How Many Calories Does Your Body Need? Posted By : James Lahey
In order to determine how many calories your body needs, think of your energy requirements as a bank account. When you consume calories you make a deposit. When your body spends energy on work, you make a withdrawal. The amount of energy you withdraw each day can be divided into two parts. The energy your body needs at rest and the energy your body needs at work. You need to keep your energy account in balance and need to take in enough energy each day to cover your withdrawals.
In general, infants and adolescents burn more energy per pound than adults do. This is because they are continually developing large amounts of tissue. An average man also burns more energy than an average women because his body is larger and has more muscle. It is unfair but a man who weighs 150 pounds can consume 10 percent more calories than a woman who weighs 150 pounds and still not gain weight.
On the bright side, even when you are resting your body is busy using energy. Your heart beats, your lungs contract and expand, your intestines digest food, your liver processes nutrients. Your glands secrete hormones and your muscles flex. The energy that your body uses to do all this stuff is called resting energy expenditure or abbreviated as REE. The REE can also be known as basal metabolism. The REE accounts for a large 60 to 70 percent of all the energy we need each day.
In order to find your resting expenditure you need to first determine your weight in kilograms. One kilogram equals 2.2 pounds so divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. An 18-30 year old male needs (15.3 x weight in kg) + 679 calories. A 30-60 year old male needs (11.6 x weight in kg) + 879 calories. An 18-30 year old female needs (14.7 x weight in kg) + 496 calories. A 30-60 year old female needs (8.7 x weight in kg) + 829 calories.
In general, infants and adolescents burn more energy per pound than adults do. This is because they are continually developing large amounts of tissue. An average man also burns more energy than an average women because his body is larger and has more muscle. It is unfair but a man who weighs 150 pounds can consume 10 percent more calories than a woman who weighs 150 pounds and still not gain weight.
On the bright side, even when you are resting your body is busy using energy. Your heart beats, your lungs contract and expand, your intestines digest food, your liver processes nutrients. Your glands secrete hormones and your muscles flex. The energy that your body uses to do all this stuff is called resting energy expenditure or abbreviated as REE. The REE can also be known as basal metabolism. The REE accounts for a large 60 to 70 percent of all the energy we need each day.
In order to find your resting expenditure you need to first determine your weight in kilograms. One kilogram equals 2.2 pounds so divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. An 18-30 year old male needs (15.3 x weight in kg) + 679 calories. A 30-60 year old male needs (11.6 x weight in kg) + 879 calories. An 18-30 year old female needs (14.7 x weight in kg) + 496 calories. A 30-60 year old female needs (8.7 x weight in kg) + 829 calories.