hey jessica!
Well, there is a website I found when doing a search online for basal metabolism calculators. It is at
www.room42.com
If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will see the metabolism calculator to click on. It will ask your height in inches, weight, age, and activity level. It will give your basal metabolism (how many calories you need to keep your body functioning on a daily basis) and how much you actually burn when you add general activity. When I put my stats in it says my body needs 1800 a day to keep my heart beating, lungs breathing, etc...even if I was a slug and stayed on the couch all day that is my minimum needs. I can have up to 2400 a day which will keep me at the same weight and not lose. I try to keep it at 1800. I know with normal activity this has me burning more than I am taking in and I will lose weight. If I am feeling super motivated I will do 1400 calories a day to lose faster. It is generally recommended to not go below 1200 a day or you will slow your metabolism too much, and we dont want that!!
sorry for the novel but this is a great topic of interest for me!
good luck!!
laura
313/245/243 new years goal