How Many Calories Should I Eat A Day?
Dietary Guidelines For Americans
HOW MANY CALORIES SHOULD I EAT
A DAY?
Basal Metabolism (BMR) is the amount of energy or calories a
person needs to consume a day to survive without any activity or even movement.
The realistic amount of calories a person needs to consume per day is based
on BMR and their activity level. Everyone's caloric need varies do
to age, sex, weight, and activity level. Below are charts and equations
to calculate the amount of calories you yourself need to consume to meet
your daily energy output. These charts and equations only give an
estimation of caloric intake. Other factors, such as health and genetics,
may need to be taken into consideration.
How To Calculate Your BMR
First calculate your weight in Kilograms (kg), then select the correct
equation based on your age and sex.
____ lb. / 2.2 ____ lbs/kg = ____ kg
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Males
3-10 10-18 18-30 30-60 >60 Females 3-10 10-18 18-30 30-60 >60 |
(60.9 x wt) - 54
(61.0 x wt) - 51
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How to Calculate Your Activity Level
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| Very Light
Women
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Seated and standing activities, painting trades, driving, laboratory work, typing, sewing, ironing, cooking, playing cards, playing a musical instrument. |
1.3
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31 30
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| Light
Women
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Waking on a level surface at 2.5-3 mph, garage work, electrical trades, carpentry, restaurant trades, housecleaning, childcare, golf, sailing, table tennis. |
1.6
|
35 |
| Moderate
Women |
Walking 3.5-4 mph, weeding and hoeing, carrying a load, cycling, skiing, tennis, dancing. |
1.6 |
37 |
| Heavy
Women |
Walking with a load uphill, tree felling, heavy manual digging, basketball, football, soccer. |
2.1
|
50
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| Exceptional
Women |
Athletes training in professional or world class events. |
2.4
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58
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How to Estimate Your Caloric Need Per Day
There are two different equations you can use. Each estimation
will be slightly different from the other. The difference is small
and therefore negligible. You can use which ever equation you like
or both and average your answers. The first equation is based on
your activity factor and the second equation is based on your energy expenditure,
which can both be found from the table above.
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DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS
ABCs
Aim For Fitness
- Aim for a healthy weight
- Be physically active each day
- Use the Food Guide Pyramid to guide your food choices
- Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains
- Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily
- Keep food safe to eat
- Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat
- Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt
- If your drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation
Fat
No more than 30%
< 10% saturated; choose monounsaturated
< 300mg cholesterol
Carbohydrate
Approximately 60% (55% - 75%)
< 10% sugars
11-12 grams fiber per 1000 calories (25-35 grams)
Protein
Approximately 10% (0.8 g / kg body weight)
Sodium
<2400 mg / day
Alcohol
Females: No more than one 1 drink / day
Males: No more than 2 drinks / day
(1 drink equals 1 ounce of hard alcohol or 4 ounces of wine)
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| Low Fat | 3 grams or less per serving |
| Low Saturated Fat | 1 gram or less per serving |
| Low Cholesterol | 20mg or less per serving and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving |
| Low Sodium | 140mg or less per serving |
| High Fiber | 5 grams or more per serving |
| Good Source | 1 serving must provide at least 10% of the daily requirement for a particular vitamin or mineral |