How to Determine Calorie Needs
Three Formulas

Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites

How Many Daily Calories Do You Need?

A. There are a few basic formulas for determining calorie needs. Let's start with a data chart depicting the amount of daily energy required based on activity and age.

We can certainly use this information as a pattern for setting goal calories - and the data is based on information from the USDA. However, we feel there is a bit more to the whole nutritional picture than simply age and lifestyle.

Let's look at a few areas which need to be addressed with using this method in setting daily calorie amounts.

Height Impacts Body Weight

1. We do feel that one important element is missing. Height plays a big role in determining calorie needs.

For example, Jennifer is 35 years old and 5' tall. Jan is 35 years old and 6' tall.  Jennifer is naturally going to require fewer calories than Jan.  

Therefore, the table is simply a good pattern for the average-size individual.

Age Influences the Amount of Calories Burned as Metabolic Rate Slows Naturally With Age

2. Taking the table at face value, if Dieter Barney were 50 years old and was currently 50 pounds overweight, if he went on a 2,000 calorie diet and remained inactive, he would eventually melt down to his recommended weight.

That's what we like to call the "No Diet" method - and it's a pretty method as long as Barney can keep a lid on his calorie needs.

Energy Decrease May be Necessary to Stimulate Weight Loss

3. If Dieter Barney wanted to lose pounds faster, he could decrease his calorie needs - to say 1,700 calories per day, and get active.

Don't Restrict Energy Values Too Severely

4. A great diet doesn't equal a daily diet filled with a handful of calories. Our bodies need calories to survive.

For Every 10 Pounds of Body Weight, 100 Kcals Are Required to Support This Amount

B. Another method for determining calorie needs is: 10 pounds of body weight = 100 calories needed.

Example: Tim is 30 years old and weighs 200 pounds. Tim's daily determined calorie needs equals 2,000 calories just to survive.  

Additional calories are necessary for walking, talking, sitting and so forth.

How to Track Caloric Intake for Weight Loss

C. Another way an individual can determine daily calorie needs is by tracking daily calorie consumption. Here are the steps for the one-week process:

Tally up all the calories in the foods eaten for the day.

Place the total in a chart.

Weigh in the morning before eating and put that number into the chart.

Continue to consume close to the same number of calories per day.

Example: Dieter Mickey weighed every morning for seven days.  He also added up all the calories he ate each day and rounded them off.

At the end of the seven day period, Mickey determined that if he wanted his weight to remain at 240 pounds, he would need to eat about 2,930 calories per day.  

Because he desires to lose about 40 pounds, Mickey plans to reduce his daily calorie intake by 500 calories per day which would equal a safe rate of weight loss at about 2 pounds per week.  

It will take Mickey about 20 weeks to reach his goal weight.

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