Calculations: Part 2

What happens now?
Well, we have our BMR/RMR number, but that isn't enough.

Because an average person does not lie in bed all day without moving, eating, etc., your BMR/RMR only covers some of the calories you burn. You also have to count the calories you burn during your daily activities.

So, to find out how many more calories you burn, you need to multiply your BMR/RMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderately active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise & physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9

Personally, this is where I struggled the most.
I have a hard time figuring out where exactly I fit in. Some weeks, I workout really hard and do about 4-5 days of exercise and some weeks I only do 2-3 days. So, in the beginning, I multiplied my BMR by 1.45...which was somewhere between lightly and moderately active.

The number you get from this calculation will bring you to the total number of calories you burn every single day to fuel your basal/resting activities AND your normal activities.

For example, if I considered myself moderately active and if my BMR was calculated as 1253, I would get this number:
1253 X 1.55 = 1942

This is my Maintenance number. This is the number of calories I can eat to keep my weight exactly the same. So, if I give my body that amount of calories, I will stay the same weight.

If I want to lose weight...I give my body fewer calories.
If I gave my body only 1600 calories, it would still burn 1942 calories, but not all of those burned calories will come from food because I didn't eat that much.
It would use the 1600 calories I ate...and then start burning fat and muscle for the rest of its necessary fuel.
That is how you lose weight.

Now, it's finally time to figure out my Daily Caloric Intake Number...the actual number of calories I should consume each day to lose weight.
On to Calculations: Part 3. The final chapter!