How many calories do I need?

Essentially, there are three factors that are taken into account when computing the calorie requirement of a person.

Basal or resting metabolic rate: The basal rate is the amount of energy required by the body when it is at rest. As mentioned earlier, even while at rest, there are a number of vital functions that the body performs such as respiration, circulation, functioning of various organs, maintenance of body temperature, etc. The basal rate accounts for almost fifty five per cent of the body’s daily energy requirement.
Thermic effect of food: The body requires a certain amount of energy to digest food and absorb the nutrients that it receives.