The formula below can look menacing at one glance but it's really simply primary school mathematics, all you need a calculator or MS Excel to do the calculation for you.
In order to get the DRCN value, we need to calculate our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):Harris Benedict Equation:
Formula for women:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 x wt/kg) + (1.8 x ht/cm) - (4.7 x age/yr)
Formula for men:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 x wt/kg) + (5 x ht/cm) - (6.8 x age/yr)
Using the value you've gotten, multiply it with the value assigned to your activity level to get your DRCN.
Example:
I am a woman, weighing 54 kg, 165 cm tall, 28 years old and lightly active.
Using MS Excel, I'll key in "=655+(9.6*54)+(1.8*165)-(4.7*28)" to get my BMR as 1338.8 cal.
My DRCN is therefore = 1338.8 x 1.375 = 1840.85 cal
To give you an idea of how much you can eat a day, a plate of Char Kway Teow (something like fried noodles for the foreign friends) is about 700 cal and a Mac Fish Burger Meal (Upsized) is about 850 cal... so... have you been over-eating??
In order not to reach the "starvation response", we should not cut more than 20% from our DRCN. Which means, in order to lose weight, I should try to consume only (1841x0.8=)
1472.8 cal per day. Note that you calorie intake should increase with each increase in activity level, and also note that this 20% range will take you at least 3 mths to lose a mere 4kg (estimate, varies from person to person due to difference in age, weight and height). If you really can't wait, the lowest level of DRCN a women need is 1200 cal, but you'll have to take care of the health consequences that will follow (e.g. sharp increase in weight the moment this low-cal diet is stopped, muscles degenerate, low metabolism, lethargic, dizzy-spells etc.)
Coming up: "How to lose weight" for the next blog.
ReplyDeleteStay Tuned!