The number of calories you can eat each day while trying to lose weight varies, depending on your age, gender, size and activity level. The more active you are, the more calories you will burn, requiring you to decrease your calorie intake by less. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends calorie ranges, based on your personal statistics, to maintain good health. According to MayoClinic.com, you'll need to burn 500 calories more each day than you eat to lose 1 lb. of weight each week. Combining these two sources of information will help you determine your calorie goals for weight loss.
Children
The USDA recommends that children ages 2 to 6 eat approximately 1,600 calories per day, with more precise ranges depending on age and activity levels. From ages 4 to 8, the USDA recommends children eat 1,000 to 1,400 calories per day, depending on whether they are sedentary or active. From age 9 to 13, the range increases to 1,600 to 2,200. To help a child lose weight, start with those numbers, then use the number of calories she will burn from exercise to create her daily calorie deficit. Use an online calorie counter or activity chart, or a heart rate monitor to estimate or track calories burned from exercise.
The USDA defines a sedentary lifestyle as one in which you perform no exercise or extra physical work at your job. The high end of the calorie ranges are for people who perform physical activity equal to walking more than three miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour.
Females
The USDA recommends that girls age 14 to 18 eat 1,800 to 2,400 calories per day. For women age 19 to 30, the range is 2,000 to 2,400. Women age 31 to 50 should consume 2,200 to 3,000 calories, with caloric needs decreasing slightly when women reach 51. If you aren't able to burn 500 calories with your exercise routine, decrease your caloric intake to create your deficit. For example, if you burn 250 calories exercising, you'll need to eat 250 calories fewer than your recommended daily intake.
Males
As a general range, the USDA suggests teen boys and active men should eat 2,800 calories per day. More specifically, 9- to 13-year-olds should eat 1,800 to 2,600, depending on activity level. From 14 to 18, boys should eat 2,200 to 3,200 calories each day. Calories taper off slightly as males leave their teens. From age 19 to 30, men should eat 2,400 to 3,000. For men age 31 to 50, the range is 2,200 to 3,000.
Seniors
Senior women, age 51 and older, should eat 1,600 to 2,200 calories per day, while senior men should eat 2,000 to 2,800 calories per day, depending on their activity levels.
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