How Many Calories Should You Eat A Day?


  • Recommended Calorie Number
  • How to Receive Your Recommended Calorie Number
  • Other Considerations
  • Last Takeaway

Calorie counting can be a daunting task, as it often brings out the best in you. On the other hand, it can help us to be more aware of our daily calorie needs and to the choices we make in order to stay on top of a healthy diet. When it comes to health, self-awareness is vital.


To better understand how to determine your daily calorie intake, we have enlisted the help of two nutritionists who will guide you through the necessary calculations and individual factors to consider when determining how many calories you should eat per day.


Recommended Calorie Number

Calories first named in the nineteenth century by French physicists1. You may remember in the chemical class that 'Calorie' can be defined as the temperature needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water to one degree of centimeter. In other words, Calorie is a potential source of energy.


At the beginning of the twentieth century, scientists began to introduce the concept of calories as a unit or measure of the food you eat. In 1918, Lulu Hunt Peters, MD, published what is now widely known as America's first food book, Diet & Health with Key to the Calories. This best-selling book has contributed to changing the scientific understanding of calories in a modern context. In it, Peter introduced calorie counting as a way to gain or lose weight. You increase the idea that you can lose weight by burning more calories than you save.


In the 1980's, calorie counting became a boom. However, the method used to calculate calories consumed did not change as much as it does today. "The standard procedure used to determine how many calories a healthy person should eat regularly was not based on such factors as gender, age, and level of activity," Richards explained. At that time, the system provided a lot of foundation instead of the subtle methods used today.


Both Bowman and Richards emphasize the importance of looking at individual metrics such as gender, age, height, weight, and weekly activity to determine the daily calorie intake. "Nutritionists will use a variety of statistics to calculate this information," says Richards, indicating that the same scale is unreasonable when it comes to understanding individual needs. "It is also helpful to consider any possible physical conditions, health problems, or diagnoses. For example, a person with COPD will burn more calories than a person with healthy lungs; a person with a limb will need a small special number."


Currently, many nutritionists determine the daily calorie intake by the equation that measures the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDE), both of which are different for each individual. "Recommended daily calorie intake is often calculated based on Mifflin-St Jeor statistics," explains Bowman, "and is widely known as the most effective and valid way to balance the daily caloric needs of each calorie."


He adds that long-term health and fitness goals also provide insight into hitting that magic number. "The daily caloric needs of a person who wants to build lean muscle mass will be very different from those with a goal focused on fat loss or total weight loss," Bowman said. "Understanding the daily calorie needs in addition to the breakdown of these calories as macronutrients (carbs, fats, proteins) is essential for creating structure and the division of the individual within one's daily diet pattern."


How to Receive Your Recommended Calorie Number

When it comes to determining your recommended calorie count, there is an app for that. Bowman recommends looking at a calculator that "uses gender, age, height, weight, and weekly activity level." From there, he says, you can produce a "daily calorie ratio that makes it easier to distribute food and plan a healthy weekly diet based on your goal."


Richards recommends the following figure to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which he describes as "a typical practice of how many calories you should eat based on gender and function." Bowman adds that BMR is "the number of calories needed for daily exercise at rest."


  • Adult male: 66 + (6.3 x body weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x years old) = BMR
  • Adult Woman: 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x in height) - (4.7 x years old) = BMR


Repeat your BMR with the appropriate activity item, as follows:


  • If you do not move (slim or do not exercise): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
  • If you exercise less (light exercise / sports 1-3 days / week): Calorie Counting = BMR x 1.375
  • Moderate exercise (exercise / intermediate sports 3-5 days / week): Calorie count = BMR x 1.55
  • If you are very active (hard work / sports 6-7 days a week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
  • If you are very active (strenuous exercise / sports and physical activity or double training): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

According to Bowman, your weekly work can range from light (one to several days a week) to very active (six to seven days a week). He notes, "a high level of weekly work requires a high calorie consumption compared with a low workout or sedentary lifestyle."


 Also, lifestyle is very important in determining your daily calorie intake. "An athlete's weekly diet program that focuses on nutrition will be very different from the daily calorie needs of weight loss training," explains Bowman. "By determining our specific daily caloric needs, we will begin to raise awareness not only about the type of food we should eat regularly but also the total number of calories needed for a complete energy balance to meet our goal and avoid field training."