Methods for calculating daily caloric needs

GeauxDATY

New member
There are many formulas for calculating daily caloric requirements but which one is the best for us meat heads?

The BMR (basal metabolic rate) formula for men is:
(12.7 x your height in inches) + (6.23 x your weight in pounds) - (6.8 x your age in years). Add 66 to the total for the BMR.
From here one could use the Harris Benedict formula to calculate your caloric needs based on your activity level and BMR.

If you don't exercise or exercise little, multiply the BMR by 1.2 for daily calories.

If you take part in light exercise or sports 1-to-3 days each week, multiply the BMR by 1.375 for daily calories needed.

People who exercise moderately and/or play sports 3-to-5 days a week should multiply their BMR by 1.55

Active people who engage in strenuous sports or hard exercise 6-to-7 days a week need to multiply their BMR by 1.725.

People who engage in very physically challenging jobs or exercise, such as 2-a-day workouts, should multiply their BMR by 1.9 for daily caloric needs.

Another method is to simply multiply either your weight or LBM by a certain factor to determine how many grams of protein is needed an then extrapolate from there. For example:

A 200lb person at 10% BF would have a LBM of 180lbs. One could then multiply that number by 2.0grams of protein per lb of LBM to get 360grams of protein per day. Using this number one would simply decide the percentages of macros they want in their diet and calculate from there.

The last method that I'll discuss is multiplying your total bodyweight by a certain factor depending on what your goals are. For example:

A 200lb man wanting to only maintain his current weight would simply multiply 200lbs x 15 calories/lb = 3000 calories.

I know this is only a small fraction of the methods used and would like to know what method do you guys use and what has or hasn't worked for you in the past.
GeauxDATY
 
There are many formulas for calculating daily caloric requirements but which one is the best for us meat heads?

The BMR (basal metabolic rate) formula for men is:
(12.7 x your height in inches) + (6.23 x your weight in pounds) - (6.8 x your age in years). Add 66 to the total for the BMR.
From here one could use the Harris Benedict formula to calculate your caloric needs based on your activity level and BMR.

If you don't exercise or exercise little, multiply the BMR by 1.2 for daily calories.

If you take part in light exercise or sports 1-to-3 days each week, multiply the BMR by 1.375 for daily calories needed.

People who exercise moderately and/or play sports 3-to-5 days a week should multiply their BMR by 1.55

Active people who engage in strenuous sports or hard exercise 6-to-7 days a week need to multiply their BMR by 1.725.

People who engage in very physically challenging jobs or exercise, such as 2-a-day workouts, should multiply their BMR by 1.9 for daily caloric needs.

Another method is to simply multiply either your weight or LBM by a certain factor to determine how many grams of protein is needed an then extrapolate from there. For example:

A 200lb person at 10% BF would have a LBM of 180lbs. One could then multiply that number by 2.0grams of protein per lb of LBM to get 360grams of protein per day. Using this number one would simply decide the percentages of macros they want in their diet and calculate from there.

The last method that I'll discuss is multiplying your total bodyweight by a certain factor depending on what your goals are. For example:

A 200lb man wanting to only maintain his current weight would simply multiply 200lbs x 15 calories/lb = 3000 calories.

I know this is only a small fraction of the methods used and would like to know what method do you guys use and what has or hasn't worked for you in the past.
GeauxDATY

The Katch-McArdle formula is a little more accurate than Harris-Benedict bc it takes into account lbm not just total mass. BUT, to get it to be more accurate you have to have an accurate figure for your body fat %.

There's no need for a protein intake of 2g/lb BW unless you happen to enjoy eating that much protein and DO NOT use percentage ratios to figure out macros. It's a silly idea and can leave you deficient in some macros and well over needs in others.
 
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