How many calories should you consume per day to lose weight? Daily calorie intake for humans (women, men, children) Minimum number of calories per day

Modern people want to be slim and take care of their figure in every possible way. After all, a person’s appearance can say a lot about him. If in the case of clothes everything is much simpler, one day is enough to radically change your style, if only you had the money and desire for it, then correcting your figure takes much longer and is more difficult. It takes people many months, even years, to lose extra pounds and get their body in order. But it's worth it. You yourself will notice that people will begin to treat you differently, with more respect and attention. If a person has a slim and fit figure, then most likely he is very diligent, purposeful and always achieves his goals. If a person has neglected his appearance, then he probably has a similar attitude towards everything else, including business. While this may not apply to all people, sometimes you just don't have the time and energy to go to the gym. What conclusions do other people make about you?

Many women and men also often wonder how many calories you need to eat per day to lose weight. And really, how much? There is an opinion that for women the daily calorie intake is 2100-3000 kcal, and for men a little more - 2600-3200 kcal, but is this true? If you believe this statement, it turns out that all people have approximately the same height, weight and lifestyle. Can this really happen? Of course not! These indicators are only approximate, which to one degree or another are suitable for most people.

Let's do the math first BX- energy consumption of the body necessary to maintain vital functions in a state of complete rest. To do this, we use the following formula:

For women: OO = 9.99 * weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 4.92 * age - 161
For men: OO = 9.99 * weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 4.92 * age + 5

Since we still have a women’s blog, as an example we’ll take a 30-year-old girl with a height of 170 cm and a weight of 60 kg. Now let's substitute these values ​​into our formula:

OO = 9.99 * 60 + 6.25 * 170 - 4.92 * 30 - 161 = 599.4 + 1062.5 - 147.6 - 161 = 1353.3 kcal

It turns out that a 30-year-old girl with a height of 170 and a weight of 60 needs to spend 1353.3 kcal to stay at rest, but where can we find a girl who would lie at home all day in comfortable conditions and do nothing else? There are simply no such people. Every person does something during the day. Therefore, the resulting value must be multiplied by a certain coefficient:

• sedentary lifestyle - by 1.2;
• light activity (sports 1-3 times a week) - by 1.375;
• average activity (sports 3-5 times a week) - by 1.55;
• high activity (sports 6-7 times a week) - by 1.725;
• very high activity (daily sports, physical activity at work) - by 1.9.

1353.3 * 1.375 = 1860 kcal

That is, our girl needs 1860 kcal per day to feel normal, work and exercise 2-3 times a week. But she is interested in how many calories you need to consume per day to lose weight, and this is a completely different value, which should be less than what we calculated above. This is where the main truth emerges: the number of calories expended should exceed the number consumed . Under no other circumstances will you be able to lose weight, no matter how much you want it.

In principle, our girl is already quite slender: with a height of 170, she weighs only 60. But everyone has different views on the ideals of beauty. If she wants to lose a little more kilogram, let her, we won’t interfere with her, but, on the contrary, we will help her.

So, how many calories do you need per day to lose weight? According to many diets, it is enough to consume 700-1000 kcal per day, but we don’t want to harm our body, which means we won’t stick to these numbers. Experienced nutritionists say that the minimum level for the average person who wants to lose extra pounds should be no lower than 1300-1500 kcal per day. Well, this figure is also very approximate. For each person, daily calorie intake is calculated strictly individually, we have already found this out. Experts recommend reducing this figure by 20 percent to start the weight loss process. In the case of our girl, we get the following numbers:

1860 * 0.8 = 1488 kcal

Through simple mathematical calculations, we come to the conclusion that our girl needs to reduce her daily calorie intake by 372 kcal, while leaving her activity level unchanged, in order to lose weight. You can, of course, reduce this figure by more than 20 percent, but, most importantly, do not overdo it. You should not experience any discomfort or dizziness during the day. If this happens, it means you need to increase your daily calorie intake. Also remember to reduce your daily intake gradually, by about 50 kcal per day.

You can calculate your calorie needs in different ways: if there is little excess weight, then count immediately towards your ideal weight; if there is a lot, then count towards an intermediate goal. You can also calculate your current weight taking into account your calorie deficit. These methods are used in dietetics and are good in their own way. Knowing your ideal weight, it is easier to control your own volumes and get rid of extra pounds, but it is easier to adjust for your current weight. Choose a more convenient option for calculating your daily calorie needs.

