How to Figure Out the Percent of Kcal Fat for a Day

According to the nutritional guidelines published on the Mayo Clinic website, no fewer than 20 and no more than 35 percent of your daily calories should come from fat. To figure out how many kilocalories, or Kcal, you need to consume daily, you need to determine your daily calorie needs. This is the estimated number of calories you need to consume each day to either maintain or lose weight. Once this number is known, determining the minimum and maximum number of fat calories you should consume daily involves a simple multiplication equation. Converting from calories to Kcal involves a simple division equation.

Things You'll Need

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Instructions

    • 1

      Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. The result is your weight in kilograms, kg. For example, for a 140 lb., 35-year-old female, 140 divided by 2.2 equals 63.63 kg.

    • 2

      Calculate your Resting Metabolic Rate, RMR, using one of the following formulas appropriate for your age and gender. Your RMR is the amount of calories your body burns when it's completely at rest. For males, age 18 to 30: 15.3 times weight in kg plus 679; age 30 to 60: 11.6 times weight in kg plus 879; and age 60 and older: 13.5 times weight in kg plus 487. For females, age 18 to 30: 14.7 times weight in kg plus 496; age 30 to 60: 8.7 times weight in kg plus 829; and age 60 and older: 10.5 times weight in kg plus 596. For example, for a 35-year-old female who weighs 63 kg: 8.7 times 63 equals 548.1, resulting in 548.1 plus 829 equals 1377.1 RMR.

    • 3

      Multiply your RMR by one of the following numbers appropriate for your gender and general daily activity level. The result is the amount of calories you burn daily doing activities, called your Thermic Effect of Exercise, TEE. For males: sedentary: 0.3; lightly active: 0.6; moderately active: 0.7; very active: 1.1; and extremely active: 1.4. For females: sedentary: 0.3; lightly active: 0.5; moderately active: 0.6; very active: 0.9; and extremely active: 1.2. An example for a moderately active female with a 1,377.1 RMR: 1,377.1 times 0.6 equals 826.26 TEE.

    • 4

      Add your RMR and TEE. The result is the number of calories you must consume each day to maintain your current weight, called your "daily calorie needs," or DCN. For example, for a female with a 1,377.1 RMR and 826.26 TEE: 1,377.1 plus 826.26 equals 2,203.36 DCN.

    • 5

      Subtract 500 from your DCN if your goal is to lose weight. The result is your new DCN. Skip this step if you want to maintain your current weight. For example: 2,203 minus 500 equals 1,703.

    • 6

      Multiply your DCN by .2. The result is the minimum number of fat calories you should consume daily. For example: 1,703 times .2 equals 340.6 calories.

    • 7

      Multiply your DCN by .35. The result is the maximum of fat calories you should consume daily. For example: 1,703 times .35 equals 596.05 calories.

    • 8

      Divide your minimum number of fat calories by 1,000 to convert it to Kcal. The result is the minimum number of Kcal you should consume daily. For example: 340 divided by 1,000 equals 0.34 Kcal.

    • 9

      Divide your maximum number of fat calories by 1,000 to convert it to Kcal. The result is the maximum number of Kcal you should consume daily: 596 divided by 1,000 equals 0.596 Kcal.

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