1. What is Daily Calorie Expenditure?

Daily calorie expenditure represents the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and calories burned through physical activity. Understanding this helps with weight management and nutrition planning.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the following equation:

Where:

• \( \text{BMR} \) — Basal Metabolic Rate (calories burned at complete rest)
• \( \text{Activity Factor} \) — Multiplier based on your activity level:
  • 1.2 — Sedentary (little or no exercise)
  • 1.375 — Lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days/week)
  • 1.55 — Moderately active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week)
  • 1.725 — Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week)
  • 1.9 — Extra active (very hard exercise & physical job)

Explanation: Your BMR accounts for 60-75% of total calories burned, while physical activity accounts for the remainder.

3. Importance of Calorie Calculation

Details: Knowing your daily calorie expenditure helps with weight management - to lose weight you need to consume fewer calories than you burn, while to gain weight you need to consume more.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: First calculate your BMR using a BMR calculator, then select your activity level based on your typical weekly exercise routine.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is this calculation?
A: It provides a good estimate but individual variations exist based on muscle mass, genetics, and exact activity levels.

Q2: Should I eat exactly my calculated calorie expenditure?
A: It depends on your goals. For weight maintenance, yes. For weight loss, eat 300-500 kcal less; for gain, eat 300-500 kcal more.

Q3: How often should I recalculate?
A: Recalculate whenever your weight changes significantly or your activity level changes substantially.

Q4: Why is BMR needed instead of just weight?
A: BMR accounts for age, gender, height and weight, providing a more personalized estimate than weight alone.

Q5: What about calories burned from digestion?
A: The thermic effect of food is already accounted for in the activity factors used in the calculation.