Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCalculationsGuidance for Weight Loss or GainCounting CaloriesLow- and High-Calorie FoodsReaching Your Goals
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Calculations
Guidance for Weight Loss or Gain
Counting Calories
Low- and High-Calorie Foods
Reaching Your Goals
Estimated dailycalorieneeds range from 1,600–2,400 calories for adult women and 2,000–3,200 calories for adult men. The exact amount varies depending on factors such as age, height, weight, and activity levels.
This article reviews how to determine your daily caloric needs as well as guidance for weight loss or gain, the pros and cons of counting calories, and how to reach your goals.
Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images
How to Calculate Your Daily Caloric Needs
Figuring out how manycaloriesyou need each day may prove tricky sometimes. The amount will vary from person to person.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans estimates caloric needs range from 1,600–2,400 calories per day for adult women and 2,000–3,200 calories per day for adult men depending on age and activity levels.The following uses the cited source’s terms for sex or gender.
One method for calculating your individual calorie needs is with a formula called the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation. This equation estimates your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is thenumber ofcalories your body burns at rest. It is the base level of energy required to maintain basic life-sustaining functions such as breathing, digesting food, and circulating blood throughout the body.
Step 1: Calculate your RMR:
After figuring out your RMR, adjust the number based on your usual daily energy expenditure or activity level. This is your active metabolic rate (AMR).
Step 2: Calculate your AMR:
Your AMR represents the amount of calories you need to take in each day to maintain your current weight.
What Is a Calorie?
A calorie (or kilocalorie) is a common unit of energy for expressing the nutritional value of foods.
Today, calories are most often referred to as measurements of the calorific, heating, or metabolizing value of foods.
Calories Burned in a Day: How to Reach Your Target
Specific Guidance for Weight Loss or Gain
If you want to lose weight, you need to increase your physical activity level or decrease the amount of calories you consume. To gain weight, you need to take in more calories than your AMR.
Of course, weight loss or gain is more nuanced than this. However, at a basic level, looking at calories in versus calories out is a good place to start.
Calories to Lose Weight
The best way to lose weight and keep it off is with a realistic and sustainable approach. Drastically cutting calories may help you lose weight in the short term, but you will most likely not be able to maintain it in the long run.
That1,200 caloriesis at the low end of the recommended calorie range for adult women is important to note. Though a 1,200-calorie diet may be appropriate for some people in the short term, it is not enough calories for most adults.
Subtracting 500–1,000 calories for 1–2 pounds of weight loss might bring you under the 1,200-calorie minimum recommendation for women or the 1,500-calorie minimum recommendation for men. But do not consume fewer than 1,200 calories if you’re a woman or 1,500 calories if you’re a man.
Reducing your calorie intake too much and for too long may slow down your metabolism through a process called adaptive thermogenesis.This “feast or famine” response is the body’s natural reaction to decreased intake over time, holding onto stored energy to maintain health.
Combining physical activity with a reduced-calorie diet is recommendedto help maintainlean muscle massas you lose weight. This approach also helps instill healthy lifestyle behaviors that you can continue after you reach your weight goals.
Calories to Gain Weight or Muscle
Choosing to eat a bunch of cookies, ice cream, candies, donuts, potato chips, soda,and other “junk” foods will help increase your calories, but it doesn’t provide a lot of beneficial nutrients and may even be harmful to your health.
These foods are often high inadded sugars, saturated fats,and sodium,which can have negative health effects when consumed in excess.
If you are underweight and need to gain weight or want to gain muscle, aim for 300–500 extra calories per day for a slow weight gain or 700–1,000 extra daily calories for faster weight gain.
Focusing on proteinintake has been shown to increase lean muscle mass.Traditionally, 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is recommended for physically active healthy adults.
For muscle gain, increasing protein intake up to 1.2–2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day may be safe for healthy adults.Along with increasing high-quality, lean protein foods, including healthy fats and carbohydrates can help with weight and muscle gain.
