So, How Many Calories Do I Need?

People are always surprised when I calculate out how many calories they need when they’re training. An average woman need about 1,200 calories just for her resting metabolic rate. That’s just what your body needs to run all it’s systems. She’ll need about another 600 calories for normal daily activity. So basically, not counting any exercise, the average female needs about 1,800 calories a day.

Now comes the shocker—the calories needed to support your training, stay healthy, and maintain your weight. On average you need about 100 calories per mile. This actually varies depending on how much you weigh. If you weight 120lbs you’ll need about 95cals per mile. It goes up about 15cals for every additional 20lbs of weight. So, a 180-pound individual will need about 140cals per mile.

For ease, lets say the female from earlier weighs 120lbs. The extra calories she’d need on a day she’s running a 6-miler would be 570cals. Her total calorie need for the day would be 2,370cals (1,200 + 600 + 570). This surprises many people, because they’re used to seeing diets that have you eating something crazy like 1,500cals a day. Now remember the 2,370cals is on a day you’re running a 6-miler. If you’re not running you won’t need those additional calories.

Why do you need those calories? Well, think of it as fuel. Let’s say you typically put $40 gas in your car each week. If one week you decide to drive across the country, that $40 of gas isn’t going to get you there. Same thing with calories. Not only do you need those calories for fuel, you need those calories for rebuilding and repairing muscle tissue after your run. In this case less is not more.

Now if you want to lose weight, you can decrease your calorie intake some in order to shed some pounds. Decreasing your calorie intake by 3500 calories in one week (500cals per day) should result in a 1lb weight-loss for that week. I can see the light-bulbs coming on….many of you are saying, “Cool, I’ll just not add those extra 570cals for running and I’ll be good to go.” Problem is, doing that doesn’t account for the calories you’re going to burn on your run. So you’ll end up with a huge calorie deficit and by not adding the extra fuel it’s going to take longer for you to recover from your run.

Nancy Clark (author of Nancy Clark’s Food Guide for Marathoners, Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2007) recommends that you should first calculate your calorie needs and then target 80% of that total calories in order to safely get the needed calories for daily living and your added exercise and still lose weight.

Here’s an example using the female runner from above.
1,200cals (to support metabolic rate) + 600cals (to support normal daily activity) + 570cals (to support 6-mile run) = 2,370cals (to support this day’s activity while maintaining the athlete’s weight).
80% x 2,370cals = 1,896cals (cals needed to support the daily activity and lose weight).

Many people (athletes or not) complain about feeling hungry throughout the day, especially if they’re trying to lose weight. One way to help avoid this hungry feeling is to try eating more frequently throughout the day. Instead of 3 traditional meals, try having 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. You’re not going to be eating more calories, but you’ll spread it out over the course of the day. Your body actually burns calories while it’s digesting, so if you feed the fire more frequently, it keeps that engine burning longer.

If it’s easier, to still think of your 3-meals a day, that’s fine. Just make those meals smaller and then add a healthy snack in between those traditional meal times. Also, be sure to eat foods that are going to provide you with energy and have lasting power. Whole grains, nuts, fruits and veggies are great choices. Quaker makes a great oatmeal (Quaker Weight Control Instant Oatmeal) that I eat every morning. The name is a little misleading. The reason it’s “weight control” is because it has more protein than regular instant oatmeal which helps keep you fuller longer. A handful of raw almonds make a great mid-morning snack. Drink a glass or water with them and it will cause the nut fiber to expand helping you to feel fuller. Almonds also help to build your immune system. Lowfat yogurt as a mid afternoon snack is a great choice. Greek yogurt is packed with protein and really does the trick in keeping hunger at bay for me. Just be sure to get the 2% or no-fat variety.

So, it’s a little work, but keep track of your caloric needs, especially if you’re training and doing a lot of running. Your body will thank you and the fruits of your labor will show up in your training and in your renewed energy!

Listen to Your Stomach!

I'm currently training for the Marine Corps Marathon and as the long distance miles add up, I find myself constantly hungry. I was the fat kid growing up. You know, the one who wore the plaid pants because nothing else would fit. The husky-sized toughskin pants from Sears (you remember, the ones with the reinforced knees that never wore out). Enough strolling down memory lane...my point...what was my point? Oh yeah, my point was, ever since I lost the extra pounds in high school, I've been very conscious of my weight. When I start eating more than usual, I become a little paranoid that I'm over eating.

