Next, determine your activity level from the table below and multiply your basal metabolic rate by the appropriate percentage. This gives you the additional calories you require for the day. Sedentary activity refers to the time you spend sitting around the house watching television, reading your favorite magazine or talking on the phone. Light activity includes things such as housework, cooking and a stroll around the block after dinner. Moderate activity includes swimming or walking at a brisk pace while able to talk without gasping for breath.
Strenuous activity includes heart-pounding exercise such as running or aerobics.
Add these two numbers together, and you have your total calorie needs for the day. If you're a 120-pound woman whose daily activity level is on the low end of the strenuous scale, you would need 2,100 calories. This figure is only an estimate, however. Your metabolism can be measured much more accurately by an exercise physiologist or a physician specializing in weight loss and metabolism. Okay, dieting isn't the answer.