As always, consult a healthcare professional before changing your diet or eating pattern.
Can You Build Muscle in a Calorie Deficit?
Pros and Cons of Counting Calories
Counting calories can be a good tool for some people when it comes to losing or gaining weight; however, it isn’t for everyone. Below are some potential pros and cons of counting calories.
Pros
Advantages of counting calories may include:
Cons
Drawbacks of counting calories may include:
Knowing somelower- and higher-calorie foodscan help you in meal planning when tracking calories. Below are foods that fall into each of these categories. Keep in mind that some foods from the higher-calorie foods list may fit into a healthy, balanced meal plan.
Lower-calorie foods include:
Higher-calorie foods include:
Why Calorie Density Matters
Big Picture: How to Get to Your Goals
Consistency is keywhen it comes to achieving your goals, but keep in mind that consistency does not mean perfection. There will be times when you are doing great, and there will be other times when you fall off track. Recognize those times and find ways to get back on course.
Remember the big picture and always strive for that end goal. Little changes in the short term add up to big progress in the long run.
Understand that weight loss or weight gain is not always linear. The scale will have its ups and downs throughout your weight loss (or gain) journey. Body weight tends to fluctuate depending on certain factors, such as hydration status, sodium intake, where a person is in their menstrual cycle,certain medications, bowel patterns, and physical activity.
Realize weight loss is about realistic lifestyle changes. Weight loss isn’t just about cutting calories and being on a diet to reach a certain weight. To get to and maintain weight loss, you must make sustainable lifestyle changes or you will fall back into old habits once the “diet” is over.
Find a support system. Whether you are trying to gain or lose weight, having a support system of people to cheer you on can make all the difference. They can help hold you accountable, help you navigate barriers and roadblocks, engage in healthy behaviors with you, and be there for you in both failures and successes.
Apps to Help with Calorie CountingIf you think an app would be helpful to your calorie-counting goals, here are a few to try:Lose It!MyFitnessPalCaloryFatSecretCronometerMyNetDiary
Apps to Help with Calorie Counting
If you think an app would be helpful to your calorie-counting goals, here are a few to try:Lose It!MyFitnessPalCaloryFatSecretCronometerMyNetDiary
If you think an app would be helpful to your calorie-counting goals, here are a few to try:
Summary
The number of calories you need each day varies from person to person based on age, sex, height, weight, and activity level.
To lose weight, you must take in fewercalories than you burn. To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you burn. Protein is an important nutrient to increase for muscle gain, as are healthy fats and carbohydrates.
Benefits to calorie counting include accountability, insight into your diet, and the possibility of making healthier food choices. Disadvantages include the chance of inaccuracy, how much time it can take up, how difficult it can be, and the chance it may trigger disordered eating behaviors. It may lead you to focus on the quantity of your calories instead of the quality of your diet.
Lower-calorie foods include many fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and legumes. Healthy, higher-calorie foods include fatty fish, whole-fat dairy, starchy vegetables, avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, plant-based oils, and dried fruit.
Keeping the big picture in mind when working toward better health can help you achieve your long-term goals.
