When you’re trying to lose weight, it can be frustrating when you don’t know how many calories you should be eating each day. There are some simple methods you can use to figure out how many calories you should eat each day, but it’s not an exact science.
This guide will help explain how much energy your body needs and why it’s important for weight loss efforts.
How Many Calories Should You Eat A Day?
Calories are units of energy the body uses to function.
Calories are units of energy the body uses to function.
For example, a 150-pound person needs about 2,000 calories per day to maintain their weight at 145 pounds. If they eat 2,000 calories worth of food (1/2 pound per day), they’ll gain 1 pound each week until they reach their goal weight.
You can calculate how many calories you need by multiplying your current weight in pounds by 1.2 or multiplying your current height in inches by 0.8 if you want to lose or gain weight respectively; however this method is only accurate for someone who has an ideal body shape (i.e., doesn’t have too much muscle mass for their height).
One way a person might calculate how many calories they need is by using this formula:
- Body weight in pounds multiplied by 10
- Body weight in kilograms multiplied by 15
- Body weight in pounds multiplied by 12
- Body weight in kilograms multiplied by 16
This method is not always accurate and should only be used as a starting point.
The calorie method is not always accurate and should only be used as a starting point. To calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), use the following equation:
Total energy expenditure = Resting energy expenditure + Thermogenesis
Resting energy expenditure refers to what happens when you’re at rest—your heart beats, your lungs breathe and blood circulates through your body. Thermogenesis is an increase in heat production for every extra calorie you burn through activity or exercise.
For example, if you eat 2,000 calories per day but exercise regularly with high-intensity cardio workouts three times per week and lift weights two times per week, then your BMR would be approximately 1,500 calories/per day.
As we mentioned above though – this method isn’t always accurate so don’t use it as your only source of information! You should also keep in mind that there are other factors such as genetics that influence how many calories someone burns each day so keep an eye on those numbers too!
If a person wants to gain weight, they can add 500 calories to their daily total.
If you want to gain weight, you can add 500 calories to your daily total. This is because the body burns more energy when it is at rest than it does during exercise. The BMR formula gives us a rough estimate of how many calories we need per day:
- Your weight in pounds x 903 = Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) in calories/day.
If your goal is to lose weight, then you should subtract 500 from this number. Also, remember that there are many factors that affect our body’s ability to use and store food as fuel; these include age, gender, and genetics as well as health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure which may affect how much energy our bodies use throughout the day.”
The total daily calorie needs will vary depending on age and activity level.
The total daily calorie needs will vary depending on age and activity level.
For children, the average daily calorie intake is about 1,300 to 1,500. Children who are active need more calories than those who aren’t as active. For example, a teenage girl who runs five miles per day needs approximately 1,200 calories per day while her friend who plays soccer two hours each weekday afternoon needs only 750 calories per day.
Adults need between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day if they’re moderately active. This includes working out at least 30 minutes three times per week or doing moderate-intensity exercises like walking briskly for 30 minutes four times a week.
If you’re physically active more often than this but still want to lose weight or maintain your current body weight then you’ll probably need closer to 3-4 thousand calories every single day from foods that provide plenty of nutrients without filling up too quickly so that it’s easy for us not only during exercise but also throughout our days off!
There are simple methods you can use to figure out how many calories you should eat each day, but it’s not an exact science.
There are simple methods you can use to figure out how many calories you should eat each day, but it’s not an exact science. The most common method is to calculate your daily needs by using this formula:
- 1 pound of fat=3500 calories
- 1 pound of muscle mass=3700 calories
You may also want to take your weight into account if you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds but want to add 10 pounds of muscle mass (to reach 225), then adding 25% more protein and 50% more carbohydrates will help ensure that all those extra calories are being used efficiently—but there’s no reason why they can’t be used at the same time!
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember is that whatever number you use for calories, it should be based on what your personal health goals are and not simply based on how much you want to lose or gain weight. This can help ensure that you remain on track with your goals without overdoing them in either direction.
