Vegan Calorie Requirements Calculator

How To Calculate Calorie Intake Requirements For Men And Women

The amount of calories you need to consumne on a daily basis can vary dramatically, depending on many factors. In fact, your body is constantly burning calories - from walking, talking, running and working out to digesting food and believe it not, just thinking burns calories. In fact, your body burns through a surprising amount of calories just to keep itself ging each day.

In scientific the consumption of calories to keep your body operating is referred to as 'non-exercise activity thermogenesis' (NEAT) and it is a major influencing factor in determining your daily total energy expenditure (TEE). 

Use our calculator below to get an indication of your typical daily calorie needs.

The Main Factors Influencing Calorie Consumption

The three main factors that determine your daily total energy expenditure (TEE) are:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

As mentioned above, your body needs calories (energy) to be able to survive - from digesting food and repairing damaged tissues to thinking. Typically, in a healthy adult with a relatively sedantary lifestyle, BMR accounts for an astonishing 60% of calories burned each day. 

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

The thermic effect of food is, essentially, the amount of energy your body uses in digesting and storing food. It can be influenced by eating a low-fat, plant-based diet, but may also be influenced by age and activity levels. Tyically, TEF account for 8-15% of calories burned each day.

Your Activity Levels (EAT and NEAT)

Activity can be broken down into two key areas:

1. Exercise-related Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)
2. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

For those people who engage in regular 'purposeful' physical activity, it is believed that EAT accounts for 15-30% of total energy expenditure (TEE). On the other hand, NEAT, which incorporates all kinds of movements, such as doing chores, brushing your teeth, walking, dancing and other common 'lifestyle' activities. Typically, NEAT makes up 20-30% of a sedentary person's calories burned each day.

How Many Calories Do I Need To Lose Weight?

In order to lose weight you need for your calories burned to exceed the amount of calories consumed. As you have seen from the information above, this is not a simple calculation as there are many factors that influence how many calories your body needs.

To help you get an indication the likely number of calories you use each day we have provided a free calculator below. Please use this as a guide to your body's likely calorie needs.