How do I know how many calories I should consume each day?

This is a long post, but is VERY helpful in deciding how you can lose weight. If you don't care, don't read it. I hope this helps you. It has helped me. In the last 2 weeks, I've lost 10 pounds!

Metabolism is basically the energy used to keep your body's major organs functioning such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, livers, etc. and to keep your body at a normal temperature. It is mostly a function of body size, and despite what people say, the BIGGER your body is, the HIGHER the metabolism you have. It is like gas mileage, it takes more gas to run a large vehicle than a small one.

WHY is this important to know and understand? This is important because many people lose a certain amount of weight and then they experience the plateau effect where they aren't losing anymore. When you reach this point, you need to increase your energy expenditure and decrease the calories you take in.

How do I know how to create an energy deficit?
1. Calculate your 24 hour resting metabolic rate or REE (this is how many calories your body needs to support your body if you were just sitting on a couch for 24 hours doing nothing).
a) WOMEN: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age -161
b) MEN: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) + 5 x age -161

Example: I am 161 lbs (73.2kg); 5'8" (172.7 cm); age (21 yr)
(10 x 73.2) + (6.25 x 172.7) - (5 x 21) - 161 = 732 + 1079.4 - 105 = 1706.4 or 1706 rounded.
My Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) is 1,076 kcal
1 kg = 2.2 lbs; 1 in = 2.54 cm

So If I sat around for 24 hours, my body would burn 1, 076 calories.

Now you take your REE and multiply it by your physical activity (find that number below)

Physical activity
1.3 very sedentary -- mostly sitting, no exercise
1.5 sedentary -- some activity, but no regular exercise program
1.7 physically active -- active person, little sitting, regular moderate to vigorous exercise
1.9 very active-- extended intense exercise virtually every day (college athlete)

1,076 x 1.7 = 1,829 kcal
This means that because I am physically active, my body burns about 1,829 calories a day.

*** If you breastfeed, your body burns 500 calories just to produce breast milk and if you are pregnant, your body burns an extra 300 calories (you should not try to lose weight when pregnant, but you can use these principles to keep yourself from gaining too much. If you are in the normal BMI range pre-pregnancy you should only gain 25 to 35 lbs). ***

So in my case, I'd add 500 calories to that (1,829 + 500 = 2,329) To lose weight it is wise to cut 500 to 1000 calories per day but *** if you are breastfeeding it is NOT wise to consume under 1,500 calories in a day!!***


IN REVIEW to know how much you should consume each day you need to calculate your resting energy expenditure using the formula above and work in the amount of physical activity you do each day. To lose 1 to 2 pounds a day, you need to cut 500 to 1000 calories a day. Weight loss isn't something you can do just by making small changes, rather it is accomplished by being passionate (not obsessed) about it and by making EXTREME changes. For most adults, the only long-term solution is to consume a low fat, low sweets diet with emphasis on vegetables and fruits, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, and significant amounts of regular aerobic exercise.


In my next post, I'll talk about how you can cut that many calories and not be hungry all of the time.