The "magic" 1200 calories per day...

Growtinymusclesgrow

**THIS IS JUST HELPFUL INFORMATION, NOT TO BE TAKEN AS GOSPEL**

Sometime ago, it was put out to all of the folks dieting that 1200 calories is the "magic" number. If you eat below that you will send your body into starvation mode. Well folks, that is not entirely true. Sure, for some people that may be accurate. Losing weight, in its concept, is quite simple. You need to burn more calories than you consume. 3500 calories equals a pound. The problem in this simple concept is when you have to insert yourself in the mix. All of us are different, we all require different caloric needs based on a million different variables. There are 3 generally accepted equations that are used to ESTIMATE your daily caloric value. They are listed below:

The Mifflin-St Jeor equations are:

Male: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height - 5×age + 5
Female: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height - 5×age - 161

These equations require the weight in kilograms, the height in centimeters, and the age in years. To determine your total daily calorie needs, the BMR has to be multiplied by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

1.200 = sedentary (little or no exercise)
1.375 = lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week, approx. 590 Cal/day)
1.550 = moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week, approx. 870 Cal/day)
1.725 = very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week, approx. 1150 Cal/day)
1.900 = extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job, approx. 1580 Cal/day)

NOTE: A 150-pound (68 kg) person walking at 4 miles per hour uses about 300 Cal per hour (5 kcal/min). The activity factor lightly active corresponds to walking 2 hours per day, moderately active corresponds to walking 3 hours per day, very active corresponds to walking 4 hours per day, and extra active corresponds to walking 5 hours per day (20 miles). Sedentary would include those sitting at a desk all day with no other activity or those confined to a wheelchair or mobility scooters who are not able to exercise.

Calories/BMR - Katch-McArdle equation:

The Katch-McArdle formula applies equally to men and women As Follows:

BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

BMR Example
You are female
You weigh 140 pounds (63.6 kilos)
Your body fat percentage is 25 percent (35 pounds fat, 105 lean)
Your lean mass is 105 pounds (47.7 kilos)
Your BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 47.7) = 1400 calories

To determine your total daily calorie needs, now multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are Sedentary - little or no exercise
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.2
If you are Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.375
If you are Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.55
If you are Very Active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.725
If you are Extra Active (very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.9

BMR Example
Your BMR is 1400
Your activity level is moderately active
Your activity factor is 1.55
Your total = 1.55 X 1400 = 2170 calories
Your total daily calorie requirement is therefore 2170 calories.
This is the total number of calories you need in order to MAINTAIN your current weight.

Harris-Benedict equation:

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 X weight in pounds) + (12.7 X height in inches) - (6.8 X age)

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 X weight in pounds) + (4.7 X height in inches) - (4.7 X age)

The calculations for TDEE are identical to those used for the Katch-McArdle Formula

Important Note:
Regardless of what the calculator tells you, going under about 1000-1200 calories for a woman and 1300-1500 for a man can be detrimental to weight loss as this can cause your body to try harder to retain weight by slowing your metabolism. This is commonly called "starvation mode" and is a natural reaction to too low a caloric intake. As such, do not go lower than these numbers without the advice and consent for your physician. If the calculator gives you numbers smaller than this, it is probably because you are small in stature and not exercising much. If so, the best advice I can give is to increase your activity level and this will allow a more normal caloric intake.

I added the above note to explain what is meant when people say your are going to go into starvation mode and what that actually means. I personally don't completely believe it 100% of the time. It is just a general rule. There are some places where you will see 1200 for women and 1800 for men.

Calculating your ideal weight:

Individual Weights:

The Hamwi Formula:
Dr. G.J. Hamwi's formulas have become very popular since they first appeared in a publication of the American Diabetes Association in 1964. Many of the weight calculators on the web use this formula and aside from BMI based calculations, this is probably the most popular method of calculating ideal weight. It has an advantage over most other calculation methods in that Dr. Hamwi suggests that the results may be reduced by 10% for a person with a light frame, and increased by 10% for a person with a heavy frame. Thus I provide all three numbers here. The formulas are:
Men: 106 lb for the first 5 ft; 6 lb for each inch over 5 ft
Women: 100 lb for the first 5 ft; 5 lb for each inch over 5 ft

The Robinson Formula:
This is similar to the Hamwi Formula but is based on a revision of Devine. The formulas are:
Men: 115 lb for the first 5 ft; 4 lb for each inch over 5 ft
Women: 108 lb for the first 5 ft; 3.75 lb for each inch over 5 ft

The Miller Formula:
This is also derived from Devine. The formulas are:
Men: 124 lb for the first 5 ft; 3 lb for each inch over 5 ft
Women: 117 lb for the first 5 ft; 3 lb for each inch over 5 ft

So now you know where and how to figure out your basic numbers. What do you do with this information? It is your guide or your reference as to where you should start number playing. Healthy weight loss is stated by the medical field at 1-3 pounds per week. Yes, I know it all depends on ton of different variables. So if you want to lose 1-3 pounds per week, you would subtract 500 calories from your TEE. This is the point at which you need to play around with the numbers and see what works best for you and your fitness goals.

I hope that I made some of this stuff less confusing for you. There are tons of calculators online, but I would suggest doing the calculations yourself. That way you know exactly what numbers are being used to get you the numbers you are looking for. Lastly, I am sorry that this is such a long boring post! I wish you all much success in reaching and surpassing all of your fitness goals.

nxd10

And, of course, they all assume an average metabolism, which not only varies individually, but also systematically with age. The latter is in the BMR formula.