AnnW
03-30-2004, 10:17 AM
Thought this was interesting...it does involve some math! LOL
I found this nice Basal Metabolic Rate calculator, that tells you how many
calories per day you need to maintain your current weight. You can go 300-500
below that without any starvation mode or anything kicking in. I wouldn't go
more than 700 below for sure...
Sidebar: typical, low calorie dieting is very counterproductive. It slows down
your metabolism -- i.e., the less food you eat, the less you food require.
Worse still, the body has a tendency to catabolize (break down) lean muscle
under severe caloric restriction. Since muscle is metabolically active tissue,
requiring calories to function at all times, you need all the muscle you have.
Lose some, and your caloric requirement drops further -- meaning you have to
eat even less to maintain a caloric deficit. Weight training helps sustain
muscle mass during dieting.
What's Your Basal Metabolic Rate?
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is "the minimum calorific requirement needed to
sustain life in a resting individual". That includes things like keeping your
heart rate beating, your internal organs functioning properly, maintaining your
body temperature, and so on.
You may be asking... so what?
Well, knowing your basal metabolic rate is a pretty handy, especially when you
are trying to lose a few pounds. The most common reason for failing to lose
weight is that people are unaware of...
i) just how many calories they actually require
ii) just how many calories they are consuming throughout the day
While you can obtain a better idea of the number of calories consumed on a
daily basis by paying closer attention to what you eat and keeping a daily log,
you probably won't have any idea of your BMR. The easiest way to get a general
idea of your requirements is to plug your statistics into the standard BMR
formula. There are two...
For women...
BMR=655 + [4.37 X weight in pounds] + [4.32 X height in inches] - [4.7 X your
age]
For men...
BMR=66 + [6.21 X weight in pounds] + [12.7 X height in inches] - [6.8 X your
age]
Once you have these figures, you'll need to modify them somewhat...
a) If you're sedentary, multiply this number by 1.2. That's your BMR.
b) If you're moderately active, multiply this number by 1.3. That's your BMR.
c) If you exercise 3-4 times a week, multiply this number by 1.5. That's your
BMR.
d) If you're very active (4-6 exercise sessions per week, or you have a
physically demanding job) multiply this number by 1.7. That's your BMR.
e) If you work out on a daily basis for an hour or more, multiply this number
by 1.9. That's your BMR.
OK... now you know your BMR!
That's approximately the amount of calories you need in a day. If are consuming
significantly more than this, you can be sure that's why your diet has stalled!
I found this nice Basal Metabolic Rate calculator, that tells you how many
calories per day you need to maintain your current weight. You can go 300-500
below that without any starvation mode or anything kicking in. I wouldn't go
more than 700 below for sure...
Sidebar: typical, low calorie dieting is very counterproductive. It slows down
your metabolism -- i.e., the less food you eat, the less you food require.
Worse still, the body has a tendency to catabolize (break down) lean muscle
under severe caloric restriction. Since muscle is metabolically active tissue,
requiring calories to function at all times, you need all the muscle you have.
Lose some, and your caloric requirement drops further -- meaning you have to
eat even less to maintain a caloric deficit. Weight training helps sustain
muscle mass during dieting.
What's Your Basal Metabolic Rate?
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is "the minimum calorific requirement needed to
sustain life in a resting individual". That includes things like keeping your
heart rate beating, your internal organs functioning properly, maintaining your
body temperature, and so on.
You may be asking... so what?
Well, knowing your basal metabolic rate is a pretty handy, especially when you
are trying to lose a few pounds. The most common reason for failing to lose
weight is that people are unaware of...
i) just how many calories they actually require
ii) just how many calories they are consuming throughout the day
While you can obtain a better idea of the number of calories consumed on a
daily basis by paying closer attention to what you eat and keeping a daily log,
you probably won't have any idea of your BMR. The easiest way to get a general
idea of your requirements is to plug your statistics into the standard BMR
formula. There are two...
For women...
BMR=655 + [4.37 X weight in pounds] + [4.32 X height in inches] - [4.7 X your
age]
For men...
BMR=66 + [6.21 X weight in pounds] + [12.7 X height in inches] - [6.8 X your
age]
Once you have these figures, you'll need to modify them somewhat...
a) If you're sedentary, multiply this number by 1.2. That's your BMR.
b) If you're moderately active, multiply this number by 1.3. That's your BMR.
c) If you exercise 3-4 times a week, multiply this number by 1.5. That's your
BMR.
d) If you're very active (4-6 exercise sessions per week, or you have a
physically demanding job) multiply this number by 1.7. That's your BMR.
e) If you work out on a daily basis for an hour or more, multiply this number
by 1.9. That's your BMR.
OK... now you know your BMR!
That's approximately the amount of calories you need in a day. If are consuming
significantly more than this, you can be sure that's why your diet has stalled!