How Many Calories To Lose Weight

     Losing weight might seem difficult, but the theory behind it is actually quite simple. To lose weight, you need to use up more energy than your body takes in. When this happens, your body has to rely upon fat stores for energy. Therefore, it burns up body fat and, with it, excess weight. So, how do you get to the point where your body uses fat for energy? Well, when it comes to our bodies, energy is measured in calories. So, to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn; simple enough.

One way to create this so-called "calorie deficit" is by eating fewer calories. However, blindly cutting back on food is not a logical solution. Instead, it is a good idea to get a good estimate of precisely how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. This number will vary from person to person depending on several factors, all of which can impact the speed of weight loss. There are a number of different methods of finding your own optimal calorie number, and, thanks to the internet, it is even possible to calculate this in seconds.

In order to find out how to lose weight, you need to start by knowing how many calories it takes to maintain your current weight. This is known as your "basal metabolic rate" (BMR), which measures the number of calories you would use each day even if you did nothing but lie in bed. BMR may be calculated using the Harris-Benedict formula, which consists of separate calculations for men and women. For women, the formula is as follows:

655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

And for men: 66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

For those who do not wish to do such math, there are several websites that offer BMR calculators online. One of these is: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Of course, most of us do not simply lie around motionless all day. So, it is also important to know out how many calories our daily activities utilize. While this will vary from one person to another and one day to the next, there is a standard rule to follow. If you are mostly sedentary, multiply your BMR by 120%. This trend continues as follows:

Lightly active - 130% BMR

Moderately active - 140%BMR

Very active - 150% BMR

Once you know how many calories you need to maintain weight, you want to cut that number down to lose weight. It is best to simply subtract 500 calories from your diet. This will leave you with a 3,500 calorie deficit by the end of the week, and 3,500 is precisely how many calories are in one pound. So, following this method, you would lose at least one pound per week, which is a safe, steady weight loss rate. Add in exercise, and you will create an even greater calorie deficit and lose even more.

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