Calories are the basic units of energy we take in through food. While they are a necessary part of our diet, too many calories can lead to obesity, while too few can lead to fatigue and malnourishment. According to the Baylor College of Medicine, your body uses anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of your calories to perform normal functions. The other 20 to 50 percent are used for activity, based on your physical activity level. Your daily needs will depend on gender, age, weight and activity level.
Step 1
Use a calorie calculator, such as the one available at Dietitian.com, to determine your specific caloric needs.
Step 2
Input your age, gender, height and weight into the boxes provided.
Step 3
Check the box that describes whether or not you have amputations.
Step 4
Input the number of hours that you perform various activities to determine how many calories you burn based on activity level.
Step 5
Choose the option from the drop-down menu that describes whether you want to gain or lose weight.
Step 6
Complete the optional questions below, including body fat, calorie distribution and waist to hip ratio, if you know the answers. If not, leave them blank.
Step 7
Click the "Next" button.
Step 8
Scroll down the page to read your healthy weight range, BMI and recommended caloric intake.
Member Comments