Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or stay at your current weight, figuring out how many calories to consume per day can be a mystery. Luckily, with a few math equations, you can determine how many calories you should eat per day to maintain your current weight. Use your exact height, weight and age to determine an accurate reading of how many calories you should eat per day.
2,000 Calories
Most people assume that the average calorie requirement for any individual is 2,000 calories, due to grocery store nutrition labels. Although some individuals may maintain the same weight while consuming 2,000 calories per day, most of the population is not created equally in terms of size, age and gender, which are all elements that must be factored in when determining your average caloric requirements.
The Mifflin Equation
The Mifflin equation is a mathematic equation to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of calories you should consume if you do absolute no activity throughout the day. Most people do at least some physical activity, and these numbers can be factored in later.
For men, refer to the following equation: (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) - (5 x a) + 5.
For women, refer to the following equation: (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) - (5 x a) - 161.
Plug in your weight in kilograms for "w," your height in centimeters for "h," and your age in years for "a." Solve the equation to determine your BMR.
The Harris-Benedict Equation
Another way to determine your BMR, or to check your work after solving the Mifflin equation, is to use the Harris-Benedict equation.
For women, the Harris-Benedict equation is: (9.56 x w) + (1.85 x h) - (4.68 x a) + 655.
For men, the Harris-Benedict equation is: (13.75 x w) + (5 x h) - (6.76 x a) + 66.
Plug in your weight in kilograms for "w," your height in centimeters for "h," and your age in years for "a." Solve the equation to determine your BMR, which you can use to check against your answer to the Mifflin equation.
Factoring in Activity Level
Most individuals work at a job that requires a small amount of physical activity, along with exercising or playing sports, and these numbers must be factored into the equation to determine the average number calories you should consume per day. If you have a desk job and exercise very rarely, multiply your BMR by 1.2. If you are lightly active and exercise one to three days a week, multiply your BMR by 1.375. If you are moderately active and exercise three to five days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.55. If you are very active and exercise six to seven days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.725. If you are extremely active, exercise every day and have a physical job, multiply your BMR by 1.9. This final number is the average number of calories you should consume per day to maintain your current weight. Plug your goal weight into the Mifflin equation or Harris-Benedict equation to determine how many calories you will need to eat to achieve and maintain your goal.
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