So, in order to achieve the ideal weight for you, you need to adhere to the daily amount of calories that is necessary to maintain your ideal weight.

What is your goal? ________ kg

Multiply this weight by:

• 27 - If you do not play sports at all and your work does not involve physical labor;
• 29 - If you occasionally play sports (maybe play tennis or swim in the pool on weekends);
• 34 - If you exercise regularly (swim, run or walk for half an hour to an hour at least 3-4 times a week);
• 37 - If you play sports almost every day and quite intensely;
• 42 - If you play sports every day and very intensely or are involved in heavy physical labor at work.

For example:

I want to weigh 70 kg. However, I don’t play sports. Then:

That is, in order to weigh 70 kg I need to consume no more than 1890 kcal per day, while preferably moving or doing fitness every day.

If you have a lot of excess weight, do not immediately set yourself a final goal, set intermediate ones. If you weigh 80 kg, then when calculating your daily calorie intake, focus on a target weight of 75 kg, even if your final goal is 50 kg. Accordingly, calculate the daily calorie intake for intermediate weight. Why do this? And so that there is room to reduce calories further. Imagine you reduced your calorie intake to your ideal weight. For the body, this is a lot of stress, starvation. Of course, at first he will give well, but very soon he will decide that he himself needs fat, and will not only stop losing weight, but will also go into saving mode. Therefore, you need to consume your daily calorie intake at your ideal intermediate weight.

Calorie calculation based on actual weight

There is also the option of consuming calorie intake based on your current weight with a calorie deficit of 10-15%. That is, you calculate the calorie intake based on your current weight:

How much do you weigh now? ________ kg

Multiply this weight by:

• 30 - If you lead a sedentary lifestyle (at home, office work, home again);
• 31-37 - If you train 3 to 5 times a week (gym training, group classes). The more often and more intensely you train, the higher the number you choose;
• 38-40 - If you lead an active lifestyle (work out daily or your job involves physical activity);
• 41-50 - If you play sports 15-20 hours a week or your job involves heavy physical labor.

The resulting figure must be adjusted taking into account the goal. If the goal is to lose weight, then subtract 10-15% from it.

For example:

I weigh 70 kg and go to group classes three times a week. Then:

2170 - 10% = 1953

That is, if I now weigh 70 kg, then I need to reduce my calorie intake by 10%, which will be no more than 1953 kcal per day.

Nutritionists advise first focusing on 10%, but switching to proper nutrition, eliminating sweet, fatty and starchy foods from the diet. As mentioned above, at the beginning of losing weight, the body willingly gives up weight, but then the process slows down. By starting to lose weight with a 10% deficit, you will give yourself some wiggle room in case your weight loss slows down.

Which way is better?

Each method has its supporters. Calculating your target weight allows you to always stay focused on losing weight and not overeat. And calorie content calculated for actual weight is easier to adjust - you may not reach the target weight when the actual weight allows you to more accurately determine the current needs of the body.

How to correct results

If you are not losing weight with the calculated amount of calories, reduce your daily diet by 100 calories and increase physical activity by the same amount. Monitor your weight in this mode for a week. If you have at least 100-200 grams of “plumb”, stay another week in this mode and so on until the weight is 2 weeks in a row. Why two weeks and not one? Yes, because in the first week, maybe you just ate something extra and didn’t notice, or some other physiological factor influenced it, etc.

Be honest with yourself, lead, track your caloric intake and try to be more active than you are now. Read more carefully. As a rule, information is given for 1 serving or per 100 grams. Compare this to how much you actually consumed, perhaps 2 or more servings.

After two weeks, you can again apply the “reduce your daily diet by 100 calories and increase physical activity by the same amount.”

Why can't you lose weight quickly?

Remember that, especially for those who have a strong... Why? Yes, because with obesity, our internal organs are often also lined with fat, which supports them. If you lose weight slowly - 2-4 kg per month, then the organs will quietly be freed from fat and nothing terrible will happen, they will feel better. If you lose weight suddenly, the fat support for your organs will disappear abruptly and you may experience organ prolapse. It's very scary. Don't let this happen.

The habit of maintaining a healthy weight requires responsibility and knowledge of metabolic processes. A conscious person should understand how many calories and nutrients the body needs per day to be healthy. A table for calculating daily calorie content and the ratio of BJU products will simplify this task.

