Number of calories The amount you should eat daily depends on many factors. A person’s daily energy expenditure depends on age, weight, height, gender, lifestyle, and general health. Physically active man A 6'2" woman needs significantly more calories than a 5'2" sedentary woman.
Scientists from Purdue University have found that even the way you eat food affects the amount of calories you take into your body. The longer you chew food, the better it is absorbed and, accordingly, the more calories your body will retain.
Recommended daily calorie intake varies around the world. According to the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, an average-sized adult man needs about 2,500 calories a day to keep his weight constant, while a woman needs 2,000. US authorities have recommended 2,700 calories a day for men and 2,200 for women. An interesting fact is that in the UK, where people are on average taller than Americans, the recommended daily calorie intake is lower. Rates of overweight and obesity among adults and children in the United States are significantly higher than in the United Kingdom.
The NHS stresses that rather than counting calories, people should focus on eating healthy, eating a balanced diet, being physically active and how many calories they burn each day.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the minimum daily caloric intake for the average person worldwide is approximately 1,800 kilocalories.
Over the past twenty years, sugar has been added to a growing number of foods we consume. Unfortunately, labels in the US and Europe do not include detailed information about how much sugar a product contains. Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra wrote in the British Medical Journal in June 2013 that the amount of added sugar in food and drink is virtually impossible for consumers to calculate.
The timing of your meals is as important as the number of calories you eat. A big breakfast helps you get your weight back to normal or maintain it, researchers from Tel Aviv University published in a medical journal. They claim that one large breakfast, containing approximately 700 calories, is ideal for weight loss and reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Team leader Professor Daniela Jakubowicz added: “When we eat our food matters as much as what we eat and how many calories our food contains.”
What is the difference between calories and kilocalories?
Scientifically speaking, one kilocalorie is 1000 calories. However, in English The terms "calorie" and "kilocalorie" have become so freely used that they have practically combined their meaning. In other words, in most cases, calories and kilocalories have the same meaning.
Kcal is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water from 15° to 16° Celsius at a pressure of 1 atm.
« Small calories» belong to the traditional scientific term"calories", that is, one thousandth of a kilocalorie.
Internationally, most countries talk about food energy in kJ (kilojoules). 1 kcal (kilocalorie) = 4.184 kJ.
Serving sizes
In industrialized and developing countries, people consume many more calories than necessary. Today, portion sizes, both in catering restaurants and in elite establishments, are much larger than they were before.
Human body and energy use
The human body requires a lot of energy to stay alive. We use about 20% of energy for brain metabolism. Energy is also spent at rest on blood circulation and breathing.
If the environment becomes cold, our body begins to produce more heat to maintain a constant body temperature. When we are in a warm environment, we require less energy.
Our bodies also require mechanical energy for our skeletal muscles to maintain posture and move around.
Respiration, specifically cellular respiration, refers to the metabolic processes in which the body obtains energy from the reaction of oxygen with glucose to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP energy. How correctly the energy from breathing is converted into physical (mechanical) energy depends on the type of food eaten, as well as on the physical activity that is used - aerobic or anaerobic.
How many calories does a person need per day?
The Harris-Benedict equation, also known as the Harris-Benedict principle, is used to estimate a person's BMR (basal metabolic rate) and daily requirement. A person's overall BMR is multiplied by another number that represents their physical activity level. The resulting number is that person's recommended daily calorie intake to maintain their body weight.
This equation has limitations. It doesn't take into account each person's muscle mass - a very muscular person needs more calories, even when resting.
How to calculate your BMR:
- Adult men:
- 66.5 + (13.75 x kg body weight) + (5.003 x height in cm) - (6.755 x age) = BMR;
- 66 + (6.23 x pounds body weight) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.76 x age) = BMR.
- Adult women:
- 55.1 + (9.563 x kg body weight) + (1.850 x height in cm) - (4.676 x age) = BMR;
- 655 + (4.35 x kg body weight) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age) = BMR.
Applying physical activity levels to create the equation:
- A sedentary lifestyle - if you do very little physical exercise or have no exercise at all.
- Your daily calorie needs BMR x 1.2.
- Your daily calorie needs are BMR x 1.375.
- Your daily calorie needs BMR x 1.55.
- Your daily calorie needs are BMR x 1.725.
