Calories by the Numbers

Each year, losing weight, eating healthier, and becoming more active are three of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. At the root of each of those goals is a unit of measurement known as a calorie. Take a quick review of calories by the numbers so you can see how easy it is to actually keep your New Year’s fitness resolution.

3,500 – The number of calories that create one pound of weight.

1,493 – The average number of calories women in the United States burn in a day without activity. For men, it’s 1,662. These sedentary calories you burn in a day are known as your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. To calculate your BMR, use the following formulas:

Men: (Height in inches x 12.7) + (Weight in pounds x 6.23) – (age in years x 6.8) + 66

Women: (Height in inches x 4.7) + (Weight in pounds x 4.35) – (age in years x 4.7) + 655

1,200 – The minimum recommendation of daily calorie consumption for women. For men, the number jumps to 1,800.

700 –The ideal calorie consumption per meal for women according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For men, it’s 850 calories per meal. The guidelines also recommend three meals a day.

100 – Calories burned per mile of walking for a 180-pound person. For a 120-pound person, the rate drops to 65 calories per mile. Interestingly, the speed at which you walk is far less important than your weight and the distance you walk.

9 – Calories contained in each gram of fat. Meanwhile, carbohydrates and protein contain 4 calories per gram.

1 – Recommended weight loss goal per week in pounds. If you try to cut calories and weight too quickly, your body has a tendency to hoard calories rather than burn them. However, if you burn just 500 calories a day more than you consume from your diet for 7 days, you’ll reach the 3,500 calorie mark, resulting in the loss of a pound of weight. Now that seems like a realistic New Year’s resolution, right?