A kilocalorie measures the amount of heat released from foods during digestion. One calorie is equal to 4.2 joules - a characteristic of energy level. The body spends this component to maintain vital functions.

One unit of heat gives the same amount of energy. Products differ in the ratio of BJUs, and the digestion of each of these components requires a different amount of energy. Therefore, the part of the heat that the body loses when breaking down food is taken away from the initial calorie content.

The body consumes each element of BJU in its own way:

The table with dietary volumes shows approximately how many kilocalories a person needs per day, but does not take into account the energy value of food. In order for the energy received by the body to be spent correctly, it is worth adhering to the KBZHU.

Calorie content or balance of BZHU: what is more important:

Useful and harmful calories

Calories do no harm or good because they are simply a source of heat. This property is carried by energy carriers: fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

Each of these compounds has a different origin and therefore has a specific effect on the body:

The BJU ratio is calculated individually for specific purposes. If the goal is to increase the percentage of muscle mass and reduce the fat reserve, a menu is selected in which proteins occupy the main place, and fats are not consumed at the same time as carbohydrates.

Standards for women, men and children

The table can show more clearly how many kilocalories a person needs per day. It is worth taking into account that physical activity requires replenishment of additional energy expended during training. In addition, more calories are spent on daily muscle maintenance.

This difference between certain groups of people is due to different physical activities. In addition, pregnant and lactating girls need to increase their diet in order to additionally provide the child with the necessary compounds, as well as replenish the resources expended on this.

The amount of calories in women is slightly less than in men. Age and work environment also affect the amount of energy expended:

The calorie intake is determined by many factors, as well as the BZHU ratio. To calculate them more accurately, you need to use one of the special formulas. And based on the results obtained, you can subsequently adjust your calorie intake.

Why you need to stick to your daily calorie intake

Limiting the amount of food is the main rule for people losing weight. However, most of those who strive to lose weight, after some time, return to their previous shape and look fuller.

The body perceives a strong reduction in calories as a mode of hunger, so it begins to burn muscles and slow down metabolism.

When returning to a normal diet, the body quickly replenishes lost resources and stores reserve fat in case of hunger. When calories are exceeded, the body also inevitably stores excess weight.

Therefore, the only stable state in which the body does not make fat reserves and provides all its functions is following the daily caloric intake and balance of fatty acids.

Lower limits of normal

The table can show how many kilocalories a person needs per day without taking into account individual characteristics that affect metabolism. By making a calculation using special formulas, you can find out your daily calorie ratio. To the result obtained, add 200 kilocalories and then subtract 400.

These values ​​are the upper and lower limits of normal. Another way to calculate this data is to subtract or add 10-15% of calories to your basal metabolic rate.

The range within these numbers is called the calorie corridor. This means that changes in daily caloric intake should not go beyond the normal range. Otherwise, the body will begin to slow down its metabolism and weight will stop losing, and energy will be extracted due to the destruction of muscle fibers.

Consequences of insufficient and excess calorie intake

At first, insufficient or excessive calorie intake may not be noticeable.

However, this lifestyle systematically harms the body, which is why the accumulated habit can lead to the following negative consequences:

• decreased immunity;
• eating disorders, such as compulsive overeating;
• disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract;
• oncology;
• disorders in mental and physical development.

In addition to the lack of calories in the diet, their excess gives rise to a lot of problems leading to obesity and accompanying diseases:

• diabetes;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• atherosclerosis;
• disorders in the musculoskeletal system.

It should be understood that the calorie norm for one person may be too high or too low for another. Only the volume of reserve fat can tell whether the diet is correct.

Muffin-Jeor formula for calculating daily calorie intake

The number of calories consumed during the day is selected for each individual, since age, height and weight play a role here. To do this, in 2005, scientists Muffin and Jeor jointly developed a formula that takes these factors into account. The next technique is approved by the American Dietetic Association.

In addition, an indicator of regular physical activity is added to the formula, which adds accuracy to the resulting calorie volume.

GV = 9.9 * weight (kg) + height (cm) * 6.3 – 4.9 * age – 161,

and for men:

GV = 9.9 * weight (kg) + height (cm) * 6.3 – 4.9 * age + 5.

Thus, the calculation for a woman with an age of 23 years, a body weight of 50 kg, and a height of 165 cm can be obtained: 9.9 * 50 + 165 * 6.3 – 4.9 * 23 – 161 = 1256 kcal. Similarly, a 26-year-old man, weighing 70 kg, height 180 cm, will have a requirement of 1535 kcal.

