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How Many Calories Does Your Body Need to Maintain Weight?

Maintaining weight is a matter of balancing what goes in with what goes out. Calories represent energy input while all of our activities represent energy output. Individual caloric needs vary for each individual according to their body type, size and level of physical activity.

  1. Body Type

    • Calculating one's caloric needs without considering body type is frivolous. A 250 lb. person that sits behind a desk by day and watches television at night needs far fewer calories than a 250 lb. professional bodybuilder.

    Activity

    • Engaging in any physical activity increases one's calorie requirements. Racers in the Tour de France burn approximately 10,000 calories a day. The same rider sitting at home watching television burns less than 2,000.

    Body Mass Index

    • Defining caloric needs is most accurate by understanding one's body mass index (BMI). The scale does not take into account bone size and density or muscularity. The method to calculate BMI is body weight in lbs. multiplied by 705, divided by height (in inches) squared. BMI calculators are also available online and all one needs to do is plug in their numbers to receive instant results (see Resources section).

    Counting Calories

    • Calculating the number of calories consumed per day can seem frustrating. Once common foods are calculated several times however, the task becomes less of a chore. Purchase an inexpensive pocket size calorie book (usually available at the grocery check out) or use one online (see Resources section).

    Estimating Calories Burned

    • Balancing intake and output can be accomplished by having a general sense of various activities and the calories burned. Below are a few broad reaching examples. The following examples are for a 155 lb. person performing the activity for one hour.
      Cleaning (light/moderate) - 176 calories
      Low Impact Aerobics -- 352 calories
      Running (five mph) -- 563 calories
      Light calisthenics (push-ups/sit-ups) -- 317 calories
      Weight lifting (light/moderate) -- 422 calories
      Bicycling (10 mph) -- 281 calories

    Metabolism

    • Burning calories is something our bodies do best during our youth to enhance the building and growth that is taking place. As we age our metabolism slows, so in order to maintain weight one must either increase activity or decrease caloric intake.

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