How can you calculate the amount of calories and fat you are allowed to eat in relation to your weight, size and age to actually lose weight?
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Weight loss occurs when you eat less energy (kcals) than your body uses. So to answer the question, we must start by estimating what your body uses now, at your current weight. There are many simple equations which can be used to roughly estimate your body's energy use from age, sex and weight, and your activity pattern.
The first step is to estimate your "Basal Metabolic Rate" (BMR). This is what your body uses just to keep its basic systems working (brains, heart, breathing, body warmth, and so on). The equations below are commonly used to get a rough estimate for BMR in kcal per day:
Estimated Basal Metabolic Rate in kcal/day =
Male
| 10-17 yr |
(17.5 x kg) + 651 |
| 18-29 yr |
(15.3 x kg) + 679 |
| 30-59 yr |
(11.6 x kg) + 879 |
| >60 yr |
(13.5 x kg) + 487 |
Female
| 10-17 yr |
(12.2 x kg) + 746 |
| 18-29 yr |
(14.7 x kg) + 496 |
| 30-59 yr |
(8.7 x kg) + 829 |
| >60 yr |
(10.5 x kg) + 596 |
So for a female age 62 and 93 kg, estimated BMR = [(10.5 x 93) + 596] = 1572 kcal/day.
However, BMR is only ONE part of your body’s energy use. The other part is activity you do as part of work and leisure time. To calculate your total daily energy use, BMR should to be multiplied by the following factors, depending on habitual activity levels.
| very inactive |
1.4 |
| sedentary (office worker, housework, etc) |
1.5 |
| add if moderately active at work |
+0.1 |
| add if moderate leisure activity |
+0.1 |
| add if very physically active at work |
+0.2 |
| add if high leisure activity |
+0.2 |
So the total energy use of Person “A” who drives to an office and then goes home and watches TV would be (BMR x 1.5). But for person “B”, who performs heavy manual labour and then goes for a long run each evening, daily energy use is (1.9 x BMR), which is very high.
If we assume you are relatively inactive, then your estimated total energy use = (Estimated BMR x 1.5) = (1572 x 1.5) = 2358 kcal/day.
2358 kcal/day is therefore an estimate of your current “maintenance” level of energy use. It is relatively high for a female, and reflects your higher-than-average weight. It is not your "ideal" energy intake, but it is what your body uses at your current weight, so if you eat this much on average, you will stay at about 93 kg.
To lose weight, you must consistently eat less than this. On average, each reduction of 750 kcal/day below “maintenance” level will lead to weight loss about 1 kg every 10 days, which is a good safe rate of weight loss. Therefore, a weight loss programme of about 1600 kcal/day could be recommended for you to achieve this.
A few other points :
Note that your “maintenance” level of energy use will go down as you lose weight, by about 20-25 kcal/kg. Thus, you may want to re-calculate your needs after you lose significant weight.
At an intake below about 1400 kcal per day it is very hard ensure adequate vitamin and particularly mineral intakes with a diet based on normal foods. Thus, for long-term weight loss you should either include a vitamin/mineral supplement, or a commercial food replacement to provide adequate daily nutrition.
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