Anyone trying to lose weight or decrease body fat (related, but not the same) needs to know how many calories they should be eating on a daily basis.

There are all kinds of formulas out there. Some are quick and simple, others are much more complicated. My favorite resource for this is Tom Venuto’s How Many Calories Should I Eat cheat sheet. In this document he outlines four methods for calculating your caloric needs.

“Eating for fat loss doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can become totally intuitive and unconscious fairly quickly if you understand a few basic principles of energy balance and rules of nutrition.”

He says the need to count calories will eventually become optional. That’s been true for me though there are times when you want to dial in your nutrition and counting the calories closely will help.

Determining your optimal energy requirements is essential for trying to really get lean. You’ll want to use one of the more complex, scientific formulas. For me, the Harris-Benedict formula worked well. I relied on it a few years ago when I was at my leanest. It does a good job of factoring in your activity level.

Be sure and test the formula to see if it works. For accurate results, be extremely disciplined.