Caloric needs are the maintenance number of calories your body needs to maintain itself as is. The significance of this caloric total is that it determines whether you will gain weight, lose weight or remain the same, based on what you eat each day. It also tells you how many calories from protein, carbohydrates and fats you can take in, while staying on track to your personal fitness goals. Once you've calculated your calorie needs, you can adjust your diet as necessary.
Step 1
Multiply your weight in pounds by 11. For example, if you weigh 120 lbs., calculate as: 120 x 11 = 1,320. This preliminary calculation takes into account the number of calories typically burned per pound of body weight.
Step 2
Choose your metabolic factor based on your perceived metabolic rate. If you have fast metabolism (cannot gain weight), and are under the age of 30, use 0.40; if you are 30 to 40 years old use 0.45; over 40 years old, use 0.40. For moderate metabolism, meaning you can either gain or lose weight relatively easily, use 0.40 if you are under 30; 0.35 if you are 30 to 40; and if you are over 40 use 0.30. If you have a slow metabolism (cannot lose weight), use 0.30 if you are under 30; 0.25 if you are 30 to 40; and 0.20 if you are over 40. Your metabolic factor takes your metabolic rate into account.
Step 3
Multiply your metabolic factor by your result from Step 1 (body weight x 11). If you weigh 120 lbs. and are 35 years old and with a fast metabolism, multiply 1,320 x 0.45, which equals 594.
Step 4
Add the result from Step 3 (594) to the original calculation from Step 1 (1,320). For example, 1,320 + 594 = 1,914. This gives your daily maintenance calories to stay at the same weight.
Step 5
Subtract 500 calories per day to lose weight. Never cut daily caloric intake below 1,200 calories, warns "The Fat Burning Bible." A cut of 500 calories per day for a week equals 1 lb. of body weight lost, because you must burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. of fat.
Step 6
Add 250 to 500 calories per day to gain weight or add muscle mass, paired with a mass-gaining workout plan. If you have a fast metabolism, you may need many more calories to gain weight. Experiment with different caloric intakes to see what works best for you.
Step 7
Take in your approximate maintenance calories every day to stay exactly the same. Paired with a good workout program, including resistance training and cardiovascular exercise, eating your maintenance calories can still allow you to build muscle and burn fat. You can subtract every calorie burned during exercise from the daily total you take in.
References
- "Combat the Fat;" Jeff Anderson; CQC LLC, 2008
- "Optimum Anabolics;" Jeff Anderson; CQC LLC, 2004
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