In order to reach a particular fitness goal knowing the number of calories your body needs to maintain its weight is crucial. Energy balance dictates whether weight will be lost, gained or stay the same. This component is often overlooked, however it should be priority number one.

Many calculators out there generate a perceived maintenance, however there is no one size fits all equation. There are a variety of factors, most notably NEAT (Non exercise activity thermogenesis) that are highly individual. Two people with the same exact height, weight, age and level of exercise can actually have a big variance in their maintenance calories. This is not discovered until a baseline time of tracking is achieved. For this reason, real life data from a 2-4 week period will be superior to any equation. I do understand that you need a starting point, which is why I will provide an equation to begin with at the end of this article.

Here are the steps for the baseline tracking period:

1. Track JUST your calories each day for 2 weeks and input into an app or google document.
2. Weigh yourself every morning (no clothes on after using the bathroom and before eating/drinking). Track this weight on an excel sheet or google document.
3. At the end of each week compute an average for the calories and the body weight.
4. Based on the data collected determine if you are in a caloric deficit, at maintenance or in a caloric surplus.
5. From here make necessary adjustments based on your goals.

 

Example 1

200 Pound Male

Goal: Fat Loss

Calories: 2500

 

Week 1

Weight Average: 198.6

Calorie Average: 2540

Week 2

Weight Average: 197.2

Calorie Average: 2460

 

When you look at the two weeks of data it is quite evident this individual is in a caloric deficit. He has lost an average of 1.4 pounds per week on an average of 2500 calories per day. In this case I would make no adjustments since fat loss is the goal and he is losing at a nice rate.

 

Example 2

160 Pound Female

Goal: Fat Loss

Calories: 1900

 

Week 1

Weight Average: 159.9

Calorie Average: 1938

Week 2

Weight Average: 159.7

Calorie Average: 1962

 

This individual has lost an average of 0.15 pounds per week. They are likely just below their bodies maintenance calories. If we use the rule that 3500 calories is roughly a pound we can compute the exact deficit this person is in.

3500 calories divided by 7 days =500 calories per day for 1 pound lost (remember this is a rough guideline and a moving number, not a set in stone thing). Since the individual lost 0.2 pounds from week 1 to week 2 we can conclude that they are in roughly a 100 calorie deficit. On an average of 1950 calories during that time we can conclude that maintenance calories are currently 2,050 per day. Based on their goal of fat loss they will need to either reduce their calories or have a combination of calorie reduction and increased activity. This will create a larger deficit and allow them to start losing at a faster rate.

 

So now you must be wondering how to get your calorie starting point. Below is an equation that will determine an ESTIMATED RANGE for a calorie starting point. It is important to keep in mind that even if this is high and you notice after 2 weeks the body weight has trended up that is still okay. At this point you will still be able to determine your maintenance and make the necessary adjustments to work towards YOUR goal.

 

First multiply your body weight by 10.

Take the number you get and multiply based on the range that applies to you.

1. Sedentary +3-6 days of weights. x 1.2-1.5
2. Mild activity +3-6 days of weights x1.4-1.7
3. High activity +3-6 days of weights x1.6-1.9
4. Extremely High Activity +3-6 days of weights x1.8-2.1

Example: 200 pound male who has mild activity

200×10=2000. 2000×1.4-1.7= 2800-3400 calories per day. As you can see this gives a big range of calories which can overlap to the next range as well. It is important to keep in mind that this is just a starting point, not THE answer. So if your goal is fat loss it is probably wise to start on the lower end of the range.

 

Being able to use these tools correctly will be highly dependent on the level of accuracy that is obtained during this time. Tracking correctly, analyzing the data and recognizing trends will set you up for success. This is not to say you have to track this way forever, but it will give you a great idea of proper portion sizes, how to weigh food and how to monitor body weight changes at the same time. Accuracy is key, especially when it comes to fat loss. Not accounting for certain things can make the difference of being in a surplus or a deficit.