How Many Calories Should I Eat?

from Keeping Well With Diabetes booklet

Your calorie needs depend on your gender, activity level, age, and size. To maintain your present weight, you'll need to match your calorie intake with your activity level. To lose weight, you'll need to eat fewer calories than you use in physical activity. To gain weight, you'll need to take in more calories than you burn.

Diabetes experts use the following guidelines to estimate how many calories adults need to eat daily to maintain their weight.

For every pound of weight, calculate:

• 10 calories for a person who is obese, very inactive, or always dieting
• 13 calories for a person older than age 55, an active woman, or an inactive man
• 15 calories for a very active woman or an active man
• 20 calories for a very active man or an athlete

For example an obese man who weighs 180 pounds would probably need about 1,800 calories per day to maintain his weight. Talk to your healthcare provider before you make any changes in your calorie intake or meal plan.

• 180 lbs. (overweight man) x 10 = 1,800 calories
• 180 lbs. x 20 (very active man) = 3,600 calories

To find out your daily fat allowance, click HERE.

SOURCE:  Novo Nordisk (booklet)

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