Daily Caloric Needs For Women

Women, because they are smaller, have less muscle mass and more fat mass than men and need fewer calories to maintain a healthy weight. But calorie needs for women can vary greatly depending on age and activity level. It is important to note that calorie recommendations are designed to act as a guide, and you may need to adjust your intake up or down depending on changes to your weight.

Purpose

With obesity rates rising, especially in women, knowing your daily caloric needs is an important component of a healthy diet, and an important factor in maintaining a healthy weigh. Balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories you expend will help ensure that you maintain your current weight. If you eat more calories than you expend, you will gain weight, while eating fewer calories than you expend will lead to weight loss.

Variabilities

As previously mentioned, there are some factors that effect your daily calorie needs. As women age, their daily calorie needs decrease. This is due to a decrease in muscle mass and hormone levels. The American Dietetic Association says women in their mid-to-late 40s need to eat 200 calories less a day to maintain their weight. Activity level also effects calorie needs. The more active you are, the higher your daily calorie needs. Women who walk the equivalent of 1.5 to 3 miles a day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, which is considered moderate activity, can eat 200 calories more each day than women who do not exercise at all.

Calorie Recommendations

Based on recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sedentary women between the ages of 19 and 30 can maintain a healthy weight by consuming 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day. Women who are moderately active can consume 2,000 to 2,200 calories a day and active women -- those who exercise to the equivalent of walking more than 3 miles a day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, plus light activity throughout the day -- can consume 2,400 calories a day and maintain a healthy weight. Sedentary women between the ages of 31 and 50 can maintain a healthy weight consuming 1,800 calories a day, moderately active women can consume 2,000 calories a day and active women can consume 2,200 calories a day. Sedentary women over the age of 51 can maintain a healthy weight consuming 1,600 calories a day, moderately active women can consume 1,800 calories a day and active women can consume 2,000 to 2,200 calories a day.

Considerations

Calorie recommendations are meant to act as a guide to help you find your calorie balance. If you notice that your weight is increasing or decreasing based on the calorie recommendations, you may need to make small adjustments in your calorie intake to find your balance. Closely monitoring your daily calorie intake along with your weight can help you determine more accurately your daily calorie needs for weight maintenance.