For losing one pound of body fat a week, you must create a deficit of 500 calories a day. The most reasonable way to do that, and thus avoid a big metabolic decrease, is through a combination of exercise and diet. You could for example eliminate 2.50 calories from your diet, and add enough activity to burn an extra 250.

Determine your basic metabolism rate or RMR

1 RMR = 655 + (9.6 X your weight in kilograms*) + (1.8 X your height in centimetres**) - (4.7 X your age in years)

2 Factor in your daily activity: Multiply your RMR by the appropriate activity factor:

• If you have little or no activiy: RMR X 1.2

   

• If yo are performing light exercise 1-3 days a week: RMR X 1.375

   

• If you are performing moderate exercise 3-5 days a week: RMR X 1.55

   

• If you are performing strenuous exercise 6-7 days a week: RMR X 1.725

   

• If you perform very strenuous daily exercise, sports or physical job or training twice a day: RMR X 1.9

3 Your final figure represents the minimum number of daily calories that you need to maintain your current weight.

By Terje Ellingsen

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