what does cals in vs. cals out mean?

[LickableTortillaChip]

we know that to lose bodyfat, we have to eat less calories than what our body uses up. how do you know how many cals your body uses and the amount of cals you need to eat to burn?

back in the day, i would gauge how many cals i needed to eat by the mirror. but its been several years since ive been in shape so i cant go by the mirror anymore. any tips?

 

[pintoca]

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). They will give you the baseline figures on how much calories you need to work, given your activity level.

Deduct from TDEE a healthy amount (say, 500 cals/day or a percentage) and you are all set.

 

[rick_hfh]

http://michaelandkendra.com/BMRCALC/bmrcalc.htm

Here is a cool link that many use. It is not exactly accurate with no consideration for more muscle, but it will give you a good idea where to start. You can always add or drop cals depending how your body responds. It is fairly close to what I burn a day.