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You need to know two things in order to figure out how many calories you should be consuming per day:
1) Your goal โ do you want to gain, lose, or maintain weight?
2) Your TDEE โ this is a fancy way of saying you need to know how many calories youโre burning per day ON AVERAGE
1) Your goal โ do you want to gain, lose, or maintain weight?
2) Your TDEE โ this is a fancy way of saying you need to know how many calories youโre burning per day ON AVERAGE
If you already know your TDEE and your goal, this is very simpleโฆ
1) If you want to maintain weight, simply consume the same amount of calories that youโre burning per day (intake will equal TDEE)
2) If you want to gain weight, simply consume 200 calories MORE than youโre burning per day (intake will equal TDEE + 200)
3) If you want to lose weight, simply consume 500 calories LESS than youโre burning per day (intake will equal TDEE - 500)
If you already know your goal but you do NOT know your TDEE, let me help you figure that outโฆ
HOW TO FIGURE OUT TDEE:
STEP 1: Track your calories & macros every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 2: Track your step count every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 3: Track your bodyweight every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 4: Plot your rate of gain/loss (in terms of bodyweight) across 6-8+ weeks
STEP 5: Use the 3,500 calorie rule (1 pound gained or lost = 3,500 calories) in accordance with your data to determine a BALLPARK ESTIMATE of your calorie burn figure
STEP 1: Track your calories & macros every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 2: Track your step count every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 3: Track your bodyweight every day and take the average at the end of the week
STEP 4: Plot your rate of gain/loss (in terms of bodyweight) across 6-8+ weeks
STEP 5: Use the 3,500 calorie rule (1 pound gained or lost = 3,500 calories) in accordance with your data to determine a BALLPARK ESTIMATE of your calorie burn figure
Once you know your TDEE (which is another way of saying โyour maintenance caloriesโ), simply refer back to the above formulas and choose the one that lines up with your goal.
Refresher:
Weight maintenance goal = consume TDEE
Weight gain goal = consume TDEE + 200
Weight loss goal = consume 500 below TDEE
Refresher:
Weight maintenance goal = consume TDEE
Weight gain goal = consume TDEE + 200
Weight loss goal = consume 500 below TDEE
For those of you that do NOT yet know your TDEE but would like to be given a ballpark calorie figure to shoot for (that should put you in line with your gain/loss/maintenance goal) during the initial data compilation phase, use one of the following formulas:
๐๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ:
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 10 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 12 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if very active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 10 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 12 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if very active)
๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ:
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 16 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 18 (if very active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 16 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 18 (if very active)
๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ:
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 12 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 16 (if very active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 12 (if sedentary)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 14 (if moderately active)
Multiply bodyweight (in pounds) by 16 (if very active)
๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต:
The figure each of these equations will spit out MAY NOT result in you actually achieving your desired outcome with regards to weight loss/gain/maintenance. It would be silly to expect these simple equations to work perfectly for everyone. These equations are designed to give you a BALLPARK STARTING POINT. It is up to you to consistently track your calories, activity level, and bodyweight going forward to ensure you're trending in the direction of your goal.
The figure each of these equations will spit out MAY NOT result in you actually achieving your desired outcome with regards to weight loss/gain/maintenance. It would be silly to expect these simple equations to work perfectly for everyone. These equations are designed to give you a BALLPARK STARTING POINT. It is up to you to consistently track your calories, activity level, and bodyweight going forward to ensure you're trending in the direction of your goal.
Once youโve figured out your TDEE and you are consuming the appropriate number of calories based on that figure + your goal, be sure to regularly assess your data to ensure youโre on the right track.
Assuming you elect to try to LOSE weight, you will know things are going well if youโre losing ~.5% of your total bodyweight per week & strength is staying intact.
Assuming you elect to try to GAIN weight, you will know things are going well if youโre gaining .5ish pounds per week ON AVERAGE & strength is increasing regularly.
Assuming you elect to try to MAINTAIN weight, you will know things are going well if your weight is fairly level from week to week ON AVERAGE & strength is increasing slowly over time.
If things are NOT going well, adjust calories up/down by 100-200 per day ON AVERAGE and/or steps up/down by 1000-2000 per day ON AVERAGE to move more in the direction of your goal
Ex: Keep steps fixed and increase calories if youโre not gaining weight all all (assuming weight gain is your goal)
Ex: Increase steps and decrease calories if youโre not losing weight at all/youโre losing weight too slowly (assuming weight loss is your goal)
ALWAYS give 2-4 weeks to allow adjustments to play out โ donโt OVERREACT!!!
Note: If strength is NOT trending well despite rate of gain/loss being on point, you likely have a programming issue that needs fixing!
Ex: Keep steps fixed and increase calories if youโre not gaining weight all all (assuming weight gain is your goal)
Ex: Increase steps and decrease calories if youโre not losing weight at all/youโre losing weight too slowly (assuming weight loss is your goal)
ALWAYS give 2-4 weeks to allow adjustments to play out โ donโt OVERREACT!!!
Note: If strength is NOT trending well despite rate of gain/loss being on point, you likely have a programming issue that needs fixing!
One final note:
It is totally okay (and perhaps even ideal) to push a more aggressive deficit than 500 calories below TDEE assuming weight loss is your goal.
I chose 500 for simplicityโs sake/because itโs a nice middle ground. If you are 15, 20, 25+% body-fat, it is fine to push your deficit size up to 750, 1000, even 1000+ as long as it does not crater dietary adherence/energy levels/training performance/etc.
It is totally okay (and perhaps even ideal) to push a more aggressive deficit than 500 calories below TDEE assuming weight loss is your goal.
I chose 500 for simplicityโs sake/because itโs a nice middle ground. If you are 15, 20, 25+% body-fat, it is fine to push your deficit size up to 750, 1000, even 1000+ as long as it does not crater dietary adherence/energy levels/training performance/etc.
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