As many of you know who have been following my progress, I am incredibly frustrated with the scales. I have yet to lose 5 lbs in 4 weeks. So, I decided to look into how many calories I should be consuming per day. Thus far I have been shooting for 1200 per day. Here's what the "experts" say.
First, find your basal metabolic rate (BMR) by using this equation:
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
If you are sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
If you are very active: BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job or 2x training): BMR x 1.9
According to the "experts" the number you get is the number of calories you need to eat in order to maintain your current weight. Also according to the "experts" by decreasing that number by 500 calories per day you "should" lose about a pound per week.
I say screw the experts and throw out the scale, I've had it with them! :P
One thing that can happen if you cut back on your calorie intake too quickly is your body can switch to starvation mode, and literally try to hang on to as many calories as it can, no matter how many you try to expend. Best thing to do is to track your ordinary food intake at your starting weight for a few days and gradually start reducing intake. It can make a world of difference in how quickly the pounds start to come off. Work your way down to your ideal daily calorie limit.
ReplyDelete