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Dietary guidelines for the average adult male are to consume 2,500 kilocalories (kcal) per day and for the average adult woman to consume 2,000 kcal per day. However, the recommended calorie intake varies based on many different factors, such as age, gender, and physical activity level.

Combined with a balanced diet, consuming the right amount of calories a day can boost overall health. Adjusting your calorie intake can help you lose, gain, or maintain your body weight. 

Please keep reading to find out how to calculate your daily caloric needs for optimal health and weight management.

What Factors Influence Caloric Need? 

Your daily caloric needs depend on various factors such as your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, hormones, medications, health conditions, and weight management goals. 

Why Is It Important to Know Your Calorie Intake?

Your body uses calories from the food you eat to produce energy and it uses this energy to function properly. Unused energy is stored as fat. Therefore, the amount of calories you eat can affect your overall health and body weight. 

If you eat more calories than your body uses, you are likely to gain weight because your body stores the extra energy as fat. If you eat fewer calories than your body uses, you are likely to lose weight because your body uses stored fat to produce energy. If you eat the same amount of calories that your body uses, you are likely to maintain your current weight. Counting calories can help you keep track of your daily caloric intake.

How to Calculate Your Daily Caloric Needs

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): How Many Calories Do I Burn a Day Doing Nothing?

The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body uses every day to function (keep everything working) when you are at rest (not doing anything). It is also called metabolism and is about 60% to 70% of the total energy used by your body. Each person has a unique BMR, and it changes depending on whether you are trying to gain, lose, or maintain weight. 

BMR ranges from 1,300 to 2,000 calories per day for healthy adults, depending on age and sex. There are various methods to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), including online calculators that use the Harris-Benedict equation. Many smartwatches and fitness trackers also provide a rough estimate of your BMR. 

The average BMR for an adult male (about 5 feet 9 inches or 175 cm tall and weighing 200 pounds or 90 kilograms) and an adult female (about 5 feet 3.5 inches or 157 cm tall and weighing 171 pounds or 77.5 kilograms) is tabulated below:

Learn more: Target BMI For Every Age

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

The total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is an accurate way to estimate how many calories your body uses in a 24-hour period. It factors in how much energy your body uses at rest (your resting metabolic rate or BMR) as well as your typical physical activity level and the energy your body uses to metabolize or break down the food you eat. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to calculate your TDEE accurately. 

Online calculators can give you an estimate of your TDEE. For example: 

• A moderately active (exercises 3-5 times a week) 40-year-old male who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds has a TDEE of 2,800 calories a day.

• A moderately active (exercises 3-5 times a week) 40-year-old female who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds has a TDEE of 2,185 calories a day.

Note: People with a sedentary lifestyle (very little to no physical activity) will have a lower TDEE, and those with a very active lifestyle (intense exercise 6-7 days a week) will have a higher TDEE. 

Eating the same number of calories as your TDEE can help you maintain weight. Eating fewer calories than your TDEE will help you lose weight, and eating more calories than your TDEE will lead to weight gain.

Using Calorie Calculators

Once you know how many calories you should eat daily to achieve your weight goals, calorie calculators or smartphone apps, such as MyFitnessPal, Noom, and others, can help you maintain a food diary and keep track of your daily caloric intake. 

Calories Based on Personal Goals

How Many Calories Should You Eat A Day to Lose Weight?

The average daily caloric needs are 2,500 kcal for adult men and 2,000 kcal for adult women. To lose weight, you should reduce the number of calories you eat every day by 500 kcal—this can help you lose about 1 pound of weight per week. This means that men should aim for 2,000 calories per day, and women should aim for 1,500 calories per day for sustainable weight loss. 

Learn how much water to drink to lose weight.

Is a 1,500 Calorie Diet Good for Weight Loss?

A 1,500-calorie diet may be good for weight loss in women. However, men should aim to eat at least 2,000 calories a day to maintain adequate nutrition while achieving their weight loss goals.

Is it Healthy to Eat 1,200 Calories Per Day?

It is not healthy to eat 1,200 calories a day. Eating 1,200 kcal or fewer calories per day can backfire. It can make it difficult for your body to get all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Fewer calories per day can also put your body in starvation mode, where it stores fat. Therefore, rather than focusing solely on a low-calorie diet, a more healthy approach is to eat a balanced diet with nutritious foods. In addition, you should aim to create a calorie deficit by including physical activity in your daily routine to increase the number of calories you burn.

