How many Calories should I be Eating a Day?

Although knowing how many calories you're taking in is important, you won't get very far in a nutrition plan without knowing your daily target calorie goal. There are several ways to calculate this number, each with a different level of accuracy.

How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day

The amount of calories a person needs per day is different for every person based on height, weight and age. The resting BMR, or calories needed to sustain yourself without any exercise, can be calculated through the functions below. Please keep in mind that resting calories are the bare minimum number of calories your body needs to keep functioning properly. This number represents the number of calories your body burns without any exercise or activity.

For men and women the calories needed without exercise can be calculated through these functions:

Women: (9.56 x w) + (1.85 x h) - (4.68 x a) + 655 = calories

Men: (13.75 x w) + (5 x h) - (6.76 x a) + 66 = calories

**Weight is in kilograms (divide lbs by 2.2) and height is in centimeters (multiply inches by 0.39).

Calorie consumption is all relative. If you are more active and younger, you need to consume more calories, and your body will even crave more food. If you are less active and older, you need less calories comparatively.

If you are trying to lose weight, you can cut calories up to this resting calorie level, but please keep in mind that you will need more calories if you have more activity. You can eat more calories and still lose weight as long as they are beneficial calories. The way to maintain a healthy lifestyle without starving yourself is to eat healthy calories like whole grains, fiber, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Maintaining exercise is also beneficial to a healthy lifestyle. The more you exercise, the higher your metabolism gets, and the more calories your body will crave.