Calculating Your Calorie Needs


In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you have to determine how many calories you actually need. Adults can calculate their approximate energy needs using the following formula:

A. Body weight multiplied by 12 (for men) or 11 (for women) e.g., 150 lbs. x 12 = 1800

B. Activity One third body weight multiplied by the number of hours you don't sleep, typically 16 hours 150 lbs. x 1/3 = 50 x 16 = 800

C. Required Calories A + B 1800 + 800 = 2600

Thus, we determine that a 150-pound man requires approximately 2600 calories per day. The "Basal Metabolic Rate" is the number of calories a man of that weight would burn just to keep the heart beating, the lungs pumping, etc. You would just burn your basal metabolic rate worth of calories if you slept all day. Thus the "Activity" calculation is approximately the amount of calories a person would expend by spending his or her whole day sitting around. If you are engaging in activities other than sitting all day, you can increase your activity hours by the number of hours you are actually active.

Adult females can calculate their approximate energy needs using the same formula, except that the "Basal Metabolic Rate" is determined by multiplying body weight times 11 instead of 12. Children and teenagers require more calories by body weight, but the amount varies by age and by individual child. It is best to consult a physician before altering a child's diet, however activity and exercise increases won't hurt the average youth of today.

Beverley Brooke, Editor of Health & Finesse - Free health, diet and fitness articles and weekly newsletters







Related News



Diet and Nutrition Expert Joins BizyMoms Expert Corner - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)

Diet and Nutrition Expert Joins BizyMoms Expert Corner
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria -9 hours ago
Bizymoms is pleased to introduce Marjorie Geiser: a Life Coach, Dietician and Personal Trainer, as their Expert when it comes to Diet and Nutrition. ...

A "Superfood" to Stand in the Nutrition Gap - PR.com (press release)

A "Superfood" to Stand in the Nutrition Gap
PR.com (press release), NY -16 hours ago
Busy schedules call for more direct forms of nutrition, and the answer now comes in a liquid form. “Superfoods” are making their way into the American diet, ...


Nutritional Program - Hartford Courant

Nutritional Program
Hartford Courant, United States -16 hours ago
•Kendall Reyes' nutrition is designed and monitored by Nancy R. Rodriguez, a professor of nutritional sciences and the director of the UConn sports ...

Senior nutrition menu - Rome Sentinel

Senior nutrition menu
Rome Sentinel, NY -Oct 11, 2008
The nutrition program for persons age 60 and over is funded by the county Office for the Aging, state and federal grants, and contributions from ...

Recognise the power of good nutrition - Indian Express

Recognise the power of good nutrition
Indian Express, India -Oct 10, 2008
If I were to search for a flipside in my otherwise highly fulfilling vocation as a nutritional consultant it would have to be the persistent — and at times ...

Feed them! - Malaysia Star

Feed them!
Malaysia Star, Malaysia -23 hours ago
Here are some common concerns that were raised during a recent Positive Parenting Nutrition Seminar. If children are between the ages of two and six years, ...

Kids' Cereals Packing Some Nutrition Punch - CBS News

Kids' Cereals Packing Some Nutrition Punch
CBS News, NY -Oct 11, 2008
Have you consumed myths about diet and nutrition? Take these quizzes to find out. (CBS) You probably struggle to find your kids just the right cereal for ...

Fitness and Nutrition Experts Don't Live Longer Than Anyone Else ... - Unconfirmed Sources (satire)

Fitness and Nutrition Experts Don't Live Longer Than Anyone Else ...
Unconfirmed Sources (satire) -Oct 11, 2008
by NickFun A study of 358 dead fitness and nutrition experts reveal that they did not live any longer than people who knew nothing about fitness and ...

Parents urged to limit kids’ screen time, fast food intake - Gulf Times

Gulf Times

Parents urged to limit kids’ screen time, fast food intake
Gulf Times, Qatar -50 minutes ago
Referring to dietary management of obesity, Edwards stated that nutrition therapy is an essential component of a comprehensive weight management programme ...

Kids' cereals fail nutrition test - TVNZ

Kids' cereals fail nutrition test
TVNZ, New Zealand -17 hours ago
"Some of them are very high in sodium, salt, very high in sugar and really have pretty much no nutritional value at all," says Sue Chetwin from Consumer New ...