Your body's energy needs are determined by your sex, age, weight and activity level. The first step in determining your daily caloric needs is to determine your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR is an estimate of the amount of energy your body requires to perform its vital functions, such as respiration. You can then ascertain the extra calories your body needs, based on how much activity you typically get each day, using what's known as the Harris Benedict equation.
Step 1
If you are a woman, multiply your weight in pounds by the number 4.35. If you are a man, multiply your weight in pounds by the number 6.23. For example, if you are a woman and you weigh 150 lbs., the product would be 652.5.
Step 2
If you are a woman, multiply your height in inches by the number 4.7. If you are a man, multiply your height in inches by the number 12.7. For example, if you are a woman and you are 65 inches tall, the result would be 305.5.
Step 3
If you are a woman, multiply your age in years by the number 4.7. If you are a man, multiply your age in years by the number 6.8. For example, if you are a 35-year-old woman, this number would be 164.5.
Step 4
If you are a woman, add your results from steps one and two to the number 655. Then subtract your result from step three from this number. If you are a man, add your results from steps one and two to the number 66. Then subtract your result from step three from this number. The result is your BMR, or the amount of calories you would need if you were completely sedentary. For example, if you are a 35-year-old woman who weighs 150 lbs. and measures 68 inches in height, your BMR would be 1,448.5.
Step 5
Calculate your caloric needs based on your daily activity level. If you get little or no exercise, multiply your BMR by the number 1.2. If you exercise one to three days a week, multiply your BMR by the number 1.375. If you exercise three to five days a week, multiply your BMR by the number 1.55. If you exercise six to seven days a week, multiply your BMR by the number 1.725. If you are an athlete, or exercise at an intense level almost every day, multiply your BMR by the number 1.9. The result of this step is the amount of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.
Tips and Warnings
- You can calculate the amount of calories you need to either gain or lose weight, as well. It takes a weekly surplus or deficit of 3,500 calories to gain or lose 1 lb., respectively. This adds up to 500 calories each day, so simply add or subtract 500 to your daily caloric needs, depending on your personal goal. You can save yourself the trouble of manually calculating your information by using an online calorie calculator. An example is provided in this article's Resources section.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle (editors); 2008
- BMI Calculator: BMR Formula
- BMI Calculator: Harris Benedict Equation
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