How many calories per day for a 50 year old woman to lose weight (according to her BMR)?
In This Article
We are already in mid-February and the weather will start to warm up permanently in just a few weeks. With the temperatures rising, we’ll be shedding the heavy coats and down jackets, which will reveal a little more of our figure as well. Not too happy with yours after this winter that seems to last forever at the moment? You are not alone in this situation… Obviously, losing a few pounds will be greatly appreciated to enter spring on the right foot, right? To do this, including physical activities and/or reducing your energy intake are the essential conditions. So, how many calories per day for a 50 year old woman to lose weight? Well, it depends on a few factors and we will examine them in the following paragraphs.
How many calories per day or a 50 year old woman according to the basal metabolic rate?
As you can imagine, the question how many calories a day to consume if you are a woman in her fifties who aims to lose weight, does not have one answer. To begin with, we must also include our height and weight in the equation, which will allow us to know our basal metabolic rate (BMR). It is the minimum daily caloric requirement that our body has to maintain all its vital functions while at rest. In other words, these are the calories you burn every day, even if you do nothing. This is why it is also called resting energy expenditure (REE) or resting metabolic rate (RMR).
What is the BMR of a woman in her fifties?
To calculate her basal metabolic rate, a special formula called the Harris-Benedict equation is used, with two variations depending on gender. For women, it is as follows:
BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × weight in kg) + (3.098 × height in cm) – (4.330 × age in years)
But that’s not the end of the story… To the value obtained, which is, let’s remember, at rest, we must add more calories, depending on our daily activity level. Even a sedentary lifestyle will still burn an additional 250-300 calories per day. If you’re mildly active, say, you walk every day or exercise once or twice a week, multiply your BMR by 1.375 and add extra calories to your plate. Do you exercise 3 to 5 times a week and your job involves physical effort? Add between 600 and 1000 more calories (BMR x 1.55). You get the idea…
Fortunately, nowadays, you don’t necessarily have to do these calculations yourself, because there are plenty of free online calculators where you simply enter your parameters and your BMR is displayed on the screen. and your job involves physical effort?
How many calories per day for a 50 year old woman?
For example, for a 50-year-old woman who is 150 cm/ 4 ft 11 inches tall and weighs 60 kilos/ 132 lbs, we will have a basal metabolic rate of around 1200 kcal. If her days are mostly sedentary, then she will need to consume less than 1450, which will put her in a caloric deficit and she will begin to lose weight. Logically, the greater your caloric deficit, the more pounds you will lose per week/month and the faster you will reach your goal.
However, overdoing it is not always the right way to go and losing more than a pound a week is not recommended… A caloric deficit of 10 to 15% is generally recommended for healthy and lasting weight loss. Thus, in our example, the woman will have to consume between 1250 and 1300 Cal per day, which will allow her to lose 0.5 to 1 kg/1 to 2 lb per week. Obviously, you will be able to eat more if you choose to include exercises in your routine and the results will be more aesthetic too. Doing exercises 3 times a week only, will allow you to increase your intake to 1650 Cal/day (in the example)! Whatever you choose, you can distribute your calories as you wish and there are no forbidden foods.
What can you put on your plate? Menu idea
A good plate of green salad with avocado and cherry tomatoes and a portion of roasted lean meat is much more filling and healthy for you than a fast food slider, even when both contain the same amount of calories. It’s all about balance! Here’s a good example of a 1500 kilocalorie a day menu that is both delicious and slimming!
Also read: Natural Fat Burners: 15 Foods That Contribute to Fat Loss and Weight Loss!
Breakfast idea with only 300 Calories
Between meals, you can have a light snack of 200 g/7 oz of apples for 100 Cal only! Red fruits are also low calorie and delicious at the same time.
A delicious and healthy lunch 500 Kcal per portion
Snack ideas: what 200 Kcal look like on the plate
Delicious fish and quinoa dinner below 400 Kcal/portion
Also read: Fat burning breakfast? Here are the healthiest slimming foods to include in your morning menu!