How many calories should a woman consume?
From the feeding we contribute to our organism the different calories that we need every day, so that our body can carry out all its vital functions. Although it is common to establish a maximum amount of recommended daily calories (for example, 2,000 or 2,500 kcal), the truth is that in a certain sense it is difficult to answer the question of how many calories do I need in a day, both in the case of a man and that of a woman.
Why is it difficult? Very simple: a person's caloric needs vary according to different parameters and values, such as whether he is male or female, his weight, height, age and the lifestyle he follows (ie, the level of his physical activity : if you are sedentary or for example practice physical exercise).
In fact, depending on all these parameters, the amount of recommended daily calories that we should consume each day is quite variable. And is that not only have to take into account the sex or physical complexion of the person, but also the physical activity that takes place daily and the lifestyle that is followed. Taking all this into consideration, it is more than evident that in the end the caloric needs will vary.
On average, with regard to the calories needed per day, man tends to need between 2,000 and 2,500 Kcal. per day, while a woman tends to need approximately 1,500 2,000 Kcal.
Although the calculation of daily calories can be done manually, having to follow some steps is best to use a daily calorie calculator, which helps us to know the calories we need each day quickly, easily and simply once we have added the data that asks us. However, it is possible to establish a calorie table approximate depending on the age of the person, and particularly -in this case- a woman.
How to know how many calories you need per day if you are a woman
We propose below a table of calories that a woman should consume each day according to their age:
Age | Daily calories |
| 15 - 24 years | 2,200 calories per day |
| 25 - 50 years | 2,200 calories per day |
| More than 50 years | 1,900 calories a day |
There are also different options -manual- when calculating our daily caloric needs. We explain them to you next.
How to calculate the basal metabolism (MB) if you are a woman
There is a useful basic formula for knowing and calculating our basal metabolism, although in reality we are faced with approximate calculations that can not be considered accurate at all. For this we are going to choose the one known as Harris-Benedict Formula, which is definitely the best known and used. The formula is the following:
- Basal metabolism in women:655,1 + (9,463 x weight in kg) + (1,8 x height in cm) - (4,6756 x age in years). For example: 655.1 + (9.463 x 63) + (1.8 x 163) - (4.6756 x 28) = 1413.75 kcal.
How to calculate the caloric requirement if you are a woman
Once we have the data about our basal metabolism, it is possible calculate the caloric requirement, whose figure will depend directly on the physical activity that the person performs. Thus, for example, we will only have to multiply the number of our basal metabolism (that we have obtained with the previous calculation), by the amount dependent on our physical activity:
- Sedentary activity:MB x 1.2
- Slightly active activity(practice of physical exercise 1 to 3 times per week): MB x 1,375
- Moderately active activity(moderate exercise practice, 3 to 5 times per week): MB x 1.55.
- Very active activity(sports practice 6 to 7 days per week): MB x 1,725.
- Hyperactive activity(very intense physical exercises, practice 2 hours a day or more of exercise): MB x 1.9.
