About all

Minimal calorie intake: How to Know if You Go Too Low

Number of Calories Needed to Lose, Maintain, & Gain Weight

Written by Kathleen M. Zelman, RD, LD, MPH

Reviewed by Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on January 20, 2023

In this Article

  • Daily Calorie Intake
  • Calorie Intake Chart
  • How Many Calories Should I Eat per Day?
  • Calorie Calculator

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain weight, or stick to your current weight, you might be tempted to look up the suggested calories per day for your gender, age, and activity level. 

Your daily calorie intake is the approximate number of calories you should try to eat each day. It varies widely from person to person. The chart below shows some ways to estimate yours. The chart should only be used as a reference point because every person is so different metabolically even when they are the same size and gender. The following suggested calorie ranges are generated using the Institute of Medicine’s estimated energy requirement calculation.

 

Gender

Age (years)a

Sedentaryb

Moderately Activec

Actived

Child2-31,0001,000-1,4001,000-1,400
Female

4-8

9-13

14-18

19-30

31-50

51+

1,200-1,400

1,400-1,600

1,800

1,800-2,000

1,800

1,600

1,400-1,600

1,600-2,000

2,000

2,000-2,200

2,000

1,800

1,400-1,800

1,800-2,200

2,400

2,400

2,200

2,200

Male

4-8

9-13

14-18

19-30

31-50

51+

1,200-1,400

1,600-2,000

2,000-2,400

2,400-2,600

2,200-2,400

2,000-2,200

1,400-1,600

1,800-2,200

2,400-2,800

2,600-2,800

2,400-2,600

2,200-2,400

1,600-2,000

2,000-2,600

2,800-3,200

3,000

2,800-3,000

2,400-2,800

a These levels are based on Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) from the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes macronutrients report, 2002, calculated by gender, age, and activity level for reference-sized individuals. “Reference size,” as determined by IOM, is based on median height and weight for ages up to age 18 years of age and median height and weight for that height to give a BMI of 21.5 for adult females and 22.5 for adult males.

b Sedentary means a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

c Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life

d Active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

To maintain weight, the chart shows you your daily calorie limit. It’s based on your age, activity level, and the BMI (body mass index) of 21.6 for women and 22.1 for men. For adults, the reference man is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds. The reference woman is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 126 pounds.

To lose weight: It used to be recommended that to lose a pound per week you would need to decrease total calories by 500 a day. Now researchers believe weight loss is a slower process and that consistency and setting realistic goals can lead to successful weight loss over time. The key is to be patient and work with a dietitian to help find the right plan for you.

To gain weight, it’s best to work on a plan with a dietitian. Go ahead and add calories, though.

For successful weight loss that you can maintain over time, experts recommend choosing foods that are lower in calories but rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.

A calorie calculator like this one allows you to enter the names of foods you eat and get calorie counts for them. Then, you can use the calculator to add those numbers to your daily totals and track how many calories you’re getting each day.

Top Picks

How Many Calories You Need Every Day, According to Dietitians

KETO AND THE Mediterranean diet get lots of attention these days. But, old-school calorie counting remains a go-to habit.

In 2022, 52 percent of Americans said they followed some kind of diet or eating pattern in the past year, and 13 percent chose calorie counting, according to the International Food Information Council’s 2022 Food and Health Survey.

But, is calorie counting the best approach for achieving your health goals? Dietitians say it can be, but the quality of the calories you consume is just as important as the number.

Calorie counting focuses people on numbers that don’t always have a correlation with the quality of food on the plate,” says Wesley McWhorter, Dr.PH., R.D.N., L.D., C.S.C.S., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “When we think of calories, it’s simply a measure of energy. That’s not equal to nutrition. Nutrition is much more than just energy.”

Think of it like this: Eating a 200-calorie candy bar that’s full of sugar isn’t the same as eating 200 calories of apple slices that are full of fiber and other nutrients. “Calories are not created equal,” McWhorter says.

Still, calorie counting can be a useful way to set parameters for the amount of food you’re consuming, he says.

“It can be helpful to gain a little insight into your diet and help people reach weight-loss or performance goals,” especially if it’s done on a short-term basis, says Tara Tomaino, R.D., director of nutrition at The Park.

While you don’t necessarily need to count every calorie to stay healthy, it helps to have a basic understanding of how your body uses energy gained from food. Here’s an overview of what calories are, what influences your energy needs, and how to estimate how many calories you need.

What Is a Calorie?

Kilocalories (kcal)—which we simply refer to as calories—are the amount of heat needed to boost the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by one degree celcius, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Westend61//Getty Images

So, calories are a measure of energy, which we need to function. We need calories to move around and carry out the basic body functions that happen when we’re at rest, from DNA synthesis to hormone production to sending chemical messengers throughout the body in order to keep things running smoothly.

The three macronutrients—fat, carbs, and protein—contain a set number of calories per gram, according to the USDA. Carbs and protein have 4 calories per gram, and fat has 9.

What’s the Minimum Calorie Intake for Men Daily?

Men typically need between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. But, your minimum (and maximum) calorie intake depends on several factors, including your height, weight, activity level, and age, Tomaino says.

“For a small man, I wouldn’t want them to eat less than 1,500 calories,” she says. “And, that would be for an individual looking for weight loss.

If you’re not trying to lose weight, McWhorter suggests sticking to around 2,500 calories a day.

How Many Calories Do Men Need to Eat?

“The primary factors that determine how many calories someone needs include birth sex, age, genetics, body size, and daily activity level,” says Anya Rosen, M.S., R.D., a New York-based dietitian. “Other variables can play a significant role, such as body composition, dieting behaviors, injury, or illness.”

Westend61//Getty