Calculation of Basal Metabolic

Caregiver
Jul 24, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Jul 25, 2025

Calorie Calculation

P : Protein 4 Kcal per gram

F : Fat. 9 Kcal per gram

C : Carbohydrate 4 Kcal per gram

Maintenance calories

(current weight kg X 33) ➗1.35

(60 kg x 33) ➗1.35 =1,466 Kcal

Protein

Non-exercisers

Body weight x 1g

Exercise and maintain muscle

Body weight x 2g or 3g at most

• Salmon (6 oz cooked, ~34g protein): Picture a deck of cards-sized fillet. One serving at dinner covers ~28% of your daily protein.

• Tuna (5 oz canned, drained, ~30g protein): Think of a standard can of tuna for lunch (e.g., in a salad or sandwich). This gets you ~25% of your goal.

• Chicken Breast (4 oz cooked, ~35g protein): Visualize a palm-sized piece for another meal. This adds ~29% of your protein needs.

• Eggs (4 large eggs, ~24g protein): Imagine a hearty breakfast omelet with 4 eggs. This contributes ~20% of your daily protein.

Memorization Tip:

Picture a daily plate rotation—breakfast eggs (4 eggs), lunch tuna (1 can), dinner salmon or chicken (deck/palm-sized portion). Mix and match to hit ~120g.

Example Daily Combo:

• Breakfast: 4 eggs (24g)

• Lunch: 5 oz tuna (30g)

• Dinner: 6 oz salmon (34g) + 4 oz chicken breast (35g)

• Total: ~123g protein

Lipids

People who exercise a lot

20% lipid

People who exercise less

30% lipid

Fats (Goal: ~60g/day for a 2,000-calorie diet)

Fats support hormones and overall health. I’ll use avocados, almonds, and olive oil for memorability:

• Avocado (1/2 medium avocado, ~15g fat): Picture half an avocado (size of a small fist) on toast or in a salad. Two servings provide ~30g fat.

• Almonds (1 oz, ~14g fat): Visualize a small handful (about 23 almonds). Two servings (snack and topping) give ~28g fat.

• Olive Oil (1 tbsp, ~14g fat): Imagine a tablespoon drizzled over veggies or used in cooking. One serving adds ~14g fat.

Memorization Tip: Think of fats as “add-ons”—avocado on lunch, almonds as snacks, olive oil for cooking. Spread them across meals to hit ~60g.

Example Daily Combo:

• Breakfast: 1/2 avocado (15g fat)

• Snack: 1 oz almonds (14g fat)

• Lunch: 1/2 avocado (15g fat)

• Dinner: 1 tbsp olive oil (14g fat)

• Total: ~58g fat

Carbohydrates

480 Kcal +293 Kcal =773 Kcal

1466 - 773 = 693 Kcal

693➗4 = 173 g

Carbohydrates (Goal: ~250g/day for a 2,000-calorie diet)

Carbs fuel energy and recovery. Here’s how to reach ~250g using sweet potatoes, oats, and germ rice (germ rice is similar to brown rice but with the nutrient-rich germ intact):

• Sweet Potatoes (1 medium, ~4 oz, ~26g carbs): Picture a medium sweet potato (size of a computer mouse). Three servings (e.g., breakfast, lunch, snack) give ~78g carbs.

• Oats (1/2 cup dry, ~27g carbs): Visualize a small bowl of cooked oatmeal for breakfast. Two servings (morning and snack) provide ~54g carbs.

• Germ Rice (1 cup cooked, ~45g carbs): Imagine a standard cup of cooked rice with dinner. Two servings (lunch and dinner) yield ~90g carbs.

Memorization Tip: Think of a carb “trio” across meals—oats for breakfast, sweet potato for lunch/snack, germ rice for dinner. Adjust portions slightly to hit ~250g.

Example Daily Combo:

• Breakfast: 1 cup dry oats (54g carbs)

• Lunch: 2 medium sweet potatoes (52g carbs)

• Snack: 1 medium sweet potato (26g carbs)

• Dinner: 2 cups cooked germ rice (90g carbs)

• Total: ~222g carbs (add a piece of fruit, like a banana [~30g carbs], to hit ~250g)