In this case, you need to take into account the component of physical activity. The resulting value is multiplied by the activity coefficient.

The minimum value for sedentary work is 1.2, and for heavy loads with training 2 times a day - 1.9. The level of physical activity in this range changes in steps of 0.1.

Harris-Benedict formula

A common formula for calculations was invented in 1991. However, the method is inferior in applicability to other methods. Compared to other formulas, an insufficient number of individual characteristics are used here, which gives a strong error in the calculations - more than 5%. The method does not take into account the indicator of daily physical activity in the calculations.

The formula looks like this:

Female: 655 + (9.5 * weight in kg) + (1.86 * height in cm) – (4.67 * age).

Male: 66.48 + (13.74 * weight in kg) + (5 * height in cm) – (6.75 * age).

Thus, a woman with indicators of 50 kg, 23 years old, 165 cm will need to consume 1332 kcal. A man with initial data of 70 kg, 26 years old, 180 cm needs 1703 kcal to remain at his weight.

Ketch-McArdle formula

This method does not take into account body weight, number of years and growth rate when calculating. Only the individual body fat percentage is included in the expression. The error in calculations based on this coefficient is large.

However, accurate measurements of body fat along with the use of the Harris-Benedict formula in calculations will give an indicator with minimal error.

The Ketch-McArdle formula does not require complex calculations and looks like this:

• BM = 371 + 20.59 * a

The last variable refers to the percentage of body fat. It can be measured using special equipment found in hospitals and gyms.

This indicator can also be approximately calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared:

• body mass index (%fat) = weight (kg) / height (cm) 2.

A data table for certain groups can predict how many kilocalories a person needs per day with an equally large error. However, multiplying the coefficient obtained from the Ketch-McArdle formula by the calculation result using the Harris-Benedict method will increase the accuracy of the measurements.

For women with parameters of 50 kg, 165 cm and a diet of 1332 kcal, calculated using the previous formula, the basic metabolism will be equal to:

BM=1332*(371+21.61*(50/1.65 2)) =1021 kcal.

For men with a weight of 70 kg, a height of 170 cm and a daily requirement of 1703 kcal:

BM = 1703 * (371+21.61 * (70/1.70 2) = 1521 kcal.

This result is more accurate, however, body weight without fat, calculated using the formula, is significantly inferior in error to measurements using special equipment.

WHO formula

The World Health Organization (WHO) calorie formula is based on the same principle as the Muffin-Geor method. However, here age is placed in ranges and for each of them an individual calculation is carried out using the physical activity coefficient (PFA).

How many kilocalories a person needs per day is determined using an additional table taking into account the degree of physical activity, where 1 is low, 1.3 is medium, 1.5 is high physical activity.

A man with parameters 27 years old, 70 kg and CFA - 1.3 according to the formula has a coefficient:

(0.063 * 70 + 2.895) * 240 * 1.3 = 2279 kcal.

Formula based on body area

Another name for this method of calculating calories is the Harris-Benedict formula. With the help of such calculations, you can obtain a result as close to reality as possible. The expression contains weight, height and age, and for women and men different initial numbers are used in the calculations.

The percentage of body fat does not appear in the calculations. Therefore, this method will not show accurate results for people who exercise regularly and have large muscle mass. In this case, the basal metabolic rate will be lower than the real one. For overweight people this value will be overestimated.

For men, the daily calorie intake is calculated using the formula:

GV = 66 + (13.699 * weight in kg) + (5 * height in cm) - (6.809 * age in years).

And for women:

GV = 65 + (9.599 * weight in kg) + (1.799 * height in cm) - (4.8 * age in years).

The daily caloric intake coefficient for a man with indicators of 70 kg, 170 cm, 27 years old is equal to:

OOV = 66 + (13.699 * 70) + (5 * 170) - (6.809 * 27) = 1691 kcal.

For a woman with initial data 23 years old, weight 50 kg, height 165 cm, this figure is equal to:

OOV = 65 + (9.599 * 50) + (5 * 165) - (6.809 * 23) = 1213 kcal.

In addition, the result obtained can be multiplied by the indicator of physical activity. A range is proposed for him, in which 1.2 is low mobility, 1.729 is heavy physical labor.

How many calories should you eat to lose weight or gain weight?

