If your health and wellness goals include losing, gaining, or maintaining weight, learning how to calculate your calorie needs can be helpful. Knowing how many calories you need can help you choose meals and activities that will help you reach your goals. This is the whole idea behind the CICO diet, which stands for Calories In Calories Out.
The logic behind the CICO diet is that once you know your caloric needs, you can add, subtract, or meet them to gain, lose, or maintain weight.
Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to calculating your calorie needs using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula. Furthermore, once you know the numbers, you will also learn how to work with them.
Step 1: Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR)
It all starts with your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the number of calories your body burns to stay alive. (1) Even if you stay in bed all day, your body needs energy (aka calories) to breathe, pump blood, produce cells and hormones, and more.
One of the most reliable ways to calculate BMR is to use the Mifflin-St. Joie equation, which takes into account your weight, height, age, and gender. (1, 5)
By plugging your numbers into this formula, you can get a personal estimate of how many calories your body burns at rest. I say “estimate” because while this is one of the most accurate ways to calculate BMR, it’s not perfect. science. (More on this later.)
Let’s give an example and calculate it together. For example, if you are a 35-year-old woman who is 5’4” tall and weighs 165 pounds, you must first calculate your height and weight in centimeters and kilograms.
- Height (cm) = Height (inch) x 2.54 or 64 x 2.54 = 162.56
- Weight in kilograms = Weight in pounds ÷ 2.2 or 165 ÷ 2.2 = 75
Now let’s plug these numbers into the BMR equation.
- BMR = (10 × 75) + (6.25 × 162.56) – (5 × 35) – 161
- BMR = 750 + 1016 – 175 – 161
- BMR ≈ 1,430 calories/day
This means your body requires approximately 1,430 calories every day just to maintain essential functions. However, since you don’t spend all day lying down, you need to adjust your energy needs based on your activity level. (If you want to skip the calculations, you can easily do it) Calculate your BMR here.)
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Step 2: Adjust BMR based on activity level
Now that you know your BMR, you can take your activity level into account to get a better idea of how many calories you actually need each day. That is your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). TDEE takes into account your daily movement and adjusts your calorie needs accordingly. (1) To estimate TDEE, you can use the following activity level multiplier:
Sedentary (little or no exercise)
Use this activity level multiplier if you have minimal activity or movement throughout the day, such as driving to work or working a desk job. (1)
Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.2
Be active (exercise 1-3 days a week)
This is when you do some type of activity, such as walking, up to three days a week. (1)
Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.375
Moderately active (exercise 3-5 days a week)
Let’s say you walk a lot in your daily life and exercise almost every day. You would be considered moderately active. (1)
Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.55
Very active (works out 6-7 days a week)
If you engage in purposeful exercise, such as jumping on the elliptical, or do physical work most days, you are likely to be very active. (1)
Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.725
Very active (vigorous exercise or physical labor)
You may be considered very active if you work out, for example in a spin class, or do strenuous physical labor. (1)
Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.9
Returning to our example, if you exercise 4 times a week, your activity multiplier would be BMR x 1.55. Your BMR was 1,430 calories, so the equation is: ()1)
TDEE = 1,430 × 1.55 = 2,216.50 calories/day
This means you need about 2,215 calories per day to maintain your current weight. Then adjust this number based on your goals.
Step 3: Set a goal: Lose weight, maintain it, or gain it.
Here you will learn how to calculate the calories you need according to your personal goals.
For weight loss:
The logic behind the CICO diet is that one pound is equivalent to approximately 3,500 calories. (6) So, to lose weight, you would subtract 250 to 500 calories from your TDEE.
Using the TDEE example of 2,215, you can reduce your intake by 500 calories, bringing your daily intake to approximately 1,715 calories. This will result in gradual and sustainable weight loss of about 1 pound per week.
Remember, gradual changes are more effective because they don’t feel like a burden. Also, keep in mind again that while calorie counting is a helpful tool for weight loss, it is not an exact science. After calculating your personal calorie needs for weight loss, you may end up losing more or less weight than expected.
