Diet & Fitness 

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Daily calorie needs

Yes, but first we need to give you a little background information. Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories it takes to keep your body functioning properly. It's the amount of calories you spend making new red blood cells, breathing in air, maintaining body temperature and carrying out other basic metabolic processes.

In general, basal metabolism is the largest component of what we call 'calorie burning' and what scientists call 'energy expenditure'. Here's a simple formula for estimating yours. Remember, this is the theoretical number of calories you'd need to maintain your current weight, assuming that you never got out of bed in the morning. Remember also that, like every estimate, it's going to be imperfect: The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate. There are other factors to consider, so your own personal caloric needs may be higher or lower than the formula predicts.To work out your BMR go to the Daily Calorie Recommendation on the health calculator.

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