Running for Weight Loss: How to Do It Right
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.United States Department of Agriculture.2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al.A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals.Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-7. doi:10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241Romieu I, Dossus L, Barquera S, et al.Energy balance and obesity: what are the main drivers?Cancer Causes Control. 2017;28(3):247-258. doi:10.1007/s10552-017-0869-zGreenway FL.Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favouring weight regain.Int J Obes (Lond). 2015;39(8):1188-1196. doi:10.1038/ijo.2015.59National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aim for a healthy weight: key recommendations.Koliaki C, Spinos T, Spinou M, et al.Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults.Healthcare (Basel). 2018;6(3):73. doi:10.3390/healthcare6030073Müller MJ, Enderle J, Pourhassan M, et al.Metabolic adaptation to caloric restriction and subsequent refeeding: the Minnesota Starvation Experiment revisited.Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(4):807-819. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.109173Pacheco LS, Lacey JV Jr, Martinez ME, et al.Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and cardiovascular disease risk in the California Teachers Study.J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(10):e014883. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.014883Qin P, Li Q, Zhao Y, et al.Sugar and artificially sweetened beverages and risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.Eur J Epidemiol. 2020;35(7):655-671. doi:10.1007/s10654-020-00655-yAmerican Heart Association.Saturated fat.American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.Wu G.Dietary protein intake and human health.Food Funct. 2016;7(3):1251-1265. doi:10.1039/c5fo01530hBray GA, Redman LM, Rood J, et al.Effect of overeating dietary protein at different levels on circulating lipids and liver lipid: the PROOF study.Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3801. doi:10.3390/nu12123801Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM.Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance[published correction appears in J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Jan;117(1):146].J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501-528. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006Brown RE, Canning KL, Fung M, et al.Calorie estimation in adults differing in body weight class and weight loss status.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):521-526. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000796Levinson CA, Fewell L, Brosof LC.My Fitness Pal calorie tracker usage in the eating disorders.Eat Behav. 2017;27:14-16. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.08.003Hildebrandt BA, Racine SE, Keel PK, et al.The effects of ovarian hormones and emotional eating on changes in weight preoccupation across the menstrual cycle.Int J Eat Disord.2014;48(5):477-86. doi:10.1002/eat.22326
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.United States Department of Agriculture.2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al.A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals.Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-7. doi:10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241Romieu I, Dossus L, Barquera S, et al.Energy balance and obesity: what are the main drivers?Cancer Causes Control. 2017;28(3):247-258. doi:10.1007/s10552-017-0869-zGreenway FL.Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favouring weight regain.Int J Obes (Lond). 2015;39(8):1188-1196. doi:10.1038/ijo.2015.59National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aim for a healthy weight: key recommendations.Koliaki C, Spinos T, Spinou M, et al.Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults.Healthcare (Basel). 2018;6(3):73. doi:10.3390/healthcare6030073Müller MJ, Enderle J, Pourhassan M, et al.Metabolic adaptation to caloric restriction and subsequent refeeding: the Minnesota Starvation Experiment revisited.Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(4):807-819. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.109173Pacheco LS, Lacey JV Jr, Martinez ME, et al.Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and cardiovascular disease risk in the California Teachers Study.J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(10):e014883. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.014883Qin P, Li Q, Zhao Y, et al.Sugar and artificially sweetened beverages and risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.Eur J Epidemiol. 2020;35(7):655-671. doi:10.1007/s10654-020-00655-yAmerican Heart Association.Saturated fat.American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.Wu G.Dietary protein intake and human health.Food Funct. 2016;7(3):1251-1265. doi:10.1039/c5fo01530hBray GA, Redman LM, Rood J, et al.Effect of overeating dietary protein at different levels on circulating lipids and liver lipid: the PROOF study.Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3801. doi:10.3390/nu12123801Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM.Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance[published correction appears in J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Jan;117(1):146].J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501-528. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006Brown RE, Canning KL, Fung M, et al.Calorie estimation in adults differing in body weight class and weight loss status.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):521-526. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000796Levinson CA, Fewell L, Brosof LC.My Fitness Pal calorie tracker usage in the eating disorders.Eat Behav. 2017;27:14-16. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.08.003Hildebrandt BA, Racine SE, Keel PK, et al.The effects of ovarian hormones and emotional eating on changes in weight preoccupation across the menstrual cycle.Int J Eat Disord.2014;48(5):477-86. doi:10.1002/eat.22326
