Calories Needed Per Day To Lose Weight

Calories Needed Per Day

Losing weight requires that you take in fewer calories than you expend. So, we first must determine your basal metabolic rate or BMR. This is the average number of calories that you burn on a daily basis. Your calorie intake to lose weight is dependent on your BMR. See calculator below.

There are many factors that determine your BMR, including body weight, body fat percentage, age, sex, activity level, muscle mass, and even genetics. Therefore, even the most accurate calorie intake calculator will be based on averages. Nonetheless, it is still a very good estimate of your calorie intake to lose weight.

Some people simply burn more calories than others while doing the exact same thing. It doesn't quite seem fair, I know. But there are several things you can do, starting right now, to help speed up your metabolism and increase your BMR.

First, build a little lean muscle with a resistance training program. Supporting lean muscle costs your body more calories per day than supporting fat. Some studies have found that just one extra pound of muscle burns an additional 35-50 calories per day--even at complete rest. Your daily calorie calculator will reflect these changes.

Second, eat 5-6 smaller meals per day. This keeps your metabolism working hard all day long. Your body requires calories in order to perform the operation of digesting and processing food. The more often your body has to process food, the more calories it must expend to do it. Your calories needed per day will benefit from this adjustment.

Calorie Intake Calculator

This daily calorie calculator gives an approximation of your basal metabolic rate--the number of calories per day your body burns. If your goal is to lose weight by burning off excess body fat, strive to eat 500 fewer calories per day than your daily caloric needs, and maintain or increase your exercise activity. Do not consume fewer than 1200 calories per day unless you are on a medically supervised weight loss program or have consultated with your doctor.

Female	Male
Your height: feet	inches
Your weight:	pounds
Your age:	years
Activity level:

To maintain your current weight you'll need: calories per day. To lose weight strive for 500 calories below this figure.
Note: These calculations are based on averages. Those with more muscle mass may require a higher caloric intake to maintain their current weight.