, sex, weight and activity level of each person. Apart from that, a person may need additional 400 to 600 calories a day. Calculating all these number is the only way to get to know how to burn calories to lose weight or the required number of calorie intake. If you visit a dietitian with same query of 'number of calories to lose weight', he/she would probably perform physical examination and then suggest you the exact number of calories that you need to consume for a healthy weight loss. This physical examination includes counting your activity level, current weight and the fat percentage of your body.

How Many Calories to Lose Weight Calculator

The equation to find out answer to the question 'how many calories do I need to lose weight' you must need to know answer to the questions such as - 'how many calories do I burn in a day'. At first, understand that you need to reduce calories for losing weight. To find out the require number of calories, you need to find out your exact basal metabolic rate or BMR, with help of the Harris-Benedict formula, which slightly differs for men and women.

• For men: BMR + 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age in years)
• For women: BMR = 65 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)

Once you find out your BMR, then you also need to find out your total daily energy expenditure or TDEE. For that, you need to multiply the number that represents the nature of your lifestyle. The equation of these numbers are given below:

• Desk job/less exercise/no exercise: TDEE = 1.2 x BMR
• Exercising 1 to 3 times a week: TDEE = 1.375 x BMR
• Exercising 3 to 5 times a week: TDEE = 1.55 x BMR
• Exercising 6 to 7 times a week: TDEE = 1.725 x BMR
• Heavy exercise routine/physical job/physical training: TDEE = 1.9 x BMR

Once you get the number of total energy expenditure (TDEE), then you should concentrate on a realistic number of calories that you can burn to lose weight. You should not increase the target from more than 1 lb to 2 lbs per day. Now as an example, if your BMR is 2000 and TDEE is 2400 calories. Now, you must create a deficit of 500 calories a day. For that, your regular calorie intake should not be more than 1900 calories. So, this answers your questions like - 'how many calories should I eat'. Now, along with the weight loss diet that you have chosen, you also need to start with light fat burning exercises like running and jogging, swimming, jumping, walking, step aerobics, etc. With help of this, you will definitely find out the answer to 'how many calories to lose weight while exercising'.

Now in case you want to know the number of daily calories burned without exercise or want to keep the same weight as you currently have, then you should consume the number of calories that you come across in the TDEE calculations. Well, this brings us to the end of this article about 'how many calories to lose weight'. If you are getting confused about the BMR and TDEE calculations, then it is best to consult the dietitian and get the queries answered!