An ACCURATE caloric-needs calculator?

Musikelektronik

Hi there,

I've recently embarked on a weight-loss program. One of the first and most obvious steps (for me, anyway) is to calculate my daily caloric needs so that I can see what kind of calorie deficit I need to establish in order to lose weight. But I've found that different caloric-needs calculators give very different numbers.

I'm male, 6'0" tall, 209 lbs. (after a three-pound weight loss!) and 44 years old. With my sedentary lifestyle and desk job, different calculators say that I need anywhere from 1,900 to 2,700 calories per day to maintain my current weight. Obviously, that's a huge swing! It means that a 500-calorie/day deficit is either 1,400 (which sounds like starvation to me) or 2,200 (which seems a tad too generous).

Does anybody have a link for what they believe to be a good, reliable, accurate caloric-needs calculator?

Thanks!

Aaron

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The one on here uses the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to calculate BMR that is believed to be the most accurate formula. I say that not because the website says so but because I studied nutrition for my undergrad degree and that is the one used by most dietitians. Hope this helps! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

Musikelektronik

The one on here uses the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to calculate BMR that is believed to be the most accurate formula. I say that not because the website says so but because I studied nutrition for my undergrad degree and that is the one used by most dietitians. Hope this helps! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

Thanks, I checked it out. A BMR calculator wasn't something that I was looking for, really. I was more interested in one that calculates your overall caloric needs based on BMR + activity calories burned, based on activity levels.

Here's one that was recommended on another post. http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html.

FWIW, the BMR calculations on that site and MFP were within about 25 cals. of each other. So I feel like I've got an accurate BMR number. I'm just trying to estimate more accurately the number of cals. I burn each day while doing things that are non-life-sustaining activities (i.e., breathing, blinking, etc.).

Aaron