How Many Calories Do You Need
Most of us view calories with dread and seem to forget that we can’t live without them. Different bodies need different amounts of them to function efficiently. Determining that number is fairly simple, and doing it may help you stay within the amount that’s right for you.
The three areas that figure into your calorie needs are:
your basal metabolic rate,
your activity level, and
digestion and absorption.
Follow the four simple steps below to calculate how many of those life-giving calories you can enjoy each day.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR):
This is the energy it takes to keep your involuntary body processes going. About 60 percent of the calories you consume are used for such things as breathing, maintaining body temperature, manufacturing hormones and keeping your heart beating. It takes roughly 10 calories per pound of body weight to meet those needs. A 120-pound woman, for example, will need 10 x 120, or 1,200, calories each day just to function.
Keep in mind that many factors can affect your BMR. For every decade beyond the growth years (about age 20), for instance, your caloric needs drop about two percent. A 30-year-old may need 1,200 minus (2 percent x 1,200) = 1,176. Your body build, which is largely inherited, is another factor – tall, thin types burn more calories because they have a larger surface area , and more calories are burned to maintain normal body temperature. Men, on average, have more muscle than women, so they too need more calories.
Exercise. Depending on the length and intensity of your exercise, you can boost your BMR for several hours afterward.
Diet. Severe dieting can reduce your BMR as your body attempts to conserve calories. This is a survival tactic and not a good idea for a healthy lifestyle.
Increase muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat. The greater your ratio of lean to fat, the more calories you will burn.
Caloric needs for physical activity.
About 30 percent of your calories fuel any physical activity you do, from scratching your nose to running a marathon. Of course, the marathon will take significantly more than an additional 30 percent. To figure how many calories you need for your level of activity, multiply the calories needed for BMR by the percentage that matches your activity level:
20 percent, sedentary (mainly sitting all day)
30 percent, light activity (such as walking to and from the bus stop, cooking dinner, etc.)
40 percent, moderate activity (very little sitting, heavy housework and gardening)
50 percent, very active (construction work, and active and prolonged physical sports)
Calories needed for digestion:
About 10 percent of your caloric intake goes for fueling digestion and absorbing nutrients. To determine your caloric needs for this, add the calories for BMR and the calories for physical activity, and then multiply the total by 10 percent.
Total daily caloric needs:
Now add up the calories for each purpose to determine your total energy needs. ____calories for BMR + ____calories for activity + ____calories for digestion = ____calories for all your energy needs
Take me, for example.
BMR calories = 115 pounds x 10 calories per pound = 1,150 Activity calories = (computer, housework, 45 minutes of exercise) 35 percent x 1,150 = 402
Digestion calories = 10 percent x (1,150 + 402) = 155
Total calories = 1,150 + 402 + 155 = 1,707
To be honest, I’ll have to factor in my age of 43 and decrease that need by 4 percent. So my total estimated daily caloric need is 1,707 minus (4 percent x 1,667) = 1639 calories.
To lose or gain weight:
One pound equals 3,500 calories. To lose weight, you need to eat 3,500 calories less for each pound you want to lose or increase physical activity while maintaining your current level of eating (or a little of both). To gain a pound, do the same in reverse.
Remember that the number you have calculated was determined in the abstract. The best way to figure the number of calories you need is to tune in to your body. Listen for signs of hunger or fullness, not only in what your stomach says, but also in how you feel and how much energy you have. The more you listen, the better you’ll hear. Combine what your body is telling you, what the books and math are telling you, and come to your own conclusions about how much you need to eat. Then enjoy those life-giving calories for all their worth.