If you're a distance runner, this kind of thinking is pure hogwash. You heard me. Hogwash. When you run more and run longer, your body needs more fuel. Not only does it need fuel during the run, it also needs you to replace that fuel after your run. I've realized that thinking of my food as fuel helps me get beyond the idea that I'm over eating. If I'm training hard and I'm hungry, that's my body telling me I need fuel. I've also realized that I can avoid that constant hungry feeling by eating more often throughout the day.

Basically, it's all about putting back the calories you've expended. For me, eating more often throughout the day seems to help achieve this. I'll eat breakfast (an English muffin with peanut butter and preserves); then around 10:00AM I'll have a mid-morning snack (usually a handful of almonds or a granola bar). I'll eat a regular lunch; then by 2:00PM, I'm ready for a mid-afternoon snack. I'll have a regular dinner and then a few hours after that I'll have a snack of yogurt and granola or something similar. The more frequent smaller meals works for me, but for another runner, having three larger meals and no snacks may work just as well. It doesn't really matter as long as you're taking in the needed calories to sustain your normal body functions plus the extra caloric demands from your training.

I weigh around 138lbs. A person my size needs about 1,400 calories just to live and breathe (Resting Metabolic Rate). Since I'm a pretty active guy during the day (not including any running), I'll need an additional 700 calories. Someone my size burns about 110 calories per mile. So, for a 10-mile run I'll need an additional 1,100 calories. So for a day in which I'm running 10 miles I need to make sure I eat about 3,200 calories. On a day with an 18-mile long run, I'd need to eat about 4,300 calories. No wonder I'm so hungry! But telling a weight-conscious person he needs to eat 4,300 calories can really freak him out. That's why I like to think of it as fuel. It's like putting gas in your car. You may only use 2 gallons of gas to drive to and from work, but if you're traveling out of town on a business trip, you'll use the entire tank.

So, the moral of this story is—Train Hard, Eat, Drink, and be Happy!

In a Calorie Quandary?

Now that we have the skinny on fat, what about calories? How many calories does a runner need each day? How does training for a marathon figure in? Sounds complicated, but with a little basic information about yourself, you can figure out your specific caloric needs in four easy steps.

Step 1: Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) - The number of calories needed just to live and breathe. Multiply your weight by 10 calories per pound or 22 calories per kilogram.

___(lbs) x 10calories/lb = ___calories for your specific RMR

Example: 160lbs x 10 calories/lb = 1600 calories/RMR

(or)

___(kg) x 22calories/kg = ___calories for your specific RMR

Example: 73kg x 22 calories/lb = 1606 calories/RMR

Step 2: Daily Activity Level (DAL) - Extra calories based on your daily activity level (not including running or exercise)

• Sedentary = 35% x RMR

• Active during the day = 50% x RMR

• Extremely active during the day = 65% x RMR

Example for an active 160lb person: 50% x 1600 = 800 calories

Step 3: Running Calories (RC) - Additional calories based on your running

100lbs = 80 calories per mile; 45kg = 80 calories per mile

120lbs = 95 calories per mile; 55kg = 95 calories per mile

140lbs = 110 calories per mile; 64kg = 110 calories per mile

160lbs = 125 calories per mile; 73kg = 125 calories per mile

180lbs = 140 calories per mile; 82kg = 140 calories per mile

200lbs = 155 calories per mile; 91kg = 155 calories per mile

To calculate calories burned for other crosstraining activities, click here.

Step 4: Put it all together
___RC + ___DAL + ___RMR = ___Total Calories

Example for a person weighing 160lbs who is active during the day and runs 5 miles a day:

625RC + 800DAL + 1600RMR = 3025 Total Calories

Don't forget to subtract the RC calories from the total calories on days that you're not running or crosstraining. Also, be sure to spread your calories over the course of the day so that your body has a continuous source of energy. Please keep in mind that the formula above is just a guide to help you better understand your caloric needs while training. Depending on your running pace and weight, you may need more or less calories per day. For more information on daily caloric intake check out The Family Guy's Guide to Getting in Shape.