By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
Many factors determine exactly how many calories you should consume. You need to consider the fact that you are different from everyone else. Factors such as height, weight, age, gender, body type, metabolism, activity level, job, current fitness level, injuries, medical conditions, and your goals all play a huge role in how many calories you should consume.
Let me help you shed some light on where to start with your caloric intake. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you an elaborate series of equations to work with even though sometimes I have to say I enjoy doing that myself to figure out just exactly what someone’s metabolic rate is.
So here’s a simple formula for calculating your individual nutritional needs.
Sedentary (Minimal Exercise)
Fat Loss: Weight (lbs) x 10-12
Maintenance: Weight (lbs) x 12-14
Muscle Gains: Weight (lbs) x 16-18
Moderately Active (Exercise 3-4 x/Week)
Fat Loss: Weight (lbs) x 12-14
Maintenance: Weight (lbs) x 14-16
Muscle Gains: Weight (lbs) x 18-20
Very Active (Exercise 5-7 x/Week)
Fat Loss: Weight (lbs) x 14-16
Maintenance: Weight (lbs) x 16-18
Muscle Gains: Weight (lbs) x 20-22
If you find that you still struggle with understanding what you need to do, please don’t hesitate to ask for help!
Whether you have questions about your workouts, nutrition, or just simply understanding where to start or how to get out of a plateau, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’ll be happy to schedule a free one hour session to sit down and meet with you, discuss your goals and what you need to do, as well as give you a free workout.