A healthy calorie intake is dependent on your individual lifestyle. Your weight, if you have any to lose, as well as your level of daily physical activity all dictates the amount of calories you should consume. If your goal is to maintain your weight, a balance between activity and calories should be made. If you need to lose weight, you should be burning more calories than you consume.
Recommendations for Females
Recommendations for a healthy daily caloric intake vary by age, gender and activity level. According to the American Heart Association, a female between the age of 19 to 30 should eat 2,000 to 2,400 calories depending on her level of activity. From the ages of 31 to 50, the recommendations decrease to 1,800 to 2,200 calories. After the age of 51, limit your caloric intake to 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day. Each recommendation varies based on your level of activity, more sedentary individuals should eat at the lower end of the ranges.
Recommendations for Males
The American Heart Association suggests that men of the ages between 19 to 30 eat between 2,400 to 3,000 calories each day. From 31 to 50 years of age consumption should reduce to 2,200 to 2,800 calories per day. After the age of 50, calorie consumption can be limited to 2,000 to 2,400 calories each day. These guidelines are to maintain weight and vary according to your level of activity each day.
Metabolic Rate
To fine tune your calorie intake, you may want to consider calculating your metabolic rate. Your resting metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body needs to maintain all of its daily resting functions. In order for your body to maintain homeostasis it must run certain cellular functions. Your resting metabolic rate is a calculation of these functions that occur. To maintain weight eat according to your metabolic rate, adding additional calories for physical activity. To lose weight, eat your metabolic rate to achieve a negative caloric balance. The calculations for metabolic rate differ by gender. An adult female's metabolic rate = 655.0955 + (9.5634 x kilograms of body weight) + (1.8496 x height) + (4.6756 x age). An adult male's metabolic rate = 66.473 + (13.7516 x kilograms of body weight) + (5.0033 x height) + (6.755 x age). To calculate your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.
Healthy Calories
A calorie is still a calorie no matter where it comes from, but for additional health benefits, you may want to limit your intake of certain macronutrients. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture suggests limiting your intake of saturated fats to seven percent of your total calories each day. Cholesterol should also be limited to 200 mg per day. The bulk of your calories should consist of carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. Lean proteins and unsaturated fats should also be emphasized.
References
- American Heart Association; Know How Many Calories You Should Eat; 2011
- "Exericse Testing and Prescription"; David C. Nieman; 2007
- "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010"; United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health and Human Services; 2010
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