Always difficult, these sort of questions. No-one is the same, and what's good for one may be bad for another.
My opinion is as follows:
1> *On average*, the male human body needs about 10 calories/day/pound of body weight (22 calories/day/kg of body weight) to sustain basal metabolism (the amount of energy required to maintain the body of an individual in a resting state).
2> Add about 3 calories/day/pound of body weight (7 calories/day/kg of body weight) to compensate for normal daily activities (excluding exercise).
3> Add the estimated number of calories you will need to sustain your exercise program.
So, for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, then your calculation will look something like this:
1> 150 x 10 = 1500 calories/day to sustain basal metabolism.
2> 150 x 3 = 450 calories/day for normal daily activity.
1500 + 450 = 1950
: thus a 150 lb sedentary male will need about 1950 calories/day
or, if you weigh 68 kg, then
1> 68 x 22 = 1496 calories/day to sustain basal metabolism.
2> 68 x 7 = 476 calories/day for normal daily activity.
1496 + 476 = 1972
: thus a 68 kg sedentary male will need about 1972 calories/day
You now need to determine how many calories you burn during exercise. Thus the need for a good heart rate monitor.
If, on average, you burn 1000 calories during exercise/day, then you need to consume an extra 1000 calories to sustain that level of exercise. BUT, if weight loss is your goal, then you need to consume
LESS calories than you burn during exercise!
Click
here for a basal metabolism calculator.
Not all calories are equal! There are 4 calories/gram of carbohydrate, 4 calories/gram of protein and 9 calories/gram of fat!
A bar of chocolate that contains 40g of fat will make up 360 calories, and that excludes the carb and protein calories.
It all sounds simple, but is is not. There are many factors that influence basal metabolism. Age, diet, exercise to name a few. And to make it even more complicated, no-one is "average".
To meet the athlete's daily energy and nutritional needs, you should get 60-70% of your daily calories from carbs, 20-30% from fat, and 10-20% from protein (all depending on your level of activity).
As far as supplements go, I take a multi vitamin supplement in the morning, and a multi mineral supplement at night.
Same with Magnesium and Calcium supplementation.
Athletes often over-use their joints (not THOSE joints!), so I supplement with essential fatty acids. Omega3 and Omega6.
Don't bother with Creatine, Protein and all the other "fitness in a bottle" fads. Once you reach an "elite" level of fitness, you can give them a try if you so wish.