- Your daily calorie needs BMR x 1.9.
How much should I weigh?
How and how many calories you should consume each day, your ideal body weight depends on several factors, including your age, gender, bone density, muscle-to-fat ratio, and height.
- BMI (Body Mass Index) - Some say BMI is a good indicator of how much you should weigh. However, BMI does not take muscle mass into account. A 200-pound, 6-foot-tall Olympic sprinter who is not overweight has the same BMI as a similarly sized, overweight lazy person.
- Waist-to-hip ratio – This measurement indicates that your ideal weight should be based on your BMI. However, the waist-hip ratio does not properly measure a person's total body fat content (muscle to fat ratio) and is also limited.
- Waist to height ratio - today this method of determining ideal body weight is the most accessible. It was presented by Dr Margaret Ashwell, ex-Scientific Director of the UK Nutrition Foundation at the 19th Obesity Congress in Lyon, France, 12th May 2012. This is a fairly simple calculation that even non-professionals can use.
Dr. Ashwell's team found that keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height could help increase the lifespan of everyone in the world."
If you are a tall adult male 6 feet (183 cm) - your waist should not exceed 36 inches (91 cm).
If you are an adult woman who is 5'4" (163cm) tall, your waist should not exceed 32" (81cm).
You can estimate your waist circumference according to the World Health Organization (WHO) - you should place the tape measure midway from your lower rib to your iliac crest.
Simply counting calories while ignoring what you put in your mouth cannot lead to good health. Insulin levels will rise significantly more after eating carbohydrates than after eating fat or protein. Also, recently, it has become common to divide carbohydrates into fast and slow. Fast carbohydrates are digested more easily and quickly enter the bloodstream in the form of glucose. Refined flour is fast carbohydrates, while wholemeal oatmeal is slow. Slow-digesting carbohydrates are better for weight control and overall health than fast-burning carbohydrates.
A 500 kcal meal consisting of fish or meat, salad and a small amount olive oil followed by fruit is much better for your health and will keep your appetite at bay for longer than a 500 calorie snack of buttery fries or cake.
Today, there are several different diets that have helped people lose or maintain their body weight. Some of them have been extremely successful and good for the participants, but as we know, it is difficult to limit yourself to the foods you love long-term.
These 8 Most Popular Diets Have Become Popular Thanks to Many positive feedback:
- Atkins Diet;
- Zone diet;
- Vegetarianism;
- Veganism;
- Maintaining figure;
- South Beach Diet;
- Raw food diet;
- Mediterranean diet.
To summarize, it would not be amiss to recall that excess weight is one of the main causes of the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes, damage to the joints and spine (back pain, disc herniation) and other health problems. If you learn to keep your weight normal, eat properly and rationally, you will extend your life and enjoy active longevity.
Factors affecting the amount of calories needed
There is no clear answer to the question of how many calories you need per day. The amount required for a person is influenced by several factors that should be taken into account when compiling your diet.
Floor. Muscles are the main consumer of energy. Accordingly, the daily calorie intake for men is higher because they are larger than women in terms of volume. muscle mass. So how many calories should a person consume per day depending on their gender? The approximate calorie intake per day for men is 2500 kcal. For women, this figure is 2000 kcal.
Load mode. This is one of the most significant factors in determining how many calories to consume per day. The higher the degree of physical activity, the more intensely energy is consumed. So, for a man with a sedentary lifestyle, the normal daily amount is 2200 kcal, for a woman - about 1800 kcal.
Age. How many calories you need to consume per day also depends on the person's age. If we compare the ratio of body weight and energy needs, the highest energy expenditure and, accordingly, calories are observed in children. As the body grows and ages, these needs decrease. So, in order to determine how many calories per day you need to consume after the age of 30, you need to subtract 50 kcal from their average daily amount for each decade lived.
Special circumstances. During the period of recovery from illnesses, during excessive psycho-emotional stress and in other stressful situations, the body’s need for energy increases. In such cases, the average number of calories per day for a person can increase by 100–300 kcal, depending on individual characteristics organism and situation.
