Calculating Daily Calorie Use

TedEBear

I have started to do a food diary and im tyring to get a few queries sorted to set me on my way one of which is calculating my daily calorie use ( ie the amount i need to use to maintain my current weight so i can work out my target saving).
The only figure that i know is correct is my resting metabolic rate (which was done as part of the full physical test) and this figure is 2654. I must use some calories just existing so am i right to assume this should be added to the resting metabolic total to the total calorie to keep my weight current.
I found this site onlione and would like to know what they say is correct.
http://weightlosssuccess.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/how-many-calories-do-you-burn-in-a-day/

I have inputted my metabolic rate and applied it to the info in the link as follows.

1 – Estimating your BMR ( Which i know to be 2654)
2. Next factor in Calories Used in Physical Activity
Multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity level factor, as follows:

Physical Activity Calories = (BMR x Activity Level):

• Sedentary: 20% (Sitting most of the day)
• Lightly Active: 37.5% (Walking here and there; daily chores)
• Moderately Active: 40% (Constantly moving around; daily exercise)
• Very Active: 50% (Heavy exercise for prolonged periods of time, such as training for a sport)

Example: 2654 calories x 0.20 = 530 calories for a sedentary person.
3 – Next Factor in The Calories Used During Digestion
Calories used during digestion, are estimated at 10% for the general population..
Digestion Calories = (BMR + activity level ) x 10%:
Example: (2654 + 530 calories) x 0.10 = 318 calories
4. Total Daily Caloric Expenditure = (BMR Calories + Physical Activity Calories + Digestion Calories)
Therefore, in order to maintain my current weight I burn an average of 3,503 calories every day to support my body’s most basic needs, activity level and digestion of food.

So if i want to lose 1lb per week i would need to lose 3500/7 = 500cal/day so my target calorie input should be 3503 - 500= 3003. It seems a lot?

Can anyone tell me if the above is correct?

ApeXaviour

It does seem like a lot. I'm curious, what weight are you and approximately what's your bf%?

TedEBear

It does doesnt it!
Im around 20st and my body fat is 36%. I got all these measured as part of the Jingo survey in UCD ( details of which i got here on boards)

g'em

Your Basal metabolic rate and your Resting Metabolic rate are two different things

Your BMR will always be lower than RMR because the BMR is the absolute minimum number of cals you need per day to exist whereas RMR takes into account normal daily functioning.

For the calorie calculations above it's best not to start with a pre-existing number, start from scratch and it comes out reasonably accurate.

Edit: having just seen your current weight the calorie requirement generated above is actually fairly spot on tbh

TedEBear

Aha! That makes a bit more sense, the way the figures were stacking up i was Eating in McD's and still losing weight!

g'em

Whenever I'm re-figuring my diet I usually use calculators like the one above and work within 100 cals or so either side of it. As a really rough guide though you can figure it out like this:

bodyweight in lbs x 14 = gain weight
bodyweight in lbs x 12.5 = maintain weight
bodyweight in lbs x 11 = lose weight

Now that's about as rough and ready as they come but it does the job as you get to know your body and know when it needs food and when you're just getting cravings you'll be able to monitor yourself that bit more closely and eating kind of becomes more of an instinctual thing.

TedEBear

Cheers for that, im learning a little bit every day.

g'em

It takes a while to get used to, and don't worry about that. It can also seem very overwhelming when you start out because there's SO much information out there about macronutrients and superfoods and nutrient timing and the right way to exercise and the wrong way and the various different diets you can do.

The long and the short of it is quite simple:

#1: Don't eat junk food and avoid sugars, fizzy drinks and foods that come out of cardboard boxes. Doing that alone will radically change your diet, your well-being and your waistline.

#2: Move around whenever you can and put some effort into it. That'll hurry up the effects of #1 a lot

rubadub

It is all just estimates. If you overcook 500kcal of pasta you will get more energy out of it than 500kcal worth barely cooked. Eating later at night could make you put on more weight. It is quite complex since calories are not really calculated with humans in mind, they actually burn the substance and measure the energy given off in labs. How your body uses it can be quite different -but its a good estimate.

If you are not losing weight at 3000kcal then you could eat less, it is best/easiest to get the deficit using a combination of less food and more exercise, 250kcal of each is easier than 500kcal of just one.

Your 3000kcal is high since you are a big guy, it takes energy simply to keep you warm, and you are equivalent of a skinny bloke carrying around a back pack all day. Bear in mind you must keep recalculating once the weight begins to fall off. i.e. at 15stone your RMR/BMR will be less.

Too many people fail since they lose weight over a short period of time and then go back eating the way they used to -i.e. far too much for their new lower weight. But don't worry as since you need less energy it is likely that you will not be hungry. If you are going hungry then in my opinion you probably have too much of a deficit, it is not a race.

TedEBear

Thnaks for the words of wisdom Rubadub.
I have only started the last few weeks ( well i have cut out junk food for the last few months and that has made a difference) but i want to know what happens technically to the body, i can relate to it easier when its facts and figures.
I hope i keep it up and can report back in the future with positive results!