Friday, July 8, 2011

Calorie Checkup

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
Sedentary1.00>1.0<1.4
Moderately Active1.12>1.4<1.6
Active1.27>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 pineapple70
1/2 cup mandarin orange80
1/2 cup greek yogurt65
1 cup almond milk60
2 Tbsp coconut48
323

Avocado Bean Wrap
1 can red beans350
1 avocado227
1 tomato11
2 green onions6
1 chipotle15
609
÷ six servings101
1 tortilla190
salad greens-
per wrap291
but I eat two582

So add like 100 calories if you eat this with slaw instead of salad greens.

Pasta Salad
6 Tbsp vinegar17
1/2 cup olive oil960
12 oz pasta1260
2 zucchini6
1 lb peas350
1 can red beans350
2943
÷ six servings490

Banana Almond Smoothie
1 banana105
2 Tbsp almond butter190
1 cup almond milk60
1 Tbsp flaxseed oil120
475

MY TOTAL DAILY CALORIES1870

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...