[skipper]

This is from an article in Fitness magazine, and let me tell you I think it's pretty right on for me & what I need to do to lose weight. See if it's about right for you. I'm amazed at how accurate it is for my weight loss journey.

"How many calories do I really need?"

Step 1: Do a little math

(_____x4.5)+(_____x15.88)-(_____x5)-161=_____
weight height (inches) age total

Step 2: Multiply your total (above) by the appropriate percentage (below)

If you're... Multiply the above total by...
Sedentary 20%
Lightly Active 30%
Moderately Active 40%
Very active 50%

Step 3: Find your calorie goal
Total #1 + Total #2 = daily calorie total to MAINTAIN..

Extra!
To lose weight, subtract 250 calories per day to shed one-half pound per week; subtract 500 calories to drop one pound per week.

[ooodsie]

this basically came out to be the same numbers that thedailyplate.com gave me. thanks.

[mandalinn82]

(162x4.5)+(68x15.88)-(25x5)-161= 1773

Assuming that working out 5 x per week 1 hr per day is "lightly active", I get an extra 531 for that...

So I get 2300 to maintain.

If I ate 2300 calories a day, I'd gain like crazy! And I can't lose with anything above 1400 calories per day (400 less than what they'd predict to lose 2 lbs a week)

Further proof that no body is a machine! The formulas always WAY overestimate what my body wants. The only reliable way I've found is to do some good ol' trial and error. So frustrating though, because I'd LOVE to have a formula that accurately predicted that I needed to do. But if your body works as the formulas say it should, that is wonderful, and the formulas do provide a great starting point for experimentation.

[mom2mollie]

Thank you! I used an equation similar to this to lose my weight a few years ago and it worked like a charm because I recalculated the # of calories I needed to eat as my weight and age and activity level changed.

Good luck all!

[alinnell]

Well, mine came out to be pretty much what I know I have to eat in order to lose. I strive for 1200-1400 per day and the calculations put me at 1328 without exercise or 1593 with exercise.