The number of calories one needs per day varies on a number of factors like age, sex, level of physical activity and so on. These factors need to be kept in mind while calculating one’s energy requirements per day.
- There are many formulae which can be used to calculate one’s daily calorie requirement like weight in pounds multiplied by ten or the Harris-Benedict formula, which calculates one’s BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and AMR (Active Metabolic Rate).
- In general it is commonly held that women need 1940 kcals per day whereas a healthy active male requires 2550 kcals per day. This is dependent on the assumption that the individuals in question are normal healthy women and men respectively, of the same age bracket.
- The number of calories one should consume per day is also dependent on one’s age and food intake. If a diet consists of greater proportion of fat and alcohol, one needs to reduce the intake of food in order to achieve the optimal calorie intake. Similarly, if one eats a diet rich in proteins and carbohydrates, one can consume a greater quantity of food to obtain similar calorie amounts.
- The number of calories one consumes should also be dependent on the amount of physical exercise one does.
