How to Figure Out Daily Maintenance Calories

• 1). Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). You can find BMR calculators online. But a simple calculation is multiply your weight by 10 if you are a woman, and by 11 if you are a man. For example, a 110-pound woman has a BMR of 1,100. That means, when she is sedentary, her body needs 1,100 calories for natural processes such as blinking, breathing and swallowing. Note: if you want to lose weight and don't know how many calories to eat, simply calculate your BMR by what you wish to weigh.
  
  
• 2). Find out what your activity level is on a daily basis and multiply that by your BMR. Activity factors range from 1.3 for those who work a desk job, to 2.2 for those who are professional athletes. Go to www.snac.ucla.edu for all activity level numbers. Once you know your activity level, multiply it by your BMR to get your daily maintenance calories. For example, a 110-pound female receptionist would multiply her BMR (1,100) by her activity level (1.3) to get a daily calorie maintenance of 1,430.
  
  
• 3). Keep a food journal, recording every bite. Don't let the Hershey kiss here and the bite of pizza there get away from you--everything counts. Once you find your magic number, stick to eating that amount of calories in a day.
  
  
• 4). Keep track of your calorie loss when you work out by wearing a heart rate monitor. Enter your specific criteria, such as weight and age, and the monitor will calculate your calorie burn almost exactly. Always low-ball your figures. It's better to underestimate your calorie burn. However, you should always overestimate your calorie consumption.