How Many Calories Should You Eat for Weight Maintenance?

To maintain weight, you should eat the same number of calories that your body burns in a 24-hour period—this is your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). However, calculating exactly how many calories to eat for weight maintenance can be tricky because many factors can change your TDEE, such as your age, muscle mass, activity level, hormonal levels, health conditions, and medications.

How Many Calories Should You Eat for Weight Gain?

To gain weight, you should eat more calories and increase energy intake. However, it is important to pay attention to food quality and the kind of calories you are eating. 

If you consume excess calories from junk foods, processed foods, fried foods, and sugar-sweetened beverages, you may get energy and gain weight, but your body won’t get any nutritional benefits. You could develop health problems due to a lack of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats), vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Also, empty calories from unhealthy foods can lead to food cravings, overeating, low energy, fatigue, and inflammation in your body. 

Instead, your goal should be to obtain your daily calories from a balanced, healthy diet consisting of nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Eating nutrient-dense foods will help you build lean body mass and provide your body with the nourishment it needs to stay healthy.

Read next: “Why Your BMI Is An Outdated Way To Measure Health.”

Types of Calories and Their Effects

Macronutrients Overview (Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats)

The three main food groups are called macronutrients and provide calories as follows:

• Carbohydrates 4 calories per gram

• Proteins 4 calories per gram

• Fat 9 calories per gram

Experts recommend that you obtain 45%-65% of your daily energy needs from carbohydrates, 10%-35% from proteins, and 20%-35% from fats. 

Check out our blog: “Low-Carb, High-Protein Diet: Pros & Cons.”

Calories in Common Foods

The approximate caloric content of common foods is as follows:

• Starches and grains such as cereal, rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables contain about 80 calories per ½-1 cup serving.

• Fruits contain 50-100 calories per 1 cup serving.

• Vegetables contain 10-50 calories per ½-1 cup serving.

• Meats contain 35-100 calories per 1-ounce serving.

• Milk and milk products contain 90-170 calories per 8-ounce serving.

• Unsaturated and saturated fats contain 45 calories per 1-2 tablespoons serving.

Downsides and Benefits of Tracking Calories 

Studies show that keeping track of the calories you eat on a daily basis makes it more likely to hit your goals in terms of overall health and weight management. 

However, the downside is that in some people, counting calories or using a weight loss calculator can lead to mental health problems such as disordered eating. Studies have found that focusing too much on daily calorie needs and daily caloric intake can potentially contribute to an eating disorder or worsen symptoms of eating disorders.

If you have symptoms of an eating disorder, such as purging, binging, or anorexia, talk to your doctor. 

Helpful Tips for Calorie Counting

Here are some tips to keep track of your daily calorie intake and overcome common food dilemmas:

Track Your Daily Calorie Needs

Your daily calorie needs depend on whether you want to gain weight, lose weight, or maintain your weight (if your current weight is a healthy weight). Use an online calorie calculator to ensure you’re hitting your goals in terms of calories consumed. You can also use calorie tracking apps on your smartphone to achieve the ideal calorie intake for your age and activity level. Choose healthy foods to make sure you’re meeting your body’s nutritional needs.

Read The Labels On Packaged Foods

A good way to find out how many calories you eat in a day is to start reading food labels on packaged foods. Nutrition information on food labels includes the number of calories per serving size or portion size. Remember, your serving size may not be the same as the one mentioned on the food label by the manufacturer. Eating larger portions will mean you’re eating extra calories. 

Another method of calorie counting is to weigh your food portions. You can then use a calorie calculator (number of calories per gram of food) to get a rough idea of how many calories you are eating in a day. 

Spread Your Calorie Intake Throughout The Day

Your goal should be to eat about 200-500 calories at each meal. This will keep you feeling full and prevent unhealthy snacking between meals.

Keep A Food Diary 

A food diary is a journal where you record everything you eat and drink. You can input this information into a calorie counter or fitness tracker to calculate your daily calorie intake. Doing this for just a week or two can give you insights into where you are consuming most of your calories and how you can meet your calorie goal. 

For example, keeping a food diary and using a calorie counter might reveal that you’re consuming far too many liquid calories in the form of high-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverages. This may be something that can be relatively easy for you to cut back on and help you lose weight. Or the calorie calculator may reveal that you are consuming extra calories in spreads, dressings, sauces, toppings, and accompaniments, which you can cut back on to promote weight loss.

Read next: “The Ultimate Guide To Leading A Healthier Life.”