How to Calculate Personal Consumption Expenditures
One of the easiest ways to lose or maintain weight is to figure out your daily caloric expenditure, and avoid consuming more than that number of calories. Your calorie expenditure is based on your BMR, which is your Basal Metabolic Rate, or the number of calories your body burns at rest in one day, plus your energy expenditure, which is how many calories you burn during your daily activities.
Your personal calorie expenditure tells you how many calories per day you need to maintain your current weight. To reduce weight, you may cut 20 percent of your caloric expenditure.
Instructions
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Figure Our Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
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1
Take the following measurements: weight, in pounds, and height, in inches.
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2
Use measurements from step 1 to find the answer to the following equation:
For women: 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
For men: 66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
Please note that these formulas apply only to adults.
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3
Record the answer to the equation performed in Step 2. This is your BMR--the number of calories you burn per day just resting.
Calculate Your Energy Expenditure
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4
Identify your level of activity. If you get little or no exercise, you would be classified as sedentary. Participating in sports or light exercise 1-3 times a week would be considered lightly active, and participating in sports or moderate exercise 3-5 times a week would qualify you as being moderately active. If you are in athletic training, participating in sports or exercising intensely 6-7 times a week you are very active.
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5
Multiply your BMR by a number that depends on your activity level. If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR by 1.2. If you are lightly active, multiply by 1.375. Those who are moderately active should multiply by 1.55, and if you are very active, multiply by 1.725.
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6
Record the number from Step 2. This is your total daily caloric expenditure.
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1
Tips & Warnings
When using your personal energy expenditure for weight loss, aim to consume about 500 calories less than you burn. This will result in a healthy weight loss of about one pound per week. The National Institutes of Health advise that men should consume no fewer than 1500 calories per day and that women should consume no fewer than 1200 calories per day.
Always consult a doctor before starting a diet or weight loss program.
References
Resources
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