CALCULATING YOUR DAILY CALORIE TARGET

You  can  use  this  formula  to  calculate  how  many  calories  you  need  each  day  to  maintain  your  current weight. Then we’ll subtract 500 calories from that to get your daily calorie goal for weight loss.

The formula is called the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation.

STEP 1. CALCULATE BASAL CALORIE NEEDS.

“Basal” means the number of calories you would need if you were sedentary all the time.

For Men

Basal calories = (4.545 × weight in pounds) + (15.875 × height in inches) – (5 × age in years) + 5

For Women

Basal calories = (4.545 × weight in pounds) + (15.875 × height in inches) – (5 × age in years) – 161

Write your basal calories here: ________________

STEP 2. ADJUST BASAL CALORIES FOR YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL.

This gives you your activity-adjusted calorie needs to maintain your current weight.

Multiply your basal calories from Step 1 times your activity factor:

• Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) = basal calories × 1.2

• Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days/week) = basal calories × 1.375

• Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days/week) = basal calories × 1.55

• Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days/week) = basal calories × 1.725

• Extremely active (hard daily exercise or very physical job) = basal calories × 1.9

Write activity-adjusted calories here: ________________

STEP 3. CALCULATE YOUR CALORIE GOAL FOR WEIGHT LOSS.

Subtract 500 calories for your activity-adjusted calories from Step 2. This is your weight-loss calorie goal.

Write that number here: ________________

STEP 4. LOOK AT THE TABLE BELOW TO FIND YOUR DAILY DASH SERVINGS FOR YOUR CALORIE TARGET.

HOW MANY SERVINGS SHOULD YOU EAT EACH DAY FROM THE DASH FOOD GROUPS?
CALORIE TARGET	VEGETABLES	FRUITS	GRAINS	DAIRY	MEAT/ FISH POULTRY EGGS	NUTS SEEDS LEGUMES	ADDED FATS	SWEETS
1,200	4	3	5	2	1 ½	¼	½	½
1,400	4	4	5	2	1 ½	¼	½	½
1,600	4	4	6	2	1 ½	¼	1	½
1,800	4	4	6 ½	2 ½	1 ½	½	1 ½	½
2,000	4	4	7	2 ½	1 ½	½	2	½
2,200	4	5	8	3	2	½	2 ½	1
2,400	5	5	9	3	2	½	3	1
2,600	5	5	10	3	2 ½	1	3	1 ½

If  your  calorie  goal  in  Step  3  is  less  than  1,200  calories,  use  the  daily  servings  for  1,200  calories  in  the table.

If your calorie goal in Step 3 is greater than 2,600 calories, use the daily servings for 2,600 calories in the table.

Copyright ©Thomas J. Moore MD, Megan C. Murphy MPH, and Mark Jenkins –Originally appeared in The DASH Diet for Weight Loss by Thomas J. Moore MD, Megan C. Murphy MPH, and Mark Jenkins.