Estimating Daily Caloric Requirments

Jennifer Tricoli

What is a Calorie?

A calorie is a measurement of the energy content of food.

The body needs calories as "fuel" to perform all of its functions, such as breathing, circulating the blood, and physical activity.

When a person is sick, their body may need extra calories to fight fever or other problems.

Estimating Daily Caloric Requirements

Your appetite can maintain your body weight naturally if you can listen to it.

Exercise helps this function and maintains lean body mass.

Weight Issues

Genetics accounts for 25%-40% of the variance in body composition among individuals.

Only 2% of cases of obesity is caused by a gland problem.

The number of fat cells at 1 and 2 years old remains the same. It’s just harder to keep them small as you age.

Weight Issues Cont’d Dieting- 40% of all women and 25% of men are

on a diet at any one time.

Research suggests that 50% of dieters will regain all of their weight within 2 years and only 5% will permanently keep the weight off.

Set Point Theory is your body’s natural desired body weight. You may be able to alter with exercise.

Weight Control

If energy intake is greater than energy expenditure the body will store the

remaining calories as fat.

Components of Energy Expenditure

Basal metabolic rate (60-70%) Physical activity (20-30%) Dietary induced thermogenesis (10%)

Figuring Your Energy Needs

Step 1Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 10 for women and by 11 for men.

Weight x ___= Number of Calories for Basic Needs or BMR

Figuring Your Energy Needs Step 2Figure your energy needs for physical activity

ARE YOU ?Sedentary = Mainly sittingLight activity = light exercise for no more than 2

hours dailyModerate = very little sittingVery active = physical sports

Figuring your energy needs Step 2 cont’d

Multiply your basic energy needs (BMR) (in step 1) by the percent that matches your activity level:

Sedentary-20%Light activity-30%Moderate-40%

Very active-50%

BMR x ____% activity=

______ Number of Calories for Physical Activity

Figuring Your Energy Needs

Step 3Figure energy for digestion and absorbing nutrients.

Add your calories for basic needs and calories for physical activity, then multiply the total by 10%.

BMR____ + calories for activity____ x .10=____

Calories for Energy for digestion and absorbing =______

Figuring your energy needs

Add all three figures and you will have your approximate total energy needs per day.

BMR

+ Physical Activity Calories

+Digestion Calories

= Number of Calories that are required daily to maintain body weight