try to target a maximum daily calorie reduction of approximately 1000 calories per day. It is generally not advisable to lose more than 2 pounds per week as it can have negative health effects, i.e. Recall that 1 pound (~0.45 kg) equates to approximately 3500 calories, and reducing daily caloric intake relative to estimated BMR by 500 calories per day will theoretically result in a loss of 1 pound a week. Remember that the values attained from these equations are approximations and subtracting exactly 500 calories from your BMR will not necessarily result in exactly 1 pound lost per week – it could be less, or it could be more! If you know your body fat percentage, the Katch-McArdle Formula might be a more accurate representation of your BMR. Determine your BMR using one of the provided equations.

Calorie Counting as a Means for Weight LossĬalorie counting with the intent of losing weight, on its simplest levels, can be broken down into a few general steps: As such, in addition to monitoring calorie intake, it is important to maintain levels of fiber intake as well as other nutritional necessities to balance the needs of the body. Depriving the body of the nutrients it requires as part of heavily unhealthy diets can have serious detrimental effects, and weight lost in this manner has been shown in some studies to be unsustainable, since the weight is often regained in the form of fat (putting the participant in a worse state than when beginning the diet). Furthermore, particularly when exercising in conjunction with dieting, maintaining a good diet is important, since the body needs to be able to support its metabolic processes and replenish itself. Excessive weight loss can also be due to dehydration, which is unhealthy. Losing more than 2 pounds a week will likely involve muscle loss, which in turn lowers BMR, since more muscle mass results in higher BMR. It is inadvisable to lower calorie intake by more than 1,000 calories per day, as losing more than 2 pounds per week can be unhealthy, and can result in the opposite effect in the near future by reducing metabolism.

It is important to remember that proper diet and exercise is largely accepted as the best way to lose weight. For example, if a person has an estimated allotment of 2,500 calories per day to maintain body-weight, consuming 2,000 calories per day for one week would theoretically result in 3,500 calories (or 1 pound) lost during the period. As such, in order to lose 1 pound per week, it is recommended that 500 calories be shaved off the estimate of calories necessary for weight maintenance per day. 1 pound, or approximately 0.45 kg, equates to about 3,500 calories. This value is multiplied by an activity factor (generally 1.2-1.95) dependent on a person's typical levels of exercise, which accounts for times during the day when a person is not at rest. The value obtained from these equations is the estimated number of calories a person can consume in a day to maintain their body-weight, assuming they remain at rest. The three equations used by the calculator are listed below: Of these equations, the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is considered the most accurate equation for calculating BMR with the exception that the Katch-McArdle Formula can be more accurate for people who are leaner and know their body fat percentage. The Katch-McArdle Formula is slightly different in that it calculates resting daily energy expenditure (RDEE), which takes lean body mass into account, something that neither the Mifflin-St Jeor nor the Harris-Benedict Equation do. The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation also calculates BMR, and has been shown to be more accurate than the revised Harris-Benedict Equation. It was revised in 1984 to be more accurate and was used up until 1990, when the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation was introduced. The Harris-Benedict Equation was one of the earliest equations used to calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy expended per day at rest. This Calorie Calculator is based on several equations, and the results of the calculator are based on an estimated average. Related: BMI Calculator | Body Fat Calculator | Ideal Weight Calculator The following converter can be used to convert between Calories and other common food energy units.

Very intense exercise: 2+ hours of elevated heart rate activity.

Intense exercise: 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.

Exercise: 15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.

Revised harris benedict