You’ve probably heard that the average adult needs about 2,000 calories a day. While that’s fair as a general guideline, it’s not the whole story. A woman who’s a professional athlete and is actively training likely needs many more calories than that, while an elderly woman who sits for most of the day probably needs less. Your personal calorie needs depend on a variety of factors, including your health, activity level, metabolism, age, size, and your plan for weight loss, gain or maintenance.
More or Less?
Take these factors into consideration when determining your calorie needs:
- Health: If you have an illness or injury, you may need more calories than someone who doesn’t since the body is using extra energy to heal. Hormone imbalances and certain medical conditions can also affect how many calories you burn.
- Activity Level: A person who moves around a lot will burn more calories than someone who is mostly sedentary.
- Metabolism: If you have a fast metabolic rate, you’ll burn calories more quickly than someone with a slow metabolism, and you may need to eat more often.
- Age: Teens and kids who are still growing need more calories than adults. A woman of any age who is pregnant needs more calories than she would otherwise.
- Size: Larger people typically burn more calories than smaller people. Because women are usually smaller than men, they often need fewer calories.
- Weight Plan: If your goal is to lose weight, you may need to cut down on daily calories for the duration of your weight-loss plan. If you want to gain, of course, you’ll need to add calories.
The USDA provides sample daily calorie recommendations for a woman who is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs about 126 pounds and wants to maintain that weight:
- 2,400 calories/day: This is the highest recommendation, appropriate for an active woman between the ages of 14 and 30.
- 2,200 calories/day: This amount is appropriate for a very active woman age 30 to 55 or a moderately active woman age 19 to 25.
- 2,000 calories/day: This amount is a general recommendation for moderately active females who are between 12 to 17 or ages 26 to 50, a very active woman over the age of 60, or a sedentary woman between the ages of 19 and 25.
- 1,800 calories/day: Appropriate for a sedentary woman between the ages of 26 and 50 or a moderately active woman over 50.
- 1,600 calories/day: Appropriate for a sedentary woman over the age of 50.
A woman who is pregnant needs more calories during the pregnancy than she would otherwise, but it’s possible to gain an unhealthy amount of weight during pregnancy. The amount of weight a pregnant woman gains and how many calories she eats depend on factors that include her starting weight, her health, the baby’s size and doctor-specific instructions.
Because of all these factors, no hard-and-fast recommendation exists as to how many calories a pregnant woman should eat. However, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that pregnant women eat between 2,200 and 2,900 calories per day and gain between 11 and 40 pounds during pregnancy.
Your Unique Needs
Although general calorie guidelines can help you figure out what you need, your doctor is the best source of information for your personal questions about health. What works for your best friend may not work for you, and that’s OK; everyone’s needs are different. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about how much you should be eating or if you intend to start a plan to gain or lose weight or make any drastic changes to your diet.