I say that I don't count calories, because that way lies madness. But truthfully I counted calories for years and have a lot of that information internalized, and also my whole theme and variation steez is a total artifact of measuring my life with coffee spoons. And I figure that it's good to check up now and again, especially now since I have very different energy and nutrition needs.
Calorie Requirements
Here's the best article I've read about Nutrition and Athletic Performance, from the American Dietetic Association website. Let's start with what they say about calorie requirements, the formula for which is, for women, as follows:
354 - 6.91 (age in years) + PA [9.36 (weight in kg) + 726 (height in m)]
And here's me correcting the ADA, as much as I want to believe that I'm supposed to be consuming 3400 calories per day. Your PA is your physical activity factor, which is based on your PAL or physical actvity level:
| PA is | for PAL | |
| Sedentary | 1.00 | >1.0<1.4 |
| Moderately Active | 1.12 | >1.4<1.6 |
| Active | 1.27 | >1.6<1.9 |
Make sure to multiply by your PA, and not your PAL!
Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, Section 3
354 - 6.91 (43) + 1.27 [9.36 (65.77) + 726 (1.625)]
MY TOTAL DAILY CALORIE REQUIREMENTS: 2337
Calorie Analysis
I get my calorie data from the nutrition facts on the package or from the USDA National Nutrient Database.
| Hawaiian Smoothie | |
| 1/2 cup pineapple | 70 |
| 1/2 cup mandarin orange | 80 |
| 1/2 cup greek yogurt | 65 |
| 1 cup almond milk | 60 |
| 2 Tbsp coconut | 48 |
| 323 |
| Avocado Bean Wrap | |
| 1 can red beans | 350 |
| 1 avocado | 227 |
| 1 tomato | 11 |
| 2 green onions | 6 |
| 1 chipotle | 15 |
| 609 | |
| ÷ six servings | 101 |
| 1 tortilla | 190 |
| salad greens | - |
| per wrap | 291 |
| but I eat two | 582 |
So add like 100 calories if you eat this with slaw instead of salad greens.
| Pasta Salad | |
| 6 Tbsp vinegar | 17 |
| 1/2 cup olive oil | 960 |
| 12 oz pasta | 1260 |
| 2 zucchini | 6 |
| 1 lb peas | 350 |
| 1 can red beans | 350 |
| 2943 | |
| ÷ six servings | 490 |
| Banana Almond Smoothie | |
| 1 banana | 105 |
| 2 Tbsp almond butter | 190 |
| 1 cup almond milk | 60 |
| 1 Tbsp flaxseed oil | 120 |
| 475 |
| MY TOTAL DAILY CALORIES | 1870 |
That just about works out to a 500 daily calorie deficit, though I assure you that I'm not losing weight. I'm sure that I'm making it all up between Taco Burrito Express and Feed...
