Knowing your daily caloric intake is essential for maintaining, gaining or losing weight. While basic online calculators can formulate a rough estimate for your caloric intake, taking a more in-depth approach that is specific to your lifestyle and body type will provide more individualized guidelines for what you need to consume each day.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the number of calories your body would need if you were to lie in bed all day. To determine your BMR, if you are male, multiply your weight in pounds by 6.23, multiply your height in inches by 12.7 and add both of those numbers to 66. Now multiply your age by 6.8 and subtract that number from the previous.
For women, multiply your weight in pounds by 4.35, multiply your height in inches by 4.7 and add both of those numbers to 655. Now multiply your age by 4.7 and subtract that number from the previous.
Daily Caloric Needs
To calculate how many calories you need per day, you must determine your weekly activity level. If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR by 1.2. If you perform light activity one to two days per week, multiply by 1.375. If you are moderately active three to five days per week, multiply by 1.55. If you are very active six to seven days per week, multiply by 1.725. And if you are extra active, multiply by 1.9. This final number is what you should consume in calories if you would like to maintain your weight.
Misconceptions
Fad diets, Hollywood stars and TV gimmicks have diluted our understanding of calories. Many diets praise a 1,200 calorie per day diet, yet according to the American College of Sports Medicine, this is far too low and will in turn negatively affect your metabolism. Determine if you'd like to gain, lose or maintain your weight and then choose how many calories you should consume based on your BMR and activity level.
Example
If your BMR and activity level amounted to 1,600, then consuming that amount will keep you at your current weight. If you are looking to lose weight, you must determine where you can cut calories. One pound of body weight is 3,500 calories, so cutting 500 calories per day will help you lose 1 lb. per week. You can safely reduce your calories 15 percent to 20 percent from your BMR if you are trying to lose weight. Therefore, if you were at 1,600, you can safely go between 1,280 and 1,360, cutting 240 to 320 calories. You will roughly need to burn 200 additional calories through exercising to reach your 500 calorie reduction. The same rules apply if you are looking to gain weight, yet you would be adding 500 calories per day instead of subtracting.
Inside Your Calories
Knowing how many calories to consume is one thing, but knowing where your calories come from is quite another. You should fill your diet with foods that promote health and encourage disease prevention. Fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and low-fat milk will provide essential minerals and nutrients that your body needs for optimal function.
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