Here you go. This chart and formula, adapted from Fitness: The Complete Guide, offers a ballpark figure for your water requirements based on your weight and activity level.
Need Factors:
0.5 – Sedentary, no sports or training
0.6 – Jogger or light fitness training
0.7 – Sports participation or moderate training three times per week
0.8 – Moderate daily weight training or aerobic training
0.9 – Heavy weight training daily
1.0 – Heavy weight training daily plus sports training, or “2 a-day” training
Now, multiply your weight by your need factor. You can divide that by 8 to determine the volume of water you should drink 8 times per day.
Example: 140 lbs. x 0.8 = 112 oz. of water per day
112 oz. per day/8 = 14 oz.
Thus, a 140 pound person who engages in moderate weight or aerobic training daily should drink 8-14 oz. glasses of water per day.
Figure Out the Ideal Number of Calories You Should Consume Daily (note: it's a ballpark figure)Step 1: Convert your bodyweight into kilograms using the following formula:
Bodyweight (in pounds)/2.2 = bodyweight (in kg)
Step 2: Calculate the following equation using your weight in kilograms:
Men: 1.0 x bodyweight (kg) x 24
Women: 0.9 x bodyweight (kg) x 24
Step 3: Determine your lean factor multiplier based on your body fat percentage.
Lean factor Body fat percentage Multiplier
Men: 1 10-14 1.0
2 14-20 .95
3 20-28 .90
4 over 28 .85
Women: 1 14-18 1.0
2 18-28 .95
3 28-38 .90
4 over 38 .85
Step 4: Multiply the number obtained in Step 2 by the lean factor multiplier to determine your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR).
Step 5: You’re almost there! Now, determine your daily activity multiplier. This number is a factor based on the amount of physical activity you do every day.
Couch Potato Range
1.30 – Very light: Sitting, studying, talking, little walking or other activities throughout the day.
1.55 – Light: Typing, teaching, lab/shop work, some walking throughout the day
Fitness Buff Range
1.65 – Moderate: Walking, jogging, gardening type job with activities such as cycling, tennis, dancing, skiing, or weight training 1-2 hours per day.
Athlete or Hard Daily Trainer Range
1.80 – Heavy: Heavy manual labor such as digging, tree felling, climbing, with activities such as football, soccer or body building 2-4 hours per day.
2.00 – Very Heavy: A combination of moderate and heavy activity for 8 or more hours per day, plus 2-4 hours of intense training per day.
Step 6: Multiply your BMR by your appropriate daily activity multiplier. This number is your daily caloric expenditure.
BMR x daily activity multiplier = daily caloric expenditure
Good job! That’s the hardest part, but it’s the most important piece of information you need to build nutritional program based on you and what you need every day.
Before we move on, take a look at this number. This number is equivalent to filling up your car at a gas station. Let’s say you have a 13 gallon tank. If you wanted to increase your fuel efficiency, would you simply fill your car up with 10 gallons of gas and expect to go the same distance as you’d go with a full tank? That’s ridiculous, right? Well, consider diets that cut calories. To increase fuel efficiency of your car, you’d make sure you were using the best grade of fuel, change your oil, and make sure your car’s maintenance was up-to-date. Based on what you now know about yourself, simply cutting calories means that you’re eliminating the fuel your body needs to “go the distance” every day. To increase your body’s efficiency at using calories, you’re going to learn how to give yourself the best fuel every day.
OK, a bit more math, and you are DONE!
Take your daily caloric expenditure and divide it by six.
1/6th of your calories should come from fat.
2/6th of your calories should come from protein.
3/6th of your calories should come from carbohydrates.
For example, let’s take someone whose daily caloric expenditure is 2500 calories. Here’s how her nutritional requirements break down:
2500 calories/6 = 417 calories
417 calories x 1 = 417 calories should come from fat
417 x 2 = 833 calories should come from protein
417 x 3 = 1250 calories should come from carbohydrates
That’s it. Pretty simple, right?
The last bits of information you’ll need to continue today’s journey to best health is the number of calories in one gram of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
So let’s convert our caloric requirements into grams (the number you’ll see on a nutritional label).
417 calories from fat/9 calories = 46 grams of fat per day
833 calories from protein/4 calories = 208 grams of protein per day
1250 calories from carbohydrates/4 calories = 313 grams of carbohydrates per day
Determining Your Maximum Heart Rate, Cardio Zone, and Fat Burning Zone
The following formula is for determining the rough estimate of your maximum heart rate. While exercising, you should try not to exceed this number, as it puts too much stress on your heart:
Max. HR = 220 - your age
For example: A 34 year old's maximum heart rate is: 220 - 34 = 186 bpm
If that 34 year old wanted to work out in the cardio zone (70-85% max. hr), meaning her body uses glycogen as the main source of fuel, she would use the following formulas:
- The low end of the cardio zone means that the heart is beating at 70% of it's max.
- (220 - your age) x 0.7 = low end of cardio zone
- The high end of the cardio zone means that the heart is beating at 85% of it's max.
- (220 - your age) x 0.85 = high end of cardio zone
- Low end: 186 bpm x 0.7 = 130.2 bpm
- High end: 186 bpm x 0.85 = 158.1 bpm
If our 34 year old want to work out in the fat-burning zone (55-70% max. hr), meaning her body uses fat as it's main source of fuel, she would use the following formulas:
- The low end of the fat burning zone means that her heart is beating at 55% of it's max.
- (220 - her age) x 0.55 = low end of fat burning zone
- The high end of the fat burning zone means that her heart is beating at 70% of it's max.
- (220 - her age) x 0.70 = high end of fat burning zone
- Low end: 186 bpm x 0.55 = 102.3 bpm
- High end: 186 bpm x 0.7 = 130.2 bpm
You might have noticed that the upper end of the fat burning zone and the lower end of the cardio zone are the exact same number. Maximum heart rate and exercise zones are estimates. They outline a general range that identifies what our bodies do during different intensities of work. When our 34 year old exercises and keeps her heart rate at the upper end of fat burning and lower end of cardio, her body will switch fuel sources throughout her exercise session, meaning that she uses both fat and glycogen as fuel.