How to properly distribute calories
Distribution of calories in the diet. When calculating how many calories you need per day, the importance of their distribution in the menu is often lost. For example, the daily amount of energy can be obtained from 400 g of fatty meat or from 4 kg of apples. But in both cases there is no question of healthy eating. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly determine how many calories per day should come from a particular group of nutrients. So, proteins and fats should each account for approximately 25% of daily calories, and the remaining 50% should come from carbohydrates. In this case, the main condition for maintaining health is met: the body not only receives the amount of energy it needs, but also covers its needs for essential nutrients.
Distribution of calories by time of day. While people usually decide how many calories a person needs per day and what foods they should come from, the principles of daily energy distribution are often ignored. The rules are as follows: the closer it is to the evening, the less caloric the food consumed should be. Compliance with this condition will not only allow you to maintain your daily calorie intake at the proper level, but will also help you maintain tone and energy during the day, as well as ensure proper rest at night.
Diet is determined by various factors. The most important are age, gender, level of physical and intellectual activity, lifestyle, temperament, the presence of certain diseases, financial capabilities, and goals. Therefore, the answers to the questions - how many calories to consume per day to lose weight or increase body weight - have different people are very different.
An easy way to determine your base calorie intake
Food supplies the body, first of all, with energy. After consuming a product, a certain amount of heat is released in the body, which is measured in calories. One gram of protein or carbohydrates produces 4.1 calories, one gram of fat produces 9.3 calories.
To calculate how many calories enter the body every day, just look at the corresponding table of calorie content (energy value) of foods. In addition, calorie content is usually indicated on the packaging.
Body weight correction should start with determining basic calorie content daily diet, in which the body does not lose weight or gain weight. Then, depending on your goal - to lose weight or gain weight - adjust it according to the menu.
First way. For a week or two, leading your usual lifestyle, write down the amount of food you eat every day. Then, using the calorie tables, determine the average daily amount of calories.
Second way. It is believed that approximately 30 kcal is required for every kilogram of body weight. Thus, to determine how many calories you need to consume per day, you need to multiply 30 kcal by your body weight in kilograms.
The resulting figure will allow you to adjust your daily diet depending on your goal:
- if body weight remains constant, nothing needs to be changed: the body spends as many calories as it consumes;
- in case of excess weight, a tendency to increase it, it is worth reducing the calorie content of the daily diet, but not completely giving up food;
- If you are extremely thin, you should increase the energy value of your daily diet.
Even with a slight imbalance of calories - for example, taking in just 100 extra calories each day - 4.5 kg of body fat accumulates over the year. That is why it is so important to return not only optimal body weight, but also to maintain it at this level, completely expending all calories, preventing them from turning into fat.
Having determined the basic calorie intake, you can reduce your daily diet by 200-300 kcal to lose weight. In any case, you should not lose weight faster than 100g per day. Otherwise, the body will not have time to adapt to the changes, and disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and systems are possible.
Formula for calculating calorie intake per day
Even at rest, the body requires energy for metabolic reactions, the functioning of the heart muscle, kidneys, stomach, liver, brain, and the functioning of internal organs and systems.
It is believed that BX requires about 70% of the energy supplied with food. On average, 1 kcal of energy is required per kilogram of weight every hour. Digestion and assimilation of food requires another 10% of basal metabolic energy.
Thus, every day with a weight of 80 kg it is required
80 kg x 1.1 x 24 hours = 2112 kcal.
The resulting figure unregulated costs the body shows approximately how many calories you need to consume per day so that there is no malfunction of the internal organs.
These costs are called unregulated, since they are determined by the metabolic rate, temperament, and the characteristics of food absorption, i.e. are quite constant and practically impossible to change.
The relevant literature uses a more precise formula to determine how many calories you need to consume per day to cover your basal metabolic costs:
655 + (9.6 x weight, kg) + (1.8 x height, cm) - (4.7 x age, years)
For example, with a weight of 80 kg, a height of 180 cm, and an age of 30 years, the basal metabolic rate requires
655 + (9.6 x 80) + (1.8 * 180) - (4.7 x 30) = 1606 kcal
To the resulting figure it is necessary to add the costs of performing this or that work during the day. These costs are called adjustable because they can be increased or decreased.
Calorie consumption tables
When compiling a daily diet, it is necessary to take into account both the calorie content of foods and the physical activity that consumes the energy received.
