How many calories do you burn each day?
March 20th, 2011 - by Chad Walls, B.G.S., B.Ed.
When trying to lose weight it is important to know how many calories you burn each day through physical activity. In order
determine your daily caloric expenditure it is important to factor the energy you burn through regular physical activities such as walking to work, cleaning
the house, mowing the lawn, etc. The easiest way to do this is by using the Harris-Benedict principle. This article provides an overview of the Harris-Benedict
principle and how it can be used to determine daily caloric expenditure.
The Harris-Benedict uses your basal metabolic rate (BMR) to determine your daily caloric requirements.
All that is required is your weight, height, and age. Once your BMR is known you can use the table below to determine how many calories you burn
each day.
Little exercise |
Calories Burned Each Day = BMR x 1.2 |
Light exercise (1–3 days per week) |
Calories Burned Each Day = BMR x 1.375 |
Moderate exercise (3–5 days per week) |
Calories Burned Each Day = BMR x 1.55 |
Heavy exercise (6–7 days per week) |
Calories Burned Each Day = BMR x 1.725 |
Athletic training (twice per day) or physical job (construction worker, waitress) |
Calories Burned Each Day = BMR x 1.9 |
Using the formula above you can see that there is a huge discrepancy in caloric expenditure between those who are relatively sedentary compared to those
who are very active. If you are heavily involved in sport or exercise vigorously your metabolic rate will remain higher throughout the day even when you are not
exercising compared to those who perform little if any exercise. Additionally, those who work a physical job and spend much time on their feet such as a waitress
burn a considerable more amount of energy. In fact, a waitress might even burn more energy in an eight hour shift then a competitive athlete.
Knowing which category you fall into can be a bit of a challenge and sometimes requires trial and error. If your goal is weight loss the Harris-Benedict
principle can provide some insight into your daily caloric expenditure.
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