Fuel

Food is the fuel that our bodies use to function. Metabolism is the break down of food for our body to use. Calories are the amount of energy each food breaks down. The amount of food (energy) each of us needs varies depending on age, gender, activity level and so on. There is no magic number, but we can use formulas like the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) to help us determine the amount of calories we’d burn at rest and then add in for activity and subtract for weight loss. Sounds complicated? Its not, I’ll help you out with getting the right numbers. Also important to remember is that 1 pound of Fat is equal to 3500 calories. This will be helpful to remember later when we are planning meals and workouts and how many calories our meal plan should be.

How we eat plays a role in how hour body stores/uses energy. When we eat more frequently and on a regular schedule our body knows there is no need to store food for later. Our bodies will use what it needs and eliminate what is not needed, through bowel movements. It is very important to have regular bowl movements (one to two per day). This is a good sign that we have a healthy digestive system.

So Back to BMR….

BMR is the amount of calories our body needs based on height, weight, age, gender and activity level. Its not 100% accurate, but a good starting point for determining the amount of calories we should consume each day.

Here is how you calculate your BMR:

Females (BMR) = 655 + [4.35 x (weight in pounds)] + [4.7 x (height in inches)] – [4.7 x (age)]

Males (BMR) = 66 + [6.23 x (weight in pounds)] + [12.7 x (height in inches)] – [6.8 x (age)]

Next calculate your Daily Calorie Burn (DCB):

DCB = BMR x Daily Fitness Multiplier

Daily Fitness Multiplier:

1.2 Desk Job

1.25 Walk/stands a lot

1.3 Very Physical Job

Next calculate your Total Daily Calorie (TDC):

TDC = DCB + 600 (I use this calculation because I am working out 6 days a week which includes one intense hour morning workout and one mellow afternoon morning workout. So the 600 accounts for those workouts as far as calorie needed to fuel by body each day)

Last, calculate for a safe weight loss = TDC – 500 (remember that 1 pound of fat = 3500 calories. So a safe weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week depending on the individual)

Example of my TDC:

Female BMR: 655 + 4.35 (148) + 4.7 (67) - 4.7 (31) = 1468

DCB: 1468 x 1.3 = 1908.4

TDC: 1908.4 + 600 = 2508.4

Calories for Safe Weight Loss: 2508.4 - 500 = 2008.4/day

So this is the number I used when planning my meals these last 3 weeks. Calculate what your calorie intake should be and account for exercise and weight loss if those are your goals. Next I will show you a food plan that is easy to follow and efficient in fueling your body so that you burn fat.