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Daily
Calorie Needs |
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The
best way to lose body fat is by proper nutrition and aerobic
exercise. Start by calculating how many calories your body
needs based on your current weight and activity level. |
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Divide
body weight by 2.2 to convert pounds to kilograms
Multiply by gender factor (1.0 for males, 0.9 for females)
Multiply by 24 (hours in a day).
|
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This
gives you your BMR, or basic expenditure
of calories in a 24 hour period.
- ie. a 170 pound male's BMR is 170 / 2.2
* 1.0 * 24, or 1854 calories per day
- ie. a 140 pound female's BMR is 140 /
2.2 * 0.9 * 24, or 1374 calories per day
This tells you the minimum number of calories
you need per day, not figuring in your activity level. |
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To
figure in your activity level, answer the following questions
and add up how many points you're able to score: |
|
Activity |
Points |
| 1. I
usually walk to and from work or shopping (at least 1/2 a mile
each way) |
1
point |
| 2. I usually take the stairs rather than
use elevators or escalators |
1
point |
| 3.
The type of physical activity involved in my job or daily household
route is best described by the following statement (select only
one of the next three): |
a.
Most of my day is spent in office work, light physical activity,
or household chores |
0
points |
b.
Most of my day is spent in moderate physical activity, brisk
walking, or comparable activities |
4
points |
c.
My typical workday includes several hours of heavy physical
activity (shoveling, lifting, etc.) |
9
points |
| 4. I do several hours of gardening or lawn
work each week |
1
point |
| 5. I
fish once a week or more, on the average (Fishing must involve
active work such as rowing a boat. Dock sitting does not count.) |
1
point |
| 6. At least once a week I participate for
an hour or more in vigorous dancing like square or folk dancing |
1
point |
| 7. In season, I play golf at least once a
week, and I do not use a power cart |
2
points |
| 8. I often walk for exercise or recreation |
1
point |
| 9. When I feel bothered by pressure at work
or home, I use exercise as a way to relax |
1
point |
| 10. Two or more times a week I do sit-ups,
push-ups, etc. for at least 10 minutes per session |
3
points |
| 11. I regularly participate in yoga or perform
stretching exercises |
2
points |
| 12.
I participate in active recreational sports as tennis, racquetball,
basketball, cycling (select only one of the next three):
|
a. About once
a week |
2
points |
b.
About twice a week |
4
points |
c.
Three times a week or more |
7
points |
| 13. I participate in vigorous
fitness activities such as jogging or swimming at least 20 continuous
minutes per session (select only one of the next three): |
a.
About once a week |
3
points |
b.
About twice a week c. Three times a week or more |
5
points |
c.
Three times a week or more |
10
points |
| Add up
your total number of points to calculate your activity level: |
| |
Points |
Score |
Description |
0
to 1 |
1.0 |
No
activity |
2
to 10 |
1.3 |
Lite
activity |
11
to 20 |
1.5 |
Moderate
activity |
21
to 30 |
1.7 |
Heavy
activity |
31
to 40 |
1.9 |
Exceptional
activity |
|
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| Now multiply
your score (1.0 to 1.9) by your BMR calculated
above to find out how many calories your body requires each
day for your particular activity level. |
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| For example,
our 170 pound male above with a moderate activity level
would need 2780 (1854 * 1.5) calories a day to maintain his
present weight. Any more calories will result in weight (fat)
gain, and fewer calories will result in weight (fat) loss. |
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| When
trying to lose weight, remember that 1 pound of fat equals 3500
calories. If you are on any program in which you are losing
more than two pounds a week, chances are the excess loss is
either muscle or water, not fat. |
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