How to Calculate Calories to Consume
Calculating calories for an adult's daily intake is not difficult and is a helpful tool if you want to lose weight. Consult resources such as the Food and Drug Administration's My Food Pyramid (see Resources section) for tables on calories counts for adults and how to adjust your diet to lose weight safely.
Instructions
-
-
1
Keep a food diary and list every food and drink you consume, the time you consume it and if you were actually hungry or thirsty when you consumed it. Keep the diary for at least two weeks to determine your eating habits. Using the FDA Food Pyramid or any book with calorie counts of foods, calculate what your daily calorie intake is. The FDA Food Pyramid provides recommended calorie counts for adults and children. You can also try Google Calorie Counter to tally your daily calories.
-
2
Consult a reputable source for a reasonable daily calorie allowance, such as the FDA My Food Pyramid. If you want to maintain your weight, determine how many calories you currently consume. Divide that number into three meals and two snacks. If you do better eating five smaller meals, divide your calories accordingly.
-
-
3
Use your resources, such as the My Food Pyramid, to design a realistic eating plan. If you don't like a big breakfast, eat just a small amount and save those calories for your other meals and snacks during the day.
-
4
List the foods you enjoy eating. Using your resource, calculate the calories for each item. For example, breakfast might be one cup of nonfat yogurt at 120 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein.
-
5
Plan each day, including your three meals and snacks and the calorie counts. If you want to lose weight, determine that it will take 3,500 fewer calories per week to lose one pound. You can trim that many calories over a seven-day period or add 20 to 30 minutes of exercise to boost your metabolism. For example, a 140-pound woman can burn 300 to 350 calories by walking briskly for 30 minutes.
-
6
Plan your daily calories according to your health goals. If you want to lose weight, consult the FDA Food Pyramid for calorie counts based on your age and height.
For example, a sedentary woman in her 50s may require only 1,500 calories, whereas an athletic woman of the same age and height might require 2,200 calories.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have diabetes or any serious medical condition before starting a diet.