For weight gain:
If you’re trying to build muscle or gain weight, you’ll need to burn more calories than your TDEE. Weight gain requires approximately 500 additional calories per day, for a total of approximately 2,715 calories.
If you’re focused on adding calories for weight gain, a calorie calculator can help. my fitness pal It also makes it easier to ensure you get your calories from nutritious sources.
For maintenance:
To maintain your weight, try to match your calorie intake to your TDEE. In this example, you would be consuming approximately 2,215 calories per day.
Whatever your goals, the best way to ensure long-term success is to make small adjustments over time. Extreme caloric deficits or surpluses are difficult to maintain and can have negative health effects. Calorie counting apps like MyFitnessPal can help you follow the CICO diet for weight gain, weight loss, and maintenance.
About the experts:
Samantha Cassetti, MS, RDis a nationally recognized food and nutrition expert, media personality, nutrition consultant, and author. Cassetty is the former nutrition director for Good Housekeeping and co-author of the book. sugar shock.
Daisy Mercer, RD; I’m the food data curator for MyFitnessPal. She graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in food science and nutrition and completed a nutrition internship at the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
Macronutrient balance: Optimize your caloric intake
While the CICO diet helps manage calorie intake, macronutrient balance helps optimize nutrition.
The three macronutrients are protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Proper balance helps provide the body with the right amount of energy for specific goals, such as weight loss, muscle building, and weight maintenance. (You can use this free macro calculator to determine your personal macro goals.)
protein:
Protein is essential for maintaining strength and muscle mass. (7) Protein is also associated with increased satiety, helping you feel full even during long stretches after a meal. (1) Eating enough protein during weight loss can help maintain muscle mass and improve satiety even in a calorie deficit. (6)
fat:
Fat not only helps absorb nutrients, but also slows down the rate of food digestion and metabolism. So, like protein, fat can help you feel fuller for longer. (8) A beneficial balance of macronutrients, including heart-healthy fats found in avocados, nuts, seeds, and extra virgin olive oil, provide about 30% of your daily calories. (3)
carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, especially among people trying to lose weight. However, carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body and brain, and muscles require carbohydrates to fuel physical activity. (9) To be precise, carbohydrates are an essential part of macronutrient balance. Typically, 40% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. ()3)
Of course, these are general guidelines, and some people may prefer to balance their macronutrient intake differently.
Calorie counting isn’t an exact science: Other factors to consider
Calorie counting is a helpful tool for weight management, but there are other things that affect your body’s ability to gain or lose weight.
That’s why it’s important to be kind to yourself as you embark on your weight management journey. Calorie tracking is useful, but the process still requires trial and error.
metabolism:
You have less control over your metabolism than you think. Everyone’s metabolism is different, and age, genetics, and gender affect metabolic rate.(7) Of course, your activity level, or how active or inactive you are, is a factor in your metabolic rate that you can control. (More on this below.)
hormone:
Hormones, especially those related to thyroid function, can affect weight gain or loss. Hormones related to menopause can also affect your ability to lose weight. If you think a hormonal imbalance is making it difficult to manage your weight, talk to your doctor. (7)
If you have lost weight in the past, maintaining your weight loss may be more difficult because hormones that regulate appetite increase hunger. (10)
Exercise and muscle mass:
In addition to improving your health and burning calories, exercise, especially strength training, can help you build more muscle tissue. (5) Muscle burns slightly more calories than fat, even at rest. (5) Therefore, the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism and caloric needs.
Bottom line: Understand and adjust your calorie needs
To optimize your health and reach your goals, first use the Mifflin-St. Joll equation to calculate your calorie needs based on your individual activity level. Then you can start counting calories for weight loss, maintenance, or weight gain. (my fitness pal You can do this very easily!)
This is a good start, but it’s also helpful to consider macronutrient balance, as some calories are more satiating and nutritious than others.
Keep in mind that this process is highly individual and other factors such as genes, hormones, and muscle mass also play a role. Gradual, sustainable changes and a balanced approach to calories and macronutrients can help you make progress toward your personal goals.
This post first appeared on MyFitnessPal Blog.