Significant exaggeration or understatement of volumes always harms the body. It forces the body to destroy those resources that are necessary for healthy functioning and accumulate those that interfere with this process.

For a healthy transformation, the maximum deviation from the calorie range of the diet is 10-20%.

When changing your diet, you need to weigh yourself at the beginning and end of the week and evaluate the result. If the lost weight reaches more than 1-1.5 kg, it means that the body is losing weight due to dehydration and destruction of muscle cells to a greater extent than fat.

Weight loss rate

Losing weight by 2-3% of your current weight per week is considered safe by nutritionists. With large mass losses, the body will begin to destroy itself and extract energy from these substances. The largest drop is observed at the beginning of the diet; subsequently, its loss slows down.

It is important to understand that supplementing nutrition with active physical activity can cause weight loss to stop. This is due to the accumulation of fluid in the muscles, as well as their growth. In this case, you need to observe a visual decrease in volume.

Weight gain rate

There is a difference between intentional weight gain and uncontrolled eating. In the first case, this process is systemic and is used both for visual effect and as an introductory step in the method of calorie counting. In these cases, muscle mass gain will occur much more slowly.

If there are sharp deviations from the caloric norm in the direction of increase, reserve fat will be deposited almost instantly.

However, with a gradual increase in the volume of the diet to your own norm in increments of 50 kcal weekly, weight gain will not be observed at all.

This is due to the fact that the body gradually adapts its work to the new diet. However, with a calorie deficit, a sharp transition to a new nutrition system will lead to extra pounds.

Advice from doctors and nutritionists on maintaining a properly balanced menu

Medical experts evaluate the calorie counting method as a comprehensive, systematic approach to achieving the desired weight. They recommend not going beyond the calorie range, and also maintaining it by changing the cooking method.

In addition, junk food, which is used to count calories, should be replaced with its healthy counterparts, and The caloric content of the diet in lunches should decrease towards the end of the day.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid this diet, as dietary restrictions may adversely affect their well-being. People with diabetes, hypertension and problems with the gastrointestinal tract need to introduce this diet only under the supervision of a doctor.

The main rule of following a diet based on calorie counting is to avoid large gaps between meals.

At first, such calculations may seem difficult, however, over time, using the selection method, you can calculate the optimal volume of the diet. It must be remembered that without knowledge of how many kilocalories a person needs per day and the table of the optimal ratio of BJU products, it is impossible to maintain weight correctly. This method will also help improve your health and appearance.

Article format: Svetlana Ovsyanikova

Video on the topic: how many kilocalories does a person need per day, table

How many kilocalories does a person need per day:

How many kilocalories do you need per day to lose weight:

We all know that a person must consume a certain amount of calories per day. Exactly how much depends on a number of factors: gender, weight, physical activity and even profession. In this article we will look at how many calories a woman needs per day to lose weight, maintain her weight, or gain weight without harm to her health.

Why is it important how many calories a woman needs per day?

Both excess and lack of calories in the diet are equally harmful to health. Both excessive fatness and excessive thinness do not make a woman beautiful; photographs of anorexics or monstrously overweight people evoke in us approximately the same feelings. It is important to observe moderation in everything, including limiting the nutritional value of the diet. Often women, in pursuit of slimness, forget: excessive calorie restriction in the food system can lead to processes much worse than a few extra pounds.

There is a limit, crossing which threatens the abnormal functioning of organs and the incorrect flow of the most important processes in the body. This is not to mention the fact that a sharp decrease in the calorie content of food will lead to the body accumulating energy received from food for future use. And a return to the previous, albeit normal (not increased) calorie content, will return the lost kilograms, taking with it a few new ones. That’s why it’s important to follow caloric intake if you want to lose weight, if you want to gain weight, and if you’re happy with your own weight.

Average caloric intake for women

At the moment of digestion of food, a lot of energy is released, which will be needed throughout the day. How energy is spent depends on your lifestyle. With a sedentary lifestyle and at the same time an increased calorie intake, energy begins to accumulate in the body, turning into fat. On the contrary, an active lifestyle and a low-calorie diet: weight loss will begin. It is generally accepted that for the normal functioning of the body, the calorie content must be at least 1200 kilocalories.

