Calculating Calories

The best way to stay on track with your daily calorie needs is to do some simple calculations. This will eliminate any doubt you may have about how much you can eat on any given day. The good news is, you will only have to do the following calculations one time. So take 10 minutes, you'll be glad you did!

Step 1.
Multiply your current or desired weight by 10 if you are a woman and by 11 if you are a man.

For example: A woman who weighs 150 pounds would do the following calculation:
150 * 10 = 1500 calories
This represents your basic caloric needs per day.

Step 2.
Next calculate your calorie needs based on your activity level. Select one of the following options, 20%, 30% 40% or 50%. Each percentage corresponds to your level of activity.
Multiply your basic caloric needs by your chosen percentage.

For example: 1500 * .2 (20%) = 300 calories
This represents your calorie needs for exercise.

Step 3.
Now calculate your calorie needs for food digestion and absorption. To do this take your basic calorie needs and add it to your calorie needs for exercise.

For example: 1500 cal + 300 cal = 1800 cal

Next multiply this sum by 0.10.......These are the calories you will need for digestion.

So.....1800 cal * 0.10 = 180 calories needed for digestion.

Step 4.
Now add up the totals from steps 1 through 3. This will give you your total, daily calorie allowance in order to maintain your current weight.

For example: 1500+300+180 = 1980 calories

Next try repeating these steps for your desired weight instead of your current weight. This will help you determine your calorie needs if you want to lose weight.