Estimating Energy Requirements

To determine your estimated energy requirement (EER), use the appropriate equation, inserting your age in years, weight (wt) in kilograms, height (ht) in meters, and physical activity (PA) factor from the accompanying table. (To convert pounds to kilograms, divide weight by 2.2; to convert inches to meters, divide by 39.37). For men 19 years and older: EER= [662 (9.53 x age)] + PA x [(15.91 x wt) + (539.6 x ht)]

For women 19 years and older: EER= [354 (6.91 x age)] + PA x [9.36 x wt) + (726 x ht)]

Physical Activity (PA) Factors for EER Equation Men Sedentary 1.0 Women 1.0 1.12 1.27 1.45 Physical Activity Typical daily living activities Plus 30-60 min moderate activity Plus 60 min moderate activity Plus 60 min moderate activity and 60 min vigorous or 120 min moderate activity

Low Active 1.11 Active 1.25

Very Active 1.48

QUESTION 1: Complete Equation with Your Information and Calculate EER EER= [____ - (____ x _____)] + ____ x [(____x _____) + (_____ x ________)] (age) (PA) (weight) (height)

Your EER: __________________ kcal/day

Once you have determined your estimated energy requirement on a daily basis, how does that translate into grams of each of the macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate), helpful when you are reading food nutritional labels?

Recommended ranges for consumption of fats, carbohydrates and proteins as a percentage of daily caloric intake are as follows:

Fats: 20 35% of total calories Carbohydrates: 45 65% of total calories Protein: 10 15% of total calories

The energy associated with each macronutrient is as follows: Fats: 9 kcal/gram Carbohydrates: 4 kcal/gram Protein: 4 kcal/gram

Example: If I am planning a healthy diet to maintain my current weight (i.e., I want to meet my EER that I calculated to be 2300 kcal/day), and I want to consume 15% of my calories from protein, I need to find out how many grams of protein I should be consuming each day. I would calculate this as follows: 2300 kcal/day x 0.15 = 345 kcal from protein 345 kcal / 4 kcal/gram = 86 grams of protein

QUESTION 2: Calculate Calories and Grams per Day of the Macronutrients If you are trying to meet your EER and a recommended daily intake of fats, carbohydrates, and protein with 30% fats, 55% carbohydrates, and 15% protein, how much of each macronutrient in kcals and grams would you need to consume? Fats: _______ kcal/day x _____ = _____ kcal from fat _______ kcal / _____ kcal/gram = _______ grams of fat Carbohydrates: _______ kcal/day x _____ = _____ kcal from carbohydrates _______ kcal / _____ kcal/gram = _______ grams of carbs

Protein:

_______ kcal/day x _____ = _____ kcal from protein _______ kcal / _____ kcal/gram = _______ grams of protein

Hint: As a check of your work, the kcals from fat, carbs, and protein should add up to your EER.