The costs of some household chores are presented in Table 1:
To calculate, you need to determine the duration of a particular homework, how many calories per day were spent on its implementation, and add the resulting figure to the result of the basal metabolic rate.
For example, if during the day 0.5 hours are spent on dusting, 1.5 hours on washing floors, an hour on ironing, an hour on washing dishes, two hours on sewing, an hour on reading, then to the main exchange you need to add:
(0.5 x 100) + (1.5 x 270) + (1 x 60) + (1 x 60) + (2 x 30) + (1 x 30) = 665 kcal
The costs of performing physical exercises and other activities are presented in Table 2:
| Type of activity | Energy expenditure (kcal per hour) |
|---|---|
| Running fast | 950 |
| Running slow | 490 |
| Ice skating | 480 |
| Driving a car | 80 |
| Rowing | 820 |
| Riding in transport | 50 |
| Cycling | 500 |
| Charger | 270 |
| Swimming | 500 |
| Weight lifting | 190 |
| Working while standing | 30 |
| Mental work | 8 |
| Walking (fast) | 530 |
| Walking (medium pace) | 200 |
| Skiing | 800 |
To correctly calculate how many calories you need to consume per day, it is worth further increasing the figure of regulated costs depending on individual life activity:
- by 20-30% with a sedentary, home lifestyle;
- by 30-40% with average activity (washing, cleaning, cooking, etc.);
- 50% high activity (regular exercise).
To lose weight, it is necessary to reduce the calorie content of the daily diet to the level of basal metabolism and at the same time increase energy expenditure for physical activity. Otherwise, the excess energy received is stored in the form of fat reserves.
Absolutely any physical and mental activity, even the most insignificant, consumes a certain amount of kilocalories. Therefore, if your goal is to lose weight, you must be sure to know your calorie intake and adjust your nutritional intake according to the amount of energy you need per day. The amount of food that enters the body during the day must be completely used up for all necessary life processes. If the daily amount of calories exceeds the body's needs, the extra calories are deposited under the skin in the form of fat deposits.
For the normal functioning of the body, it is necessary to determine the required number of calories per day for a person. The daily calorie intake is individual for everyone; its digital indicator will depend on the rhythm of life, gender and age of the person.
How many calories does a person spend per day?
It is believed that 1 kilocalorie is the amount of energy with which one gram of water can be heated by 1 degree. Every day, each person spends a certain number of kilocalories, which depends not only on the listed factors, but also on the glycemic index of foods. This index determines the amount of insulin in products. With a high level of insulin in the blood, almost all the calories consumed are converted into fat deposits in the form of unattractive folds on the sides, stomach and other problem areas.
The thermic effect of food also affects the number of calories a person consumes per day. It shows the amount of energy a person needs to digest food. Meat, fish, vegetables and rice have a high thermal effect. A low thermal effect is observed in flour and sweet products.
By analyzing your diet, you can easily calculate the approximate number of calories you consume daily and create a different nutrition program.
How many calories per day does a person need to lose weight?
The basic rule of any weight loss is the fact that you need to spend more calories than you receive. To determine the number of calories per day for a person to lose weight, they must first calculate the total amount of kilocalories needed. It is possible to calculate the required calorie intake in several steps.
First of all, they determine what digital indicator of energy value is spent on maintaining natural processes in the body - respiration and thermoregulation, for example. It is usually believed that about 20% of the weight is needed for these purposes.
Further, how many calories a person needs per day depends on lifestyle. To determine this indicator, we multiply the initially obtained number by the activity coefficient. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, the coefficient is 0.2. If all your activity comes down to housework and walks, multiply by 0.3. People who exercise regularly, but not too often, or work hard at their job, multiply the number by 0.4. Professional athletes take the number 0.5 as a coefficient. We sum the resulting number with the first point.
To determine the number of calories spent on digesting food, take the last number and allocate 10 percent of it. This will be the energy spent on digestive processes. The total number of calories a person needs per day will be the sum of the three numbers obtained.
Now you can determine how many calories a person who wants to lose weight needs per day. It is clear that the number should be less than that obtained in the calculations. However, nutritionists recommend reducing the kilocalorie intake gradually so that the body does not experience stress. For safe weight loss, it is recommended to multiply the daily calorie intake by 0.8, that is, reduce it by about 20%. For fast weight loss you can reduce the daily intake by 40%, but no more.
