Whether you are looking to maintain, reduce or increase your body weight, it is important to know how many calories your body needs per day. Your caloric needs depend on a variety of factors, including your sex, weight, height, age and activity level. Once you know how many calories you should consume to maintain your weight, you can use the figure to help you meet your long-term weight goals.
Step 1
Find your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, which will tell you how many calories your body would require for survival if you never moved all day. The BMR formula for women is 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age). For men, the formula is 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age).
Step 2
Take into account the calories you burn by performing daily activities. If you get little to no exercise, multiply your BMR by 1.2. If you engage in light exercise or sports one to three days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.375. If you take part in moderate physical activity three to five days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.55. If you engage in very intense physical activity, multiply your BMR by 1.9. The result is the number of calories you should consume to maintain your current weight.
Step 3
Cut 500 calories per day if you want to lose one pound of weight per week, according to the American Cancer Society. You can do this by reducing the amount of calories you take in and/or increasing your activity level to burn extra calories. For instance, if you require 1,900 calories per day to maintain your current weight, you could consume 1,600 calories per day to create a deficit of 300 calories, and then burn 200 extra calories through exercise.
Step 4
Add 500 calories per day to your diet if you want to gain one pound of weight per week.
Tips and Warnings
- It takes 3,500 excess calories to make one pound of body fat. If you take in 3,500 calories more than your body can use, it results in a pound of weight gain. When you reduce your caloric intake by 3,500--for example, by cutting out 500 calories per day for a week--it results in a pound of weight loss. This can help you plan your weekly weight loss or weight gain goal.
- Do not severely restrict calories in an attempt to lose weight. With the exception of medically supervised weight loss programs, women should not consume less than 1,200 calories per day, and men should not take in less than 1,500 calories per day, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
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