How many calories do you burn in a normal day?

[Craig Sheppard]

Pretty much the title... how does one calculate how many calories you burn in a normal day, say w/o any extra exercise, just normal walking, talking, and sitting, etc.? I have heard on average it's 2000, 2500, 3000... clearly it has to be different for a 130 lb male w/ little muscle mass and a 200 lb male with lots of muscle mass. Same goes for men and women. I know of no way to measure this... but I've always heard it talked about "The average so and so..." ... but it would seem to be quite critical to know if you're trying to track the amount of calories you consume.

Oh and BTW, is this the same as your Basal Metabolic Rate? (Is that measured in calories?)

 

[JSF1]

This website has good information and calculators that answer that question well.

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_need.php

 

[iradical18]

Yep it's different for everyone. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is how many calories you would burn if you were to stay in bed all day and do nothing but lie still. That is based on your height, weight, sex, and age.

 

[Rickson]

Pretty much the title... how does one calculate how many calories you burn in a normal day, say w/o any extra exercise, just normal walking, talking, and sitting, etc.? I have heard on average it's 2000, 2500, 3000... clearly it has to be different for a 130 lb male w/ little muscle mass and a 200 lb male with lots of muscle mass. Same goes for men and women. I know of no way to measure this... but I've always heard it talked about "The average so and so..." ... but it would seem to be quite critical to know if you're trying to track the amount of calories you consume.

Oh and BTW, is this the same as your Basal Metabolic Rate? (Is that measured in calories?)

Without knowing how much LBM (lean mass) you have, there's no way of properly calculating. We can always come up with a rough estimate. If you're extremely active, you'd need more calories to support your activity. If you're sedentary, you'd need less. A muscular, athletic man who moves around like crazy could put away 4000 KCal daily without any weight gain whatsoever while a lazy, non athletic female would definitely gain weight with that calorie count. Count your calories daily, then weigh yourself once a week under the same conditions. You'll find out how many calories your body can support.

 

[iradical18]

Without knowing how much LBM (lean mass) you have, there's no way of properly calculating. We can always come up with a rough estimate. If you're extremely active, you'd need more calories to support your activity. If you're sedentary, you'd need less. A muscular, athletic man who moves around like crazy could put away 4000 KCal daily without any weight gain whatsoever while a lazy, non athletic female would definitely gain weight with that calorie count. Count your calories daily, then weigh yourself once a week under the same conditions. You'll find out how many calories your body can support.

Perfectly put. There are tons of online calculators for this type of stuff but they are really just estimates. If you want to lose weight, eat less and do more stuff, that's how I always looked at it.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I would guess I do about 1850 a day. If I want to lose weight, I'd shave it to about 1700. I read this article once that suggested that cutting daily intake too much launches you into starvation mode and then you can't lose weight easily and will regain it immediately. If I want to lose weight, 1-2 pounds a month is about all I will attempt.

I'm not a fan of rapid weight loss. Slow and steady works great.

 

[Ano]

Pretty much the title... how does one calculate how many calories you burn in a normal day, say w/o any extra exercise, just normal walking, talking, and sitting, etc.? I have heard on average it's 2000, 2500, 3000... clearly it has to be different for a 130 lb male w/ little muscle mass and a 200 lb male with lots of muscle mass. Same goes for men and women. I know of no way to measure this... but I've always heard it talked about "The average so and so..." ... but it would seem to be quite critical to know if you're trying to track the amount of calories you consume.

Oh and BTW, is this the same as your Basal Metabolic Rate? (Is that measured in calories?)

Basal metabolic rate is measured in kilocalories. If you say you need 2000 calories a day, actually what you should say is you need 2000 kilocalories a day.

Basal metabolic rate is the amount of kilocalories burned if you lie on bed doing nothing for 24 hours.

You can estimate your BMR by using the Harris Benedict formula :

Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kg) + (5 X height in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)

Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X wt in kg) + (1.8 X ht in cm) - (4.7 X age in years)

Note:
1 inch = 2.54 cm.
1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs.

Example: You are female

You are 30 yrs old
You are 5' 6 " tall (167.6 cm)
You weigh 120 lbs. (54.5 kilos)

Your BMR = 655 + 523 + 302 - 141 = 1339 calories/day

Now that you know your BMR, you can calculate TDEE by multiplying your BMR by your activity multiplier from the chart below:

Activity Multiplier

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)

Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)

Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)

Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)

Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)
Example:

Your BMR is 1339 calories per day
Your activity level is sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)
Your activity factor is 1.2

Your TDEE = 1.2 X 1339 = 1606 calories/day

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure = Calories to maintain weight

 

[Ano]

If you know your bodyfat percentage, you can use the Katch-McArdlle formula to estimate your BMR:

BMR (men and women) =

370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg).

Example:

you are male

you weigh 80 kilograms

your bodyfat is 20 % ( 16 kilograms fat and 64 kilograms lean mass)

Your BMR : 370 + 1382 = 1752 kilocalories.

 

[Ano]

Oh, btw, the technical definition of a food calorie (kilocalorie) is the amount of heat required to raise 1 liter of water 1 degree centigrade.

