So Do You Need a Fancy Calorie Calculator to Lose Weight ?
I wanted to look in more detail at the subject of calorie counting and the role it plays in weight loss. What do you need too look for in a calorie counter to lose weight?
How about we break it down into what we need to know ?... OK great, let's get to it.
Calorie Counting
Firstly we can agree that if you are looking to lose weight, then you need to get a handle on how many calories you need on a daily basis. Your best guide for this is your BMR or RMR. Otherwise known as your Basal Metabolic Rate, or Resting Metabolic Rate. Enter your details into a BMR Calculator. This will give you the number of calories you need on a daily basis, just to maintain your weight. Your BMR / RMR is also calculated without adding in any additional daily activity. Most calorie calculator tools, overestimate calories burned through exercise, so you are safer to just use the base numbers.
Calorie Calculator To Lose Weight - Understanding The Numbers
When you understand how many calories a day you body needs, weight loss becomes easier to workout, however I have found talking to friends who have started a weight loss programme, that they don't have any clue about their daily calorie needs.
In my case, as a 5 foot 10 man who weighs 165 lbs my BMR is around 1700 calories a day. Just be clear here, this means if I do nothing but get up, and sit at my laptop, I won't need more than 1700 calories a day.
Now if I want to lose weight, I need to be BELOW that 1700 calorie per day figure. If I am looking to lose 1lb of fat over a week, then I need to cut 500 calories from that figure.
Yes sorry to break the bad news, but that means I am looking at a daily calorie amount of 1200 calories in order to lose 1lb of fat per week.
Calorie Calculator To Lose Weight - Mistakes To Watch Out For
Many people make the mistake of thinking that cutting 500 calories a day burns 1lb of fat. This is not correct, it has to be 500 calories under your current daily calorie needs in order to burn fat. Now like anything, these figures are estimated. Your own results may vary, but the easiest way to know if you are still eating too many calories will be the result. If you not losing weight, then you are still eating too much.
The easiest calorie calculator to lose weight is your own results. A calorie calculator like the BMR calculator will however give you a base level you can use as a guide.
The calorie calculator is the easy part. How we go about keeping the calories below the level is more of a challenge.
In my case I always look at calories over a week, not by the day. This means I would have 8,400 calories a week as my total, if I was cutting by from my BMR. If I do also do additional exercise such as any Calories Burned Waking then I simply look at these calories as a bonues, I would not compensate with extra food just because I had burned extra calories through exercise.
Calorie Calculator To Lose Weight - Take Home Message
So my take home advice here is, the best calorie calculator to lose weight is knowing your BMR / RMR. Focus on staying below that level on a consistent basis and you will find you lose weight. Does this mean you need to count calories every day ? well I would say no, but you do need a good understanding of how many you need. After 20 months as a Retired Dieter, I don't , and indeed never have measured food. Check your BMR/RMR it is the only Calorie Calculator To Lose Weight you need.
About the Author
Dave Ward writes the retired dieter blog. He lost over 70lbs and continues to keep the weight off ?over 2 years later. Use his
BMR Calculator
as your own personal guide as a
calorie counter to lose weight
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Frequently Asked Questions...
BMR calculator question?
So i decided to look up what my bmr was, and its 1,330.9. is that good? or bad? and are bmr calculators even accurate. bcuz i never eat 1,330.9 calories a day, more like 500-800. which is why i maintain weight and i also lose weight if i exercise. do i really need to consume that much calories a day? its not like i do much anyway.
Answer:
Hi,
BMR stands for basal metabolic rate. It means how many calories you need each day with little or no exercise to keep your current weight. The average adult female usually consumes 2000 calories, and the average adult male 2500.
So you can't say BMR is good or bad like with BMI(bodymass index).
However, 500-800 calories a day is waaaaay to little. No one should go under 1000 calories a day. Your body is probably in starvation-mode, which means it slows down your metabolism as much as possible and it might make you feel fatigue.
If you are in your teens, you might pros pone or stop your development because the body focuses on staying alive(the body thinks it is a famine since it's not getting any food), rather than growing. This is why many anorexics females loose their period.
If your BMR is 1300, then it is 1300. Eat healthy and get regular exercise.
