Calorie Guide for Men

Most of us know that weight management depends upon the calorie balance equation; the amount of calorie you consume versus the amount of activities you expend. But how do you know how many calories your body needs to reach or maintain a certain weight?

Calorie requirements for each person is different according to their height, total body weight, ratio of fat to muscle, age, gender, genes, health and physical activities. However a man's calorie needs can be convincingly precisely assessed by Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and physical activities.

BMR is the lowest amount number of calories needed to support body while inactive. In another word, BMR is the energy that spent by body to keep normal functions such as heart beat, respiration and normal body temperature. BMR usually accounts for about 60-70% of your calories requirements. Normally BMR will max out at the age of 20 and gradually reduce by more or less 2 percent per decade, due in part to inactivity and subsequent loss of muscle tissue.

Another major calorie component is physical activities. The more exercise, the more calories burn.

Total every day calorie needs are the calories necessary to keep body weight. In order to lose weight, calorie intake needs to reduce. So as to put on weight, calorie intake needs to increase. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3,500 calories.

Therefore, to lose one pound of weight per week, either eat 3,500 fewer calories food, or eat 1,500 fewer calories food as burning an extra 2,000 calories in extra exercise such as jogging, aerobic and cycling. To gain one pound of weight per week, simply increase calorie intake in weekly menu by 3,500 calories.

Calculate individual BMR to determine calorie needs for men by using Harris Benedict equation as follows:

1) Calculate BMR according to this formula –

66 + (13.7 x weight in kilos) + (5 x height in centimeters) - (6.8 x age in years)


2) Multiply BMR by the appropriate activity multiplier –

If you are inactive (little or no exercise, desk job) multiply BMR by 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days per week) multiply your BMR by 1.375
If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days per week) multiply your BMR by 1.55
If you take heavy exercise (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days per week) multiply your BMR by 1.725

Example of calculation:

If a clerk aged 28 year old, weight 73kg with height 160cm, your BMR calculation:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 X 73) + (5 X 160) – (68 X 29)
= 66 + 1000.1 + 800 – 1972
= 7094.1

A clerk without extra physical activities is considering as inactive. Thus calorie needs per day is 7094.1 X 1.2 = 8512.92

As result, the clerk need to consume 8512.92 calories to maintain weight or reduce it to lose weight.