General formula

To maintain the functioning of the body, calories are needed first and foremost. There is such a thing as a “basic level of energy consumption.” It means the amount of calories consumed per day for the functioning of the body, provided that the person does nothing all day. A person consumes more calories: he gains weight. This basic level is calculated using the formula:

655 + (9.6 x body weight) + (1.8 x height) - (4.7 x age) =?

When calculating, weight is taken in kilograms and height in centimeters. We substitute our own parameters instead of X

Based on the data using the formula, we calculate our basic level. By adding energy expenditure for various activities (work, sports, travel, household chores) to the basic level, we get the answer to the question “how many calories should a woman consume per day?”

As you can see, calorie consumption also depends on age; in the early years a person needs more energy. It is impossible to calculate your caloric intake once and for all, otherwise, if at 45 years old you adhere to the norm that you calculated for 33 years old, the extra pounds will accumulate. And you are at a loss: how do we end up not eating more, but gaining weight?..

To make it easier to calculate how many calories a woman needs per day, nutritionists have developed another formula. You no longer have to independently calculate how much energy is spent on various activities. In the formula below, the parameters are averaged and will show not the basic level of energy consumption, but the overall one.

How many calories does a woman need per day?

There is a formula for calculating caloric expenditure at each age.

18-30 years: (0.062*M + 2.036)*240

31-60 years: (0.034* M + 3.54)* 240

61 years old: (0.04* M + 2.75)* 240

• By 1.1 with low physical activity
• By 1.3 at moderate
• At 1.5 with a fairly active lifestyle.

This will give you the caloric content of your diet that you need to follow to maintain your weight. If you want to reduce or reduce weight, set the desired weight in M. Before that, don't forget. An active lifestyle means not only regular exercise, but also professional activity. So, how many calories a woman needs per day depends on her profession. It is clear that if the profession involves frequent movement, long periods of standing or active physical work, the lifestyle is considered active.

If you want to lose weight, do not reduce your calorie intake sharply. This should be done gradually, by 200 kilocalories per day. But do not lower your daily calorie intake below 1300. It is better to lose weight more slowly, but safer for your health. In addition, excessive reduction in caloric intake will lead to loss of strength, worsening mood, and problems with appearance. The main rule for successful weight loss is that a woman should eat fewer calories per day than she burns.

We make a diet in accordance with the calorie norm

When creating a diet for weight loss, it is absolutely important to create a menu in such a way that it is balanced. And during weight loss, the body must receive the required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It is better to focus on protein foods and not completely exclude fats and carbohydrates from the nutritional system.

We create a balanced menu for the time of weight loss: we include fruits, dried fruits, cottage cheese with sour cream, porridge for breakfast in the diet, we make a fairly hearty lunch consisting of the first and second courses, we choose the option of a light dinner: seafood, baked fish, lean meat.

A balanced diet allows you to keep your figure in shape and normalizes internal metabolism. If it is necessary to lose or gain weight, it is necessary to create a daily diet taking into account the number of calories consumed and lifestyle characteristics, since during physical activity the body expends a lot of energy.

Energy balance of the body

By eating, a person not only satisfies his appetite, but also receives the strength necessary for his life. Energy balance is determined by the ratio of the amount of energy received with food and the energy that the body expends on actions.

When calculating, it is necessary to take into account that not all nutrients are absorbed: as a result of metabolism, some elements are excreted from the body.

If the calorie content of food consumed does not fully cover the body's energy expenditure, then a negative energy balance appears. It can lead to dystrophy, marasmus and other serious diseases.

Excess food or lack of physical activity also negatively affects the body. A positive energy balance can result in obesity, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

How many calories does a person need?

Counting calories involves almost all diets, so now you can easily find the calorie content not only of individual ingredients, but also of even the most complex dishes. Each person has his own minimum number of calories that should be consumed daily.

Diets based on calorie counting do not have strict restrictions on food choice: you can consume a wide variety of foods. An interesting fact is that by overeating by only 100 kcal daily, a person will gain about 5 kg in weight over the course of a year.

How many calories should you consume?

Table 1 - Daily kcal intake for men and women

How many calories do you need to burn?

Energy consumption by the body occurs constantly: a person expends kilocalories when walking, cleaning, watching TV. Even washing windows within an hour can use up to 100 kcal. Nutritionists have found that to lose 1 kg a person must spend 7,700 kcal in 2 weeks. How many calories does a person need?

Many people mistakenly cut their daily diet in half to lose weight. To lose weight, you need to gradually increase your daily energy expenditure by doing physical exercise.

