How to Calculate Your Total Daily Calorie Needs

We all need a minimum number of calories simply to survive, but we can also set a calorie limit to maintain a healthy weight. You can calculate the total number of calories you need for your type of lifestyle, then use this figure to decide on a range of calories to consume each day - it's not an absolute figure.

Instructions

1

Calculate the minimum number of calories you need by multiplying your current or desired weight in pounds by 10 if you're a woman, 11 if you're a man. This number represents your basic calorie needs.

2

Calculate the number of calories required for your activity level (see tips, below) by multiplying your basic calorie needs (the calculation from step 1) by your activity level - 20 percent or 0.2, 30 percent or 0.3, 40 percent or 0.4, or 50 percent or 0.5. The resulting number represents your activity-based calorie needs.

3

Calculate the number of calories your body needs for food digestion and absorption by adding your basic calorie needs and your activity-based calorie needs (the answers from steps 1 and 2) and multiplying this sum by 0.10. These are the calories you need for digestion.

4

Add the three calculations from steps 1, 2 and 3: This is your total daily calorie need to maintain your desired weight.