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Cindy Moore, MS, RD Responds:
There are many ways to determine your daily calorie requirements, but here’s a simple technique that requires only minimum calculations:
1. Take your weight in pounds and multiply it by 10 (women) or 11 (men). This figure represents your basic calorie needs.
2. Next, think about your lifestyle and usual level of physical activity. Multiply by the following:
Sedentary (sitting, driving, standing, typing, sleeping): 1.2
Light activity (minimal physical exertion without breaking a sweat): 1.3
Moderate activity (heavy housework, gardening, dancing, brisk walking): 1.4
Very active: (sports, labor-intensive occupation): 1.5
3. The final step: Add 10% (multiply by 1.1) to the total. This takes into account the amount of calories your body burns during digestion and absorption of food.
Your total represents the approximate number of total calories you should eat per day if you want to maintain your current weight.
Here’s an example. For a moderately active 140-pound woman:
1. 140 lbs x 10=1,400
2. 1,400 x 1.4=1,960
3. 1,960 x 1.1=2,156 Total calories to maintain your weight
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Cindy Moore
MS, RD
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