Calculate Your Calorie Needs with the Harris-Benedict Equation

Understanding Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body needs to perform essential functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, and digesting food, even when you're at rest.

Calculating BMR Using the Harris-Benedict Equation

The Harris-Benedict equation is a widely used formula for estimating BMR. It takes into account factors such as age, gender, height, and weight.

For men:

BMR = 66.47 + (13.75 x weight in kilograms) + (5.003 x height in centimeters) - (6.755 x age in years)

For women:

BMR = 655.1 + (9.563 x weight in kilograms) + (1.850 x height in centimeters) - (4.676 x age in years)

Determining Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories you need to consume each day to maintain your weight or achieve your weight loss/gain goals.

To determine your TDEE, you can use the following formula:

TDEE = BMR x activity factor

Activity factors range from 1.2 (sedentary lifestyle) to 1.9 (very active lifestyle).

Conclusion

Calculating your BMR and TDEE using the Harris-Benedict equation is a valuable tool for understanding your calorie needs and making informed decisions about your diet and exercise routine.