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In today’s day and age, people are becoming more and more calorie conscious and want to know what their daily calorie intake should be. However, it is quite difficult to state absolute bottom daily calorie intake levels, as every individual has different activity levels and body composition. So, in the case of a person who leads a sedentary lifestyle the daily calorie requirements would not be as much as a person who works out a lot and is tall and muscular. Thus, setting absolute levels for daily calorie intake may not really work, but they do give us a frame of reference. It is generally recommended that the calorie intake for males should be around 2700 calories, and for women, the requirement should be around 2000 per day. These recommendations are for people with an average body structure who do not workout vigorously and go about their normal day-to-day activities. With the help of a calorie intake calculator you can get an estimate of how many calories you need. Dieticians generally recommend that the calories you intake should be as follows: 50% to 60% of the contribution to your calorie intake should be by carbohydrates, 15% to 20% from fat, and 20% from proteins.
For those aiming for weight loss, eating fewer calories per day is the key. It is, however, important that you do not immediately cut out on too many calories looking for a quick fix. Before cutting out on the calories, start out by designing a nutrition plan. Based on this plan you can determine the number of calories you burn per day. This would be your “maintenance level.” Once you know what your maintenance levels are, you can use them as a reference point to start your diet. Over a period of time, your body gets accustomed to the fewer calories you consume. It learns how to use energy more efficiently and in turn uses less fat. This is a stage where your weight loss reaches a plateau. When you get to this point exercises such as cardio, weight training, and cycling are options to help boost your metabolism. Very often it is found that as you get nearer to your goal for weight loss, it gets more difficult. It is important that you set a limit to the calories you intake to sustain a weight that is healthy. It is possible to calculate the daily calorie intake based on individual lifestyle. Based on this you can figure out how many calories you need to consume daily; this figure, however, is not absolute. Here is how it works: • Multiply your desired or current pounds by 10 (for women) and 11 (for men). This would give you an idea of what your basic calorie requirements should be. Remember that required calories for men and women and are different.
• These basic daily calorie needs when multiplied by your activity level will give you your calorie needs based on your activity. (Activity levels can be taken at 20% if you are inactive during the day, 30% if you indulge in slight activity, 40% for those who are more active and do house work, dance, or go for some exercise class, 50% if you are active in some sport or have a job that involves a lot of physical labor.)
• Calculate how many calories are required to digest and absorb food. This is done by adding the first two figures. (Basic calorie needs and calorie needs based on activity.) Then, multiply the sum you get by 0.10. This would give you the number of calories required for digestion.
• The total you get from all the above steps would be the daily calorie intake required to maintain a desired body weight.
It is best that you talk to your healthcare provider or dietician when figuring out what your desired weight should be. He/she will assist you in setting a goal that is safe, healthy and reasonable.
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