How many calories does an athlete need?

Athletes expend more energy than people leading a passive lifestyle, so the calorie content of their diet should be increased by up to 1.5 times. The daily norm also depends on the type of sport: athletics requires endurance, so the need for kilocalories for these athletes reaches up to 44 units per 1 kg of weight.

Before competitions and tournaments, the load increases, the number of training increases, which means an increase in the consumed diet.

Formula for calculating calories

The most popular and accurate calorie calculation formula is Marfin-Jeor. It is based on a preliminary calculation of the required minimum calorie intake for normal life. This energy is used for blood circulation, respiration and maintaining body temperature.

Basal metabolic rate in women = 9.99 x weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 4.92 * age - 161

Basal metabolic rate in men = 9.99 x weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 4.92 * age + 5

Let's calculate this figure for a twenty-six-year-old housewife who weighs 61 kg and height 170 cm:
OO = 9.9 x 61 + 6.25 x 170 – 4.92 x 26 – 161 = 603.9 + 1062.5 – 127.92 – 161 = 1337.48

The result is not final: the calorie minimum also depends on the degree of human activity.

Table 2 – Coefficient expressing the activity of a person’s lifestyle

Housekeeping involves cleaning the room, ironing clothes, and cooking, so the most suitable coefficient in our calculation is 1.375, which corresponds to little activity. Multiplying the number by the result obtained in the previous formula, we get – 1,839.035 kcal.

There is also a simple way to calculate: it directly depends on the person’s weight. So, for 0.45 kg it is necessary to consume 10 kcal daily for women, and 11 kcal for men. If you calculate the OO indicator using this formula, it turns out that a woman weighing 61 kg needs 1355 kilocalories per day.

How many calories does a woman need?

The calorie content of the diet is compiled individually, which you need to remember when you ask yourself the question of how to count calories: on average, women should consume 1800-2000 kcal every day. With a pronounced negative energy balance, girls may experience problems associated with hair loss, thinning and brittle nails.

How many calories do you need to lose weight?

To calculate calories for weight loss, you need to remember that when losing weight, the caloric intake decreases: for slower and more correct weight loss, it is recommended to multiply the result calculated in the “Formula for calculating calories” section by 0.8. Diets that require reducing the daily diet to 1,000 kcal are dangerous.

After reducing your daily calorie intake, you need to increase your diet once a week. Such a zigzag prevents the process of slowing down the body’s internal metabolism.

How many calories should pregnant women consume?

The basal metabolism in pregnant women increases by an average of 25%, therefore, while pregnant, it is necessary to increase the caloric content of the diet consumed. When calculating, the trimester of pregnancy is also taken into account: during the first 4-5 months, the calorie requirement is about 2600 kcal, in the second half of the period – up to 3000-3500 kcal.

It is important for pregnant women not to increase the amount of food they eat, but to introduce a variety of foods into their diet. Excess weight can negatively affect the well-being of the woman and the fetus, so you should monitor your body weight regularly. On average, an increase of 8-10 kg in 9 months is considered successful.

How many calories does a nursing mother need?

The calorie intake for nursing mothers should vary between 3000 and 3200 kcal, since her body spends about 500 kcal every day when breastfeeding.

At the same time, the physical activity of the body increases, associated with caring for the newborn and cleaning the room. If a nursing mother wants to lose weight, her caloric minimum should not fall below 2000 kcal.

The need for a balanced diet

The body receives calories from various substances: it is important to balance the consumption of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Protein foods should make up 1/5 of the daily diet. Proteins are found in meat products, fish and legumes.

A slightly larger percentage (25-30) should be fats, with at least 2/3 of them being unsaturated fats. These include olive oil, nuts, and dairy products. The remainder of the daily diet consists of carbohydrates, which are found in vegetables, fruits and other foods that are not for nothing called “useful for a healthy lifestyle.”

We create the power system correctly

It’s easy to create the right nutrition system if you know a few basic rules:

• Accurate calculation of calories consumed will allow you to smoothly lose weight and eliminate mistakes in exceeding the daily norm;
• Eat small meals 5 times a day;
• Limit the amount of sugar and salt you consume;
• Do not abuse alcohol: it causes appetite and has high calorie content.

So, by determining the amount of energy your body expends daily, calculating the caloric content of your diet and following the rules of a balanced diet, you can easily and without any drastic restrictions reduce or increase your body weight and improve your well-being.