I use the form below to help patients figure out how many calories they need per day for weight loss or maintenance.

Click on the icon for a PDF copy of this form.

Determine your weight and daily caloric needs for maintenance and weight loss.       

1.  WEIGHT GOAL ____________

Women: Allow 100 pounds for first 5 ft of height plus 5 lb for each additional inch)  Total = Ideal body weight.  You can also check your height and weight by clicking here for a body mass index chart . Desired BMI is less than 25.

Men: Allow 106 pounds for first 5 ft of height plus 6 pound for each additional inch. 

2. CALORIE REQUIREMENT CHART:

Activity Level       Sedentary        Moderate      Active

Overweight          20-25 kcal/kg      30                35           

Normal weight         30 kcal/kg       35                40 

Divide your weight by 2.2 to obtain your weight in kilograms______kg 

weight in kg______ x activity level ______=  daily Caloric need for weight maintenance 

         For example: a  160 pound active woman would need about 2545 calories for weight maintenance.

Consider yourself moderately active if you exercise for 45 minutes 3-4 days per week.  An active level is closer to 60 minutes of aerobic activity 6 days per week.  These are general but pretty safe estimates so that you don't overestimate your activity level.

CALORIE NEEDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS:

  ______________   _ 250 =  __________to lose 1/2 lb per week

(Calories from #2)

  _____________    _  500 =  __________to lose 1 lb per week 

______________    _   750=  __________to lose 1 1/2 lb per week 

______________    _  1000= __________to lose 2 lb per week 

DAILY CALORIC GOAL=____________Calories 

Your Caloric needs are higher if you rated yourself at a higher activity level.  When energy (Caloric) intake exceeds the body's needs, the extra energy is stored in body fat. In order to lose weight, energy nutrient intake must be reversed to achieve a calorie deficit.  One pound of body fat stores 3500 calories.  To lose a pound of body fat a week, an average deficit of 500 calories is needed.  Keeping this principle in mind, you can see how it is not physiologically possible to lose 5 pounds of fat a week.  That would be an average deficit of 2500 calories a day which would leave you with no intake.  An energy intake of less than 1200 calories is not recommended- you don't want to feel deprived and feel as though you are running on empty!  

Kathy James, DNSc,NP

Office number 858-259-4676