Calorie Confused?

by Andrea Holwegner | Jun 16, 2010

How many calories do I need per day?

One of the most common questions that we get asked in our counselling practice is how many calories to eat per day. If you have read a diet magazine that suggests an adult needs only 1200 calories per day this is likely far too low to be sustainable, enjoyable and helpful to manage a healthy metabolism (after all a 2 year old needs 1000 calories a day and they are much smaller than an adult!).

Consuming too few calories compared to what your body requires is a form of stress for the body and will inevitably not help you manage a healthy weight and enjoy flexible eating habits over time. Your metabolism is like a furnace, if food is in short supply it slows the furnace or metabolism down. On the other hand eating too many calories for what your body requires is one of the leading causes of obesity in North America. I often find many of our clients struggling to lose excess weight underestimate how much they are eating and overestimate how many calories are burned during physical activity. If you are trying to lose weight, hitting the gym and burning off 300 calories during your workout would not warrant an extra large supper and justify two helpings of dessert.

The total amount of calories you require per day will vary based on gender, age, activity level and genetics. The chart below gives you an estimate of how many calories you likely need per day. For people that are extremely active they will even require even more than what is listed on the chart below.

Activity levels on the chart below can be defined by the following:

LOW = less than 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities.
MOD. ACTIVE = 30-60 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities.
ACTIVE = 60 or more minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities.

DAILY GOALS FOR TOTAL CALORIES

MALES				FEMALES
Activity level	*Low	*Mod. active	*Active	Activity level	*Low	*Mod. active	*Active
Age				Age
2	1000	1000	1000	2	1000	1000	1000
3	1000	1400	1400	3	1000	1200	1400
4	1200	1400	1600	4	1200	1400	1400
5	1200	1400	1600	5	1200	1400	1600
6	1400	1600	1800	6	1200	1400	1600
7	1400	1600	1800	7	1200	1600	1800
8	1400	1600	2000	8	1400	1600	1800
9	1600	1800	2000	9	1400	1600	1800
10	1600	1800	2200	10	1400	1800	2000
11	1800	2000	2200	11	1600	1800	2000
12	1800	2200	2400	12	1600	2000	2200
13	2000	2200	2600	13	1600	2000	2200
14	2000	2400	2800	14	1800	2000	2400
15	2200	2600	3000	15	1800	2000	2400
16	2400	2800	3200	16	1800	2000	2400
17	2400	2800	3200	17	1800	2000	2400
18	2400	2800	3200	18	1800	2000	2400
19-20	2600	2800	3000	19-20	2000	2200	2400
21-25	2400	2800	3000	21-25	2000	2200	2400
26-30	2400	2600	3000	26-30	1800	2000	2400
31-35	2400	2600	3000	31-35	1800	2000	2200
36-40	2400	2600	2800	36-40	1800	2000	2200
41-45	2200	2600	2800	41-45	1800	2000	2200
46-50	2200	2400	2800	46-50	1800	2000	2200
51-55	2200	2400	2800	51-55	1600	1800	2200
56-60	2200	2400	2600	56-60	1600	1800	2200
61-65	2000	2400	2600	61-65	1600	1800	2000
66-70	2000	2200	2600	66-70	1600	1800	2000
71-75	2000	2200	2600	71-75	1600	1800	2000
76 +	2000	2000	2400	76 +	1600	1800	2000

*Calorie levels are based on the Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) and activity levels from the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes Macro nutrients Report, 2002.

Choose not to starve or stuff yourself – getting a healthy amount of calories per day will help you have the healthful and soulful eating habits you deserve and help you manage a healthy body weight.

Thanks for reading!

Andrea Holwegner

“The Chocoholic Dietitian”

Andrea Holwegner

About Andrea Holwegner

CEO, Registered Dietitian, Counseling Practice Director & Professional Speaker

Andrea the «Chocoholic Nutritionist» is founder and CEO of Health Stand Nutrition Consulting Inc. since 2000. She is an online nutrition course creator, professional speaker and regular guest in the media. Andrea is the recipient of an award by the Dietitians of Canada: The Speaking of Food & Healthy Living Award for Excellence in Consumer Education....Read more

2 Comments

Mark on June 25, 2010 at 1:22 pm

Great little reminder and reference for my calorie intake. I was just wondering how many calories a day is proper for myself.

Andrea Holwegner on August 30, 2010 at 2:01 pm

I agree losing weight is not impossible but it is indeed challenging especially if you are new to exercise and haven’t learned healthy eating habits when you were a child. Weight loss is the top reason people come and see us in our practice. In response to your comment I think you can lose weight and still occasionally eat fast food. I really support the concept that all foods can fit and that the healthiest and happiest people I know have not given up anything but instead challenge themselves to eat better but never trying tobe perfect.

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“As a construction company, we select speakers who can relate to our industry and its employees. Andrea’s message was delivered with humor and empathy. She makes people feel as though they can make changes without leaving behind every favorite food. Andrea focused her presentation on healthy eating as a way to keep energy high throughout the day. This message and the way it was delivered resonated with our predominantly male, blue collar culture. I would highly recommend Andrea as a speaker for groups such as ours. She will get your message across without alienating anyone in your audience – which is a huge hurdle when trying to introduce a wellness program in the workplace!”

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Calorie Confused?

How many calories do I need per day?

DAILY GOALS FOR TOTAL CALORIES

Andrea Holwegner

About Andrea Holwegner

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