I have been asked repeatedly (mostly by women looking to lose weight) what is the minimum number of calories that I need to take in on a daily basis. While there are quite a number of calculators to figure this out, I found an equation that is very good. This is taken from the University of Phoenix. Here is the link to an excel spreadsheet. Simply enter in the values and the spreadsheet will automatically determine your estimated ideal caloric need. Remember this is only an estimate. The best way to determine your ideal is to consult your healthcare provider and have a detailed examination and testing done. This is in no way a guideline for use in healthcare, this calorie estimator is purely for entertainment.
calcalc.xls