There is even a special calorie reduction technique for those who want to get rid of excess weight. In accordance with the “Zigzag calories” method, during the week it is necessary to reduce the norm by 100-150 kilocalories daily. This method will completely relieve the body of unnecessary stress and prevent stress. The peculiarity of the method is that the reduction in normal body weight of a person occurs unevenly; there are more high-calorie days and less high-calorie days. Thus, you can not only quickly lose weight, but also find the ideal ratio of kilocalories expended and received.
Daily calorie intake for women and men
Depending on how many calories a person spends per day, an approximate norm can be given depending on gender. For men leading a sedentary lifestyle under 30 years of age, the calorie norm to maintain weight is 2400. At the age of 30 to 50 – 2200 kilocalories; for older males, 2000 calories per day will be enough.
20-25 year old women who do not have regular physical activity need to consume 2000 calories. At the age of 25 - 50 years - 1800 kcal, and for women after 50, 1600 kcal per day will be enough.
“We are what we eat,” says the ancient proverb. But indeed, food has a huge impact on the human body. With a lack of certain microelements, the most severe diseases can develop, and even appearance and physique food has a direct impact. Let's talk about how much you need to eat per day to ensure that your nutrition is as healthy as possible.
How much should you eat per day: quantity and quality
Calories
Calorie intake varies by gender and age. In addition, it is clear that a person leading an active lifestyle needs more calories than a sedentary person. So:
For children younger age– 2-3 year olds need 1000 calories per day, and children 4-8 years old should consume up to 1500 calories per day with low levels of physical activity.
Young people 9-18 years old need about 2500-3000 calories, and girls of this age need up to 2300 calories. Such a large energy consumption is due to the fact that the body is actively growing and changing, which consumes most of the resources.
A man should consume 2000-2500 calories per day, the limits are quite wide, because they depend on age and type of activity, so a man under 30 years old needs 2500 calories, and a man from 30 to 50 years old needs 2100.
Women require fewer calories; on average, a woman needs 1500-2000 calories.
Men aged 20-50 years, who undergo heavy physical activity, need 2500-3000 calories; women with the same lifestyle need 2000.
To actively lose weight, you should consume 1300-1500 calories per day, but this regime cannot be maintained for a long time, and sometimes it is important to adhere to the full diet.
Proteins, fats, carbohydrates
The average man needs to consume 70-90 g of protein per day, and the daily norm for a woman is 50-60 g. Protein is poorly broken down by the body, so you should be careful in choosing protein foods.
Fats and carbohydrates are the body's main sources of energy; it is difficult to identify a specific daily dose, but it is worth remembering that the diet must be balanced - include all components.
When talking about fats and carbohydrates, we usually consider the number of calories, which we already discussed above.
Vitamins
In addition to maintaining energy balance, the body requires vitamins for normal functioning. The body produces some of them itself, but some of them can only be obtained from the outside. In general, the daily dose is the same for both men and women and is 80-100 mg. See below for the approximate daily requirement for essential vitamins.
Vitamin B1 requires 1.5 mg - this is approximately 200 g of peas or soybeans, or 300 g of oatmeal or buckwheat; 400 g fatty pork.
Vitamin B2 requires 1.8 mg - the daily dose is contained in 3 chicken eggs or 600g of fatty cottage cheese.
Vitamin B6 needs 2.0 mg - this content can be found in 500g of banana or 250g of walnuts.
Vitamin C is important for maintaining immunity, 70 mg is required - 15 g of rose hips or 120 g of oranges will provide you with a daily dose.
Vitamin E requires 10 mg - this amount is contained in 10 g of corn oil or 400 g of green peas.
100 g of carrots can satisfy the daily requirement for vitamin A, which is considered a growth vitamin.
It is quite difficult to include all the necessary vitamins in the diet, so you can include dietary supplements that can satisfy the body’s need for certain elements.
In addition, the body regularly requires up to 3 liters of water, but it is important to take into account the liquid that comes with food.
The body also requires salt for normal cell function. The daily dose of potassium chloride (table salt) is 10 mg. All other minerals are required in smaller quantities.
If you are thinking about healthy eating, it is important to calculate how much you need to eat per day. If you have any difficulties, you can contact a nutritionist.
