Ok, since this is definitely important for EVERYONE of every fitness level, I guess I can break down and show everyone how to do it (I'm not sure why I haven't yet, I guess I just didn't think about it!) My bad on that.
I believe this is pretty basic, so let me know if you have any questions or need anything clarified! I know that many people think these numbers are high, because it's more than they're used to eating, but this is how you get your metabolism burning optimally. Starvation simply doesn't work!!!
First, you must calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. Your BMR is lowest when sleeping; however, most methods measure your BMR when awake, but under controlled conditions of resting and room temperature. Your BMR is therefore an estimate of the number of calories you'd burn over 24 hours while lying down, but not sleeping. Your actual metabolic rate is estimated by adding the caloric cost of all the activities you engage in throughout the day to your BMR.
A rough estimate of BMR is as follows:
Men's BMR in calories = 1 X Body weight in kilograms X 24 hours
Women's BMR in calories = 0.9 X Body weight in kilograms X 24
(to calculate your body fat in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2)
Now, once you have this number, decide which body fat range you're in, and multiply it by the Lean Factor multiplier in parenthesis.
Lean Factor Chart
-Men Under 10%, Women under 14% 105% Multiplier - (1.05)
-Men 10% to <14% – Women 14% to <18% 100% Multiplier - (1.0)
-Men 14% to <20% – Women 18% to <28% 95% Multiplier - (.95)
-Men 20% to 28% – Women 28% to 38% 90% Multiplier - (.90)
-Men over 28% – Women over 38% 85%(0.85) 85% Multiplier - (.85)
Finally, take that number (the BMR x your Lean Factor) and multiply it by your daily activity level (in percent). I can make this VERY specific, but below is a good chart for estimating this number. Feel free to make your own estimates if you feel that you're somewhere between any of these categories.
Daily Activity Level Breakdown
130% is very light activity: sitting, studying, talking, little walking.
155% is light activity; typing, teaching, lab/shop work, some walking throughout the day.
165% is moderate activity: walking, jogging, gardening, active job, training 1 to 2 hours per day.
200% is heavy activity level: manual labor such as digging, tree felling, construction work, and sports activities between 2 and 3 hours.
230% is very heavy activity: a combination of moderate and heavy activity 8 or more hours per day, plus sports activities 2 to 4 hours per day. [/b]
These numbers allow you to adjust your requirements based on your activities for any given day (lifting and cardio, not lifting, no cardio, work, school, etc.)
Here's an example of my daily caloric requirements on a lifting day.
My current weight 213lbs = 96.9kg
BMR= 96.9kg x 24hours = 2325 calories
My body fat is less than 10%, so my multiplier is 1.05
Adjusted bmr = 2325 x 1.05 = 2441
On a normal lifting day, I estimate my energy expenditure to be in the 165% range (Depending on the activity, I might go as high as 175%, but for this example, 165% will do.)
2441 bmr calories x 1.65 (165% activity level) = 4027 calories
On an off day, my calorie expenditure is probably closer to 155%, so on that day, my caloric expenditure would be:
2441 x 1.55 (155%) = 3783
So, these are the numbers that I would zig-zag from.
Hope this helps each of you!!!
Boyd
(This article was taken from satxfitness.com, Boyd Myers)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa64.htm
The above link is to a calculator using the same information, just type in your required info and it does the work for you!