Recommended Calories and Water

Calorie Intake

Calorie and protein recommendations in the program are based on calculations from the Dietary Reference Intakes for Macronutrients, 2002.
The program uses DRI formulas to calculate Calorie needs for all age groups. These formulas take into account the sex, age, height, weight, and activity level of individuals, and are intended to predict the energy needed to maintain current weight. Special calculations for overweight/obese clients are used for adults (>18 years) with a BMI >= 25, and for children (<= 18 years) with a BMI >= the 95th percentile. For pregnancy, the clients’ pre-pregnancy weight should be entered and for lactation, the client’s goal weight should be entered, to ensure accurate calculations for these individuals.

The basic Calorie formula is:

TEE (Total Energy Expenditure) = A = B x age + PA x (D x weight + E x height)

• TEE = calories per day
• Age = years
• Weight = kilograms
• Height = meters
• A = constant term
• B = age coefficient
• PA = physical activity coefficient, which depends on whether the individual fits into the sedentary, low active, active, or very active activity category
• D = weight coefficient
• E = height coefficient

Water Intake Recommendation

Although there is no official recommendation for water consumption, eight glasses per day is often suggested.