# calorie calculation for an active lifestyle



## Lorenjz (Jul 17, 2011)

About a year ago I started running off and on (20ish miles a week). 4 or 5 months ago I started adding a bike ride or two to my routine. I'm finding that I would like to ride a little more. When I told a friend about my weekly routine he said that I would need more sleep and more caloric intake as I increased my activity. Is there any kind of method of determining what adjustments to my diet are needed?


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

yes, if you lose weight, eat more. OR, start eating more, and if you gain weight, eat less.


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## 2fargon (Jan 22, 2011)

Depending on your age, sex, etc, your body needs around 3,000 calories per day to maintain your current weight. (This will vary + or - 500 calories or so depending on different factors) Assuming you're looking to maintain your current weight you just need to replace the portion of calories that you're burning off by riding, running, etc.. There's lots of argument on the details of it all but this should be a pretty good baseline for maintaining your current weight. I basically do like Bill in Houston stated above. If I start gaining unwanted weight I back off the calories a bit. If I started gaining weight, I would back off a bit. This varies from person to person so give it a shot and see what works for you. I have a friend that can eat greasy food all day every day and doesn't gain an ounce and I have another friend that gains weight eating less than I do. Good luck!


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## 2fargon (Jan 22, 2011)

Oops I repeated myself there. I meant when I start gaining a bit of unwanted weight I back off the calories. When I start losing weight I up it a bit. You probably assumed that, just wanted to clear it up. Good luck again!


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## drivengsxr1000 (May 5, 2011)

Scooby's Workshop | Home Fitness & Bodybuilding Workouts

look at some of the calculators that are on this site. every time i look through here i find something new and interesting


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## drivengsxr1000 (May 5, 2011)

p.s. look under the "nutrition" tab on the right it has a ton of info in it


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## Crockpot2001 (Nov 2, 2004)

In a clinical setting several formulas might be used. Here's one that often comes up as rather reliable, it's the Mifflin-St. Jeor. It's a lengthy but rather fun one to do and calculates the BMR. I've also included the activity factors which need to be added to the BMR. 

Male: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height - 5×age + 5
Female: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height - 5×age - 161


These equations require the weight in kilograms, the height in centimeters, and the age in years. To determine your total daily calorie needs, the BMR has to be multiplied by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
•1.200 = sedentary (little or no exercise)

•1.375 = lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week, approx. 590 Cal/day)

•1.550 = moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week, approx. 870 Cal/day)

•1.725 = very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week, approx. 1150 Cal/day)

•1.900 = extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job, approx. 1580 Cal/day)


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