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
United States Department of Agriculture.2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al.A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals.Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-7. doi:10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241Romieu I, Dossus L, Barquera S, et al.Energy balance and obesity: what are the main drivers?Cancer Causes Control. 2017;28(3):247-258. doi:10.1007/s10552-017-0869-zGreenway FL.Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favouring weight regain.Int J Obes (Lond). 2015;39(8):1188-1196. doi:10.1038/ijo.2015.59National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aim for a healthy weight: key recommendations.Koliaki C, Spinos T, Spinou M, et al.Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults.Healthcare (Basel). 2018;6(3):73. doi:10.3390/healthcare6030073Müller MJ, Enderle J, Pourhassan M, et al.Metabolic adaptation to caloric restriction and subsequent refeeding: the Minnesota Starvation Experiment revisited.Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(4):807-819. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.109173Pacheco LS, Lacey JV Jr, Martinez ME, et al.Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and cardiovascular disease risk in the California Teachers Study.J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(10):e014883. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.014883Qin P, Li Q, Zhao Y, et al.Sugar and artificially sweetened beverages and risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.Eur J Epidemiol. 2020;35(7):655-671. doi:10.1007/s10654-020-00655-yAmerican Heart Association.Saturated fat.American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.Wu G.Dietary protein intake and human health.Food Funct. 2016;7(3):1251-1265. doi:10.1039/c5fo01530hBray GA, Redman LM, Rood J, et al.Effect of overeating dietary protein at different levels on circulating lipids and liver lipid: the PROOF study.Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3801. doi:10.3390/nu12123801Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM.Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance[published correction appears in J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Jan;117(1):146].J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501-528. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006Brown RE, Canning KL, Fung M, et al.Calorie estimation in adults differing in body weight class and weight loss status.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):521-526. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000796Levinson CA, Fewell L, Brosof LC.My Fitness Pal calorie tracker usage in the eating disorders.Eat Behav. 2017;27:14-16. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.08.003Hildebrandt BA, Racine SE, Keel PK, et al.The effects of ovarian hormones and emotional eating on changes in weight preoccupation across the menstrual cycle.Int J Eat Disord.2014;48(5):477-86. doi:10.1002/eat.22326
United States Department of Agriculture.2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al.A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals.Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-7. doi:10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241
Romieu I, Dossus L, Barquera S, et al.Energy balance and obesity: what are the main drivers?Cancer Causes Control. 2017;28(3):247-258. doi:10.1007/s10552-017-0869-z
Greenway FL.Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favouring weight regain.Int J Obes (Lond). 2015;39(8):1188-1196. doi:10.1038/ijo.2015.59
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aim for a healthy weight: key recommendations.
Koliaki C, Spinos T, Spinou M, et al.Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults.Healthcare (Basel). 2018;6(3):73. doi:10.3390/healthcare6030073
Müller MJ, Enderle J, Pourhassan M, et al.Metabolic adaptation to caloric restriction and subsequent refeeding: the Minnesota Starvation Experiment revisited.Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(4):807-819. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.109173
Pacheco LS, Lacey JV Jr, Martinez ME, et al.Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and cardiovascular disease risk in the California Teachers Study.J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(10):e014883. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.014883
Qin P, Li Q, Zhao Y, et al.Sugar and artificially sweetened beverages and risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.Eur J Epidemiol. 2020;35(7):655-671. doi:10.1007/s10654-020-00655-y
American Heart Association.Saturated fat.
American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.
Wu G.Dietary protein intake and human health.Food Funct. 2016;7(3):1251-1265. doi:10.1039/c5fo01530h
Bray GA, Redman LM, Rood J, et al.Effect of overeating dietary protein at different levels on circulating lipids and liver lipid: the PROOF study.Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3801. doi:10.3390/nu12123801
Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM.Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance[published correction appears in J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Jan;117(1):146].J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501-528. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006
Brown RE, Canning KL, Fung M, et al.Calorie estimation in adults differing in body weight class and weight loss status.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):521-526. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000796
Levinson CA, Fewell L, Brosof LC.My Fitness Pal calorie tracker usage in the eating disorders.Eat Behav. 2017;27:14-16. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.08.003
Hildebrandt BA, Racine SE, Keel PK, et al.The effects of ovarian hormones and emotional eating on changes in weight preoccupation across the menstrual cycle.Int J Eat Disord.2014;48(5):477-86. doi:10.1002/eat.22326
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
