Calories To Maintain Weight

Calories To Maintain Weight

Calories to Maintain Weight

If you’re currently at a healthy weight, you can follow general calorie guidelines to maintain your body weight. According to Medline Plus, if you have a body mass index, or BMI, of 18.5 to 24.9 your body weight is within a healthy range. You can calculate your BMI by multiplying your body weight in pounds by 703, dividing by your height in inches and dividing by your height in inches again.

Calories to Maintain Weight

General Guidelines

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 provide estimated calorie needs for weight maintenance, based on the average needs of people in each age and gender group. Based on these estimates, women ages 19 to 30 need 1,800 to 2,400 calories, women ages 31 to 50 require 1,800 to 2,200 calories and women over 50 need 1,600 to 2,200 calories. Men ages 19 to 30 require 2,400 to 3,000 calories, men ages 31 to 50 need 2,200 to 3,000 calories and men over 50 require 2,000 to 2,800 calories each day to maintain a healthy body weight. Specific calorie needs are based on body weight and activity level.

Inactivity

If you don’t exercise much or at all, you require about 13 calories per pound of your body weight to maintain a healthy weight, according to Harvard Medical School. This means a 125-pound, inactive woman needs about 1,625 calories per day, a 145-pound individual requires about 1,885 calories and a 170-pound inactive man needs about 2,210 calories each day.

Moderate Physical Activity

If you’re moderately active, you need about 15 to 16 calories per pound of body weight to maintain a healthy weight, according to the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School. This means a moderately active 125-pound woman needs 1,875 to 2,000 calories, a 145-pound moderately active individual needs about 2,175 to 2,320 calories and a 170-pound man with a moderate physical activity level requires about 2,550 to 2,720 calories each day to maintain a healthy body weight.

High Activity Level

If you exercise regularly, your calorie needs are a bit higher. Washington State University recommends you consume 18 calories per pound of body weight if you regularly participate in strenuous physical activity. For example, an active 125-pound woman would need 2,250 calories, a 145-pound person would require 2,610 calories and an active 170-pound man needs about 3,060 calories each day to maintain a healthy weight.