It is pretty well known that in order to lose weight you need to eat less then you expand in energy.

So we eat less and exercise more, pretty simple right?

How do you figure out how many calories needed to lose weight for yourself? One way is to figure out how many calories you are burning now at your current weight. This is called your BMR (Basel Metabolic Rate). There is a new term that is synonymous with BMR and that is BEE (Base Energy Expenditure).

Your BMR is the amount of energy in calories your body uses each day at rest. Your BMR calculation can take into account your height, level of activity and age in some formulas. There are also BMR calculator gadgets to do the work for you.

For our purposes we are going to use the simplest method. In this calculation, activity levels are broken down to numbers. Number 13 is a sedentary lifestyle, number 16 is moderately active, and number 19 is extremely active. Number 13 means no exercise, number 16 is moderately active exercising 3-4 times a week and number 19 is extremely active, like an athlete. To calculate your BMR you multiply your weight by this number and that is your BMR. This is the amount your body is currently using in calories to function each day. To lose weight then would mean adjusting your caloric intake and exercise more.

We also have the knowledge that 1 pound is 3500 calories. You need to eat 3500 calories less in one week to lose one pound. So to figure calories needed to lose weight you would deduct 500 calories from your current intake each day to lose one pound. Now this method is not an exact science and any weight loss will depend on how much you exercise as well. Exercising speeds up your BMR making weight loss faster. There are other formulas that may be more precise is figuring your BMR because they account for your height and age.

Your BMI (Body Mass Index) is another number that has come into focus in weight loss. This number will tell you if you are overweight in the first place. An easy way to figure out your BMI is to multiply your height by itself, than divide it by your weight. The numbers 18-25 are within normal healthy limits. There are calculators to figure out these numbers too.

The simplest way to figure how many calories needed to lose weight is to try a number of calories that has proven to help people lose weight. For instance, at 1500 calories a day most people will lose weight. You do not want to cut your calories so low that it is not healthy or that you feel deprived. Chances are you will not succeed on that diet very long. Physicians recommend that anything below 1200 calories is dangerous.

If you can eat a balanced diet with all the food groups and exercise, you will lose weight. The healthiest and more permanent way is to lose about two pounds per week. At the same time you will feel satiated not deprived. Once you lose your weight you can add calories to your program. You will feel so good from eating healthy and exercising that you will carry theses habits for a lifetime.