 

[DoubleHanded&LovinIt]

Ano,
Thanks again for your valuable contributions. I have a question: can you use the Harris Benedict formula to figure out your BMR, then plugging this BMR number into the Katch-McCardle formula solve for one's lean body mass (and thereby body fat percentage)? Mathematically you can, but I just wanted your insight as to how accurate this method would be in determining lean body mass/body fat percentage. I'm sure it's not very accurate and that an actual direct measurement of lean body mass/body fat is far superior. Please let me know. Thanks.

 

[Ano]

Ano,
Thanks again for your valuable contributions. I have a question: can you use the Harris Benedict formula to figure out your BMR, then plugging this BMR number into the Katch-McCardle formula solve for one's lean body mass (and thereby body fat percentage)? Mathematically you can, but I just wanted your insight as to how accurate this method would be in determining lean body mass/body fat percentage. I'm sure it's not very accurate and that an actual direct measurement of lean body mass/body fat is far superior. Please let me know. Thanks.

Short answer : No.

If you want to measure your own bodyfat, there is a cheap way. Buy a accu measure skinfold caliper. It's cheap and easy to use.

 

[Ano]

www.accumeasurefitness.com

 

[DoubleHanded&LovinIt]

Ano,
If you are comfortable doing so, I'd like to have your e-mail so that I could ask you a question unrelated to the topic at hand.

 

[tbini87]

hey ano, my tdee came out to 1900. but it seems like it take in way more calories than that... yet maintain my normal weight. i play competitive tennis for my college... you think i am just burning up a lot of the extra calories? i don't eat especially healthy either... is it just fast metabolism because i am still young or something? thanks for the help.

 

[Ano]

Ano,
If you are comfortable doing so, I'd like to have your e-mail so that I could ask you a question unrelated to the topic at hand.

I'm really sorry.

I used to reply questions from TW posters via email. But I can NOT do that anymore, because I have an online consultation client now ( he is also a poster in TW forum).

It's not fair for him if I still answer questions from other posters via email, because my client paid me to do the consultation.

I hope you can understand that.

If you want to ask question, just start a thread in this forum. I will reply the question if I have the time.

 

[Ano]

hey ano, my tdee came out to 1900. but it seems like it take in way more calories than that... yet maintain my normal weight. i play competitive tennis for my college... you think i am just burning up a lot of the extra calories? i don't eat especially healthy either... is it just fast metabolism because i am still young or something? thanks for the help.

Are you sure your TDEE is only 1900?

Give me your age, weight and height, and how many times a week you do physical activity. And I will count it for you.

 

[stormholloway]

So how many days of sitting on the couch will it take for me to get a six pack, assuming like two or three milk shakes per fortnight?

 

[Ano]

So how many days of sitting on the couch will it take for me to get a six pack, assuming like two or three milk shakes per fortnight?

30 days, guaranteed, if you do these :

1. do NOT eat and drink anything, except the 3 milk shakes you consume each night.

2. Take as many cytomel and clenbuterol pills as you can.

3. Massage your abs 3 hours per day.

4. run, run, run everyday until you can not run anymore.

5. sit up, sit up, sit up every day until you can not sit up anymore.

Well, stupid question deserve a stupid reply.

 

[CanadianChic]

OMG!! Thanks for the laugh Ano.

 

[tbini87]

Are you sure your TDEE is only 1900?

Give me your age, weight and height, and how many times a week you do physical activity. And I will count it for you.

hmmm... i tried it myself, must have made an error somewhere. i am 20, 165 lbs, 5 ft 10 inches, and do intense workouts (competitive tennis with some weightlifting) 6 days a week. thanks for your help.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

It does not have so much to do with this, but I read somewhere that if you run a marathon, you spend about the same amount of calories you would in a normal, inactive day.

 

[Ano]

hmmm... i tried it myself, must have made an error somewhere. i am 20, 165 lbs (75 kg), 5 ft 10 inches (178 cm), and do intense workouts (competitive tennis with some weightlifting) 6 days a week. thanks for your help.

Your Basal Metabolic Rate =

66 + (13.7 X 75) + (5 X 178 ) - (6.8 X 20)

= 66 + 1027 + 890 - 136 = 1847

You are very active, your activity multiplier is 1.725.

Your TDEE = 1847 X 1.725 = 3186 kilocalories per day.

 

[tbini87]

oh thanks ano. i think i used 1.275 instead of 1.725...

 

[Breakaz54z]

I found these calculators. Accurate? Not sure. I'm sure Ano would know.

http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/bmi-calculator-new.aspx

http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/measure-your-metabolism.aspx

 

[J011yroger]

I'm not a fan of rapid weight loss. Slow and steady works great.

My personal record is 12 lbs in a day.

Granted I came home and layed flat on my back on the floor and if I moved anything I would cramp instantly.

But I did lose 12lbs in a day.

J

 

[iradical18]

My personal record is 12 lbs in a day.

Granted I came home and layed flat on my back on the floor and if I moved anything I would cramp instantly.

But I did lose 12lbs in a day.

J

Holy crap Jolly, I'm glad you're still alive! Did you put a treadmill in a sauna?

 

[J011yroger]

Holy crap Jolly, I'm glad you're still alive! Did you put a treadmill in a sauna?

No, it was like the first warmish day we had in a couple of months in wintertime, so I put in about 8 hours on court. And whatever I drank I just peed out. Not fun.

J