Daily Caloric Needs

This is fun and informative. Remember, "Learn & Enjoy."

I used to have an online calculator that did this automatically for me and my patients, but this is more fun, if not more laborious. Follow along.

I did average out "Active" and "Very Active" somewhere in-between because of the weather. It's pretty hard to be "Very Active" with this virus thing I heard is going around.

Determine Your Daily Caloric Needs:

There are several ways to determine how many calories you need:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Physical Activity

Thermic Effect of Food

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The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs while resting. This accounts for about 60-70 % of calories burned daily. In general, men have a higher BMR than women +because muscle and testosterone). One of the most accurate methods of estimating your Basal Metabolic Rate is the Harris-Benedict Formula:

Adult male: 66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years) = BMR

Adult female: 655 + (4.3 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years) = BMR

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows: 66+(6.3*170)=1203 +(12.9*71)= -(6.8*62)=2118.9-421.6=1697.3

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2

If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375

If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725

If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Total Calorie Needs Example

If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR (1745) by 1.2 = 2094. This is the total number of calories you need in order to maintain your current weight.

Calorie Needs to Lose Weight

There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. If you subtract 3500 calories each week through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight. (On average 75% of this is fat, 25% lean tissue) If you create a 7000 calorie deficit you will lose two pounds and so on. The calorie deficit can be achieved either by calorie reduction alone, or by a combination of eating less and doing more. This combination of healthy eating and physical activity is best for achieving and maintianing a healthy weight.

If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. For people with only a small amount of weight to lose, 1000 calories is too much. As a guide, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 calories per day for men. Even these calorie levels are quite low.

Flat-Chested Quest for Acceptance

My Quora Answer to

I'm 18, and very underweight. I have metobalosim problems, I've always been teased for my flat chest. If I gain weight will my breasts grow? But how much of a growth will it be?

Michael Mangold, MD Medicine, Rosalind Franklin (1990)

Answered just now

You have two Questions and I'll answer them separately.

You are at an age where your hormones are raging so there is the possibility that they WILL get bigger. No guarantees but it's worth a try.

And how do you try? I recommend you get a mass builder shake powder. Take one serving in the morning and once more at bedtime. Add some good oils like coconut oil or it's main fat, MCT oil. How much? Start low like a teaspoon in each shake and increase weekly. Otherwise you might develop Hershey squirts. Olive oil is a good fat, too. For supplements, take fish oil and Vitamins A and D3 which are oils, too. D3 is a precursor to hormones so you get a double whammy

Start lifting weights. That may sound counter-intuitive as a way to gain fat but if your primary goal is an increase in bust size, lifting weights (especially bench presses) will build up your pectoralis muscles, giving you a fuller appearance.

Now, how much gain you will see. I just can't predict because so many variables factor in. Your diet, hormone levels, age, and so on. There's only one way to find out. Just do it.

I'm sorry that others find it difficult to accept you as you are. You didn't choose this so teasing is just a form of bullying. So keep your head up, do what needs to be done, work at it consistently, and experiment.

You can do it!