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Old 04-12-2007, 09:24 PM   #22
Lauren_
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: United States
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Calculating how many calories you need is complicated. There are formulas we used in class that took into account the clients gender, weight, activity level, the thermodynamic effect of food, etc. These were nightmarish problems that appeared on our tests. Ugh.

Surely there are online calculators for this? Try googling "TDEE" (total daily energy expenditure) calculator?

The most accurate thing is to get your metabolism measured. Some personal trainers have access to equipment for this, and most university kinesiology programs have the equipment & tons of students who need to measure people, so if you call around you might find a way to get it done for free.

A quick & dirty method for getting an estimate -- that doesn't take into account your activity level, age, BMI or other factors - is this:

Fat loss = 12-13 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Maintenance = 15-16 calories per lb. of bodyweight
Weight gain: = 18-19 calories per lb. of bodyweight

Nice thing about the above is that if you find it works for you, it'll help you track the
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