How Many Calories Do You Need?

Many people seek to lose weight. And often the easiest way to do this is to consume fewer calories each day.

But how many calories does the body actually need in order to be healthy?

While this largely depends on the amount of physical activity a person performs each day. And regardless of this, is different for all people. While there are many different factors involved. And not all of which are well-understood or known.

While some factors that influence the number of calories a person needs to remain healthy include

1. Age
2. Weight
3. Height
4. Sex
5. levels of physical activity
6. overall general health

What happens when calories are too low?

1. Muscle mass is broken down for energy (catabolism).
2. Metabolic rate will begin to drop (typically) after 3 days of very low calories - this is related to, and compounded by the loss of muscle mass.
3. With very low calories you risk sluggishness, nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, and often irritability.

What is the Calculation of Daily Calorie Burn?

A lot of dietitians and nutritionists use the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate how many calories you need. And it’s a little complicated. While there are a lot of calculators online that will do it for you.

Furthermore this equation will give you your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. Most noteworthy is this value is the number of calories you need just to exist.

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Hence after you have calculated your BMR you can factor in your activity.

• If you are mostly sedentary, and don’t do much activity at all, multiply that BMR by 1.2
• If you do light exercise 1-3 days per week, multiply that BMR by 1.375
• IF you are moderately active (3-5 days per week) multiply by 1.5
• If you are very active (5-6 days) multiply by 1.725
• If you are extra active (very hard exercise, physical jobs, etc) multiply by 1.9

While most would probably multiply by somewhere between 1.2-1.55. You can use any number you like to multiply by. It doesn’t have to be the set numbers.

After multiplying, you have calculated the number of calories you need to consume to maintain your body weight. Hence from here, you can add calories or subtract calories to gain or lose weight.

Also Check out your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Medical Disclaimer

This site is for informational and educational purposes only.

The information should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem. While Not all diet and exercise plans suit everyone. Furthermore, You should always consult your licensed healthcare provider before starting a diet. And taking any form of prescription medication, and also embarking on any fitness or weight training program

Hence the creators and content providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the information and advice provided here

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