So, you want to know how much should you eat daily? Yes, of course! That’s probably why you opened this article. Well, you are at the right place because I am going to explain everything, including how to calculate your macro portions, i.e. how much proteins, fats and carbohydrates should you eat to achieve your goals.
Not everyone is a Math nerd like me, so I am going to make this easy for you! There are several calorie calculators available online, and most of them give you a fairly accurate estimate of your energy requirements.
The purpose of this article is to help you understand the calculations, so you are well informed and able to plan your meals better
I have also created a set of guidelines, so you have a greater understanding of how to decide how much you should eat based on your desired goals.
It is advisable to seek medical or professional assistance if you:
- have a medical condition such as diabetes, PCOD, heart condition etc. that may have specific dietary needs
- are a high-performance athlete
- are looking for a precise body composition
OPTION 1: BASIC CALCULATION
This is the simplest method to calculate your daily energy intake (in kcal).
This method should work for a vast majority of individuals, with a sedentary lifestyle, and is a good way to GET STARTED.
DAILY ENERGY NEEDS BASED ON GOALS
1) FAT LOSS:
- Appropriate daily energy intake: Goal body weight (in kgs) × 25
- E.g. 71 kg goal body weight: 1775 kcal
2) WEIGHT MAINTENANCE:
- Appropriate daily energy intake: Body weight (in kgs) × 30
- E.g. 71 kg individual: 2130 kcal
3) MASS GAIN:
- Appropriate daily energy intake: Body weight (in kgs) × 36
- E.g. 71 kg individual: 2556 kcal
Give yourself a range of ~±5% to allow for some flexibility. In the above example, you can give yourself a range of 1700-1850 kcal for fat loss goals
SUMMARY TABLE
Goal |
Daily energy intake (kcal) |
Fat Loss |
Goal Body Weight (in kgs) × 25 |
Weight Maintenance |
Body Weight (in kgs) × 30 |
Mass Gain |
Body Weight (in kgs) × 36 |
If you wish to go with this method, you may directly skip to GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CALIBRATION section.
OPTION 2: CALCULATION USING BMR AND ACTIVITY LEVEL
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimation of how many calories (kcal) you burn per day when exercise is taken into account. This can also be used as an estimate for the amount of energy (in kcal) one should consume to maintain their current weight. One can modify TDEE based on their fitness goals to calculate their daily energy requirements. I’ll discuss this in detail in this section.
Let’s understand TDEE calculation using an example:
My Example:
- Weight: 71 kg
- Height: 186 cm
- Age: 31 yrs
STEP 1: CALCULATE BMR
Use the below formula to calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) using Harris-Benedict equation:
Men:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
Women:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161
In My example,
BMR = (10 × 71) + (6.25 × 186) – (5 × 31) + 5 = 1722.5 kcal
What is BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)?
It is the amount of energy (in kcal) required to keep your body functioning at rest. This can vary from person to person but here we are mathematically deriving an estimated value.
STEP 2: CALCULATE MULTIPICATIVE FACTOR (M)
Calculate a multiplicative factor (M) based on how much you exercise regularly:
- Sedentary (No purposeful exercise) – 1.25
- Light (<3 hrs. per week) – 1.5
- Moderate (3-6 hrs per week) – 1.7
- Intense (6+ hrs per week) – 2
Here is my average weekly exercise split:
- Strength training – 2 times a week (~45 mins)
- Badminton – 2-3 times a week (~45 mins)
- Mobility training or stretching – 2 times a week (~45 mins)
I fall in the moderate exercise intensity category, so M = 1.7
STEP 3: CALCULATE TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE)
TDEE or the energy required to maintain your current body weight is as below:
BMR x Multiplicative factor (M).
In My example,
TDEE = 1722.5 × 1.7 = ~2928 kcal
I will give this a range of ±5%, to allow for some flexibility.
Let’s keep TDEE range at 2800 – 3050 kcal.
STEP 4: CALCULATE THE ENERGY REQUIREMENT BY GOALS
Determine your daily appropriate energy intake based on your desired goals:
FAT LOSS:
Consider a calories deficit of up to 20%. One can go for more than 20% deficit but that may lead to excessive hunger for some individuals, so it’s best to cap it at 20% initially.
In My example,
I would like a calorie deficit of say 15%
Appropriate daily energy intake = 2928 x (1 – 0.15) = 2488 kcal.
To allow for some flexibility, use a range of 2350 – 2600 kcal.
WEIGHT MAINTENANCE OR STRENGTH GAINS:
For maintenance, use TDEE range as provided in Step 3.
In My example,
This would be 2800 – 3050 kcal
MASS GAIN:
Consider a calorie surplus of up to 15%. One can go beyond 15% but that may be excessive for some individuals and can affect your waistline. So, it’s best to cap it at 15% initially.
In My example,
I would like a calorie surplus of say 10%
Appropriate daily energy intake = 2928 × (1 + 0.1) = 3220 kcal.
To allow for some flexibility, use a range of 3100 – 3400 kcal
SUMMARY TABLE
Step 1:Calculate BMR |
Men:BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5 Women:BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161 |
Step 2:Calculate Multiplicative Factor (M) |
Sedentary (No purposeful exercise) – 1.25 Light (<3 hrs. per week) – 1.5 Moderate (3-6 hrs per week) – 1.7 Intense (6+ hrs per week) – 2 |
Step 3:Calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) |
TDEE = BMR x M |
Step 4:Calculate energy requirement by goals |
Fat Loss:TDEE × (1 − (% calorie deficit ÷ 100)) Up to 20% calorie deficit Weight maintenance or strength gain:Same as TDEE (as in step 3) Mass Gain:TDEE × (1 + (% calorie surplus ÷ 100)) Up to 15% calorie surplus |
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CALIBRATION
- Weigh yourself daily at the same time, preferably in the morning. If checking your weight gives you anxiety, do it weekly
- Take measurements weekly (Optional)
- Observe trends every four weeks.
- If the trend is not in the expected direction, e.g. downwards for fat loss, modify your daily energy intake by 50-100 kcal and track again for the next four weeks.
- Once you start achieving desired results, maintain your weekly food intake.
- As a practice, revisit your TDEE every three months and modify your energy intake accordingly.
MACRONUTRIENTS SPLIT – HOW MUCH PROTEIN, FATS AND CARBS SHOULD YOU EAT?
Now that you have calculated your daily energy intake, the next step is to determine how much proteins, fats, and carbohydrates should you eat.
PROTEINS
If you are an individual with a sedentary lifestyle who wants to maintain weight and eat for general health, you should consume 0.8-1.2 grams (gm) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight.
For those who are looking for body composition changes or strength gains, the protein requirements are slightly higher. As a guideline, aim to consume about 2 gm of protein per kg of your body weight.
In My example,
Appropriate daily protein intake = 71 × 2 = ~142 gm
1 gm of proteins = 4 calories (kcal)
Appropriate daily protein intake (in kcal) = 142 × 4 = ~568 kcal
FATS
As a guideline, aim to consume about 30% of your daily energy intake from fat sources.
In My example (for strength gains),
Appropriate daily energy intake = ~2928 kcal
Appropriate daily fats intake (in kcal) = 30% of 2928 kcal = 0.3 × 2928 = ~878 kcal
1 gm of fats = 9 calories (kcal)
Appropriate daily fats intake = 878 ÷ 9 = ~98 gm
CARBOHYDRATES
Now that we know how much protein and fats one should eat, the remaining energy needs are met by carbohydrate-rich foods
In My example (for strength gains),
Appropriate daily energy intake = ~2928 kcal
Appropriate daily carbs intake (in kcal) = 2928 − 568 − 878 = ~1482 kcal
1 gm of carbs = 4 calories (kcal)
Appropriate daily fats intake = 1482 ÷ 4 = ~370 gm
SUMMARY TABLE
Macronutrient |
General Guideline |
Proteins |
~2 gm per kg of body weight |
Fats |
30% of appropriate daily energy intake |
Carbohydrates |
The remainder of daily energy intake after subtracting proteins and fats |
To understand how to put the above steps in practice once you have calculated how much should you eat, I suggest you read this article:
READ THIS
Bottom Line
How much you need to eat daily depends on whether you want to lose, maintain or gain weight, as well as other factors such as current weight, age, height, gender, and activity level. Losing or gaining weight does not mean you need to make drastic changes to your diet. Few simple lifestyle changes can help you make healthy living sustainable.
There are numerous apps available such as MyFitnessPal or Lose it! to log your food intake and track calories. Counting calories can be incredibly useful, especially for those looking for body composition changes. However, not everyone enjoys counting calories and there is no need to track your intake daily. Try it for a few weeks and get a high-level understanding of your daily energy needs.
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