QuestionQUESTION: HI. How do I work out my ideal weight? I go to a gym, and BMI doesn't account for muscle.
I want to find out so I can work out how many calories to eat per day?
Thanks
ANSWER: Hello Michael,
There is a general formula we use for idea weight, but it does not account for muscle, similar to the BMI number.
For 5 ft tall a male gets 106# and then add 6# for every additional inch.
So if you are 5'10" your "ideal" weight would be 166#. The range goes plus or minus 10% so you could weigh between 150# and 182# and still be considered "ideal"....although it depends a lot on individual muscle mass, bone size, etc.
You can find out how many calories to eat per day based on your actual weight--you don't need your ideal weight to do that.
One guideline is to eat about 25-30 calories per kilogram. For instance if you weigh 154# (70 kg) you should eat between 1750 and 2100 calories per day (to maintain your weight).
The next challenge will be counting your calories if you are actually going to shoot for adding up everything you eat! You might find one of the websites helpful that let you record your food intake, and they add up the calories for you. Some of the better ones include FitDay.com, TheDailyPlate.com and LoseIt.com (which also has a smartphone app)
Good luck!
Laurie
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: So, I want to be eating enough for a healthy weight, whether I do or don't have muscle mass?
AnswerMike,
The number of calories you eat per day is not an exact science. There's a lot of trial and error involved. Your best bet is to try eating 2000 calories a day and see how it works for you. If you start losing weight and you don't want to, eat a few hundred more calories; likewise, if you start gaining you'll want to cut back a bit.
There aren't really any formulas that are capable of calculating taking muscle mass into account because there isn't a reliable way to test what percentage of your body tissue is metabolically active.
Good Luck!
Laurie
