Let's be honest, math sucks. I apologize if me saying that offends the thousands of mathematicians who frequent this site (tongue planted quite firmly in cheek), but I'm sure the rest of you agree that there isn't any fun to be found in a math equation. Still, there are some instances when it's necessary for us to just suck it up and crunch the numbers.

Tracking your fitness progress and staying on track to reach your goals often involves the dreaded M word: Math. Arithmetic. Or whatever you want to call it, physical fitness can oftentimes be best charted and measured using these equations. Fortunately, most of them are simple enough for even me to handle, so I have little doubt that you guys will have any trouble with them.

One of the more important fitness formulas is one that helps determine how many calories you should be eating. Essentially, using this formula, you determine what your normal caloric intake is and, based on the resulting figure, how many calories you'll have to reduce your diet by to lose weight.

It works like this ... Step 1:

• 1. Multiply your weight by 4.5
• 2. Multiply your height (in inches) by 15.88
• 3. Multiply your age by 5
• 4. Add the resulting figures from #1 and #2
• 5. Subtract the resulting figure in #3 from the total of #4
• 6. Subtract 161 from the resulting figure of #5

If you're still with me, great. If you're not ... I can't say I blame you.

Next ... Step 2

• If you are sedentary, multiply the total from #6 by 20%
• If you are somewhat active, multiply the total from #6 by 30%
• If you are moderately active, multiply the total from #6 by 40%
• If you are very active, multiply the total from #6 by 50%

Finally, we move onto the last step ... Step 3

• Take the total from Step 1 and add it to the resulting figure from Step 2

Providing your math was correct (which is a big assumption for me to make, so I'll be sure to check my own again), you should now be looking at what your daily calorie total should be. Now, if you are interested in losing weight, make the effort to reduce your daily caloric intake by 250 calories per day. This should help you lose one-half pound per week. If you're intent on losing a full pound per week, subtract 500 calories per day.

Too. Many. Numbers. Must ... rest. Brain ... melting.