How Many Calories Should I Consume Daily?

Many people who are struggling with weight loss may not know how many calories they should be consuming daily.  By knowing the proper amount of calories that your body needs to maintain your current body composition, you will be able to adjust that required amount to facilitate weight loss or gain.

There are several methods that can be used to find your daily caloric needs. One method suggested by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) is to estimate your resting metabolic rate (RMR) and then multiply your RMR by an appropriate activity factor. Doing so provides a reasonable estimate of your total energy expenditure (TEE, total number of daily calories needed).

Here is a very simplified TEE calculation:

• Your weight x 10 = RMR
• RMR x activity factor (from chart below) = TEE

Example: An active 200-pound man

• 200 x 10 = 2,000 RMR
• 2,000 x 1.6 = 3,200 TEE (calories expended per day)

Activity Chart                                                             

Very Light Activity → no vigorous activity =                                      1.2–1.3 (activity factor)

Low Activity →           30 minutes of moderate activity =                 1.5-1.6

Active →                     low activity plus 3 hours of activity =                         1.6-1.7

Heavy →                     physical labor, athletes, vigorous activities = 1.9-2.1

Remember, this is a very simple TEE calculation. Try sticking to your TEE daily for a few weeks and see how your body responds. If your weight stays the same, then your calculated TEE is probably a good number. You can then adjust your TEE depending upon your goals.  If you reduce your TEE by 500 calories per day, then you should see a one-pound loss of weight per week.  This is based on the fact that one pound equals 3,500 calories.