Calorie Requirements

How many calories do I need?

The following table shows the calorie requirements of average men and women who have office jobs (i.e. little movement)

Calorie Requirements for Women
Age	Calorie requirements of a woman during the day
0 - 4 months	450 kcal
4-12 months	700 kcal
1 - 4 years	1000 kcal
4 - 7 years	1400 kcal
7 - 10 years	1700 kcal
10 - 13 years	2000 kcal
13 - 15 years	2200 kcal
15 -19 years	2000 kcal
19 - 25 years	1900 kcal
25 -51 years	1900 kcal
51 - 65 years	1800 kcal
over 65 years	1600 kcal
Source: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (a German Nutrition Society)

Calorie Requirements for Men
Age	Calorie requirements of a man during the day
0 - 4 months	500 kcal
4-12 months	700 kcal
1 - 4 years	1100 kcal
4 - 7 years	1500 kcal
7 - 10 years	1900 kcal
10 - 13 years	2300 kcal
13 - 15 years	2700 kcal
15 -19 years	2500 kcal
19 - 25 years	2500 kcal
25 -51 years	2400 kcal
51 - 65 years	2200 kcal
over 65 years	2000 kcal
Source: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung - a German Nutrition Society

Calorie requirements are increased based on following:

Additional calorie requirements	Kcal
- an office job (sitting a lot)	200-400
- a job that involves walking a lot	500-800
- a job that involves a lot of physical movement	700 - 1100

Which factors need to be considered when trying to determine the calorie requirements?

Physical activity
Age
Weight
The calorie requirements can be reduced by repeated dieting or fasting (yo-yo effect)
Metabolism
Body temperature
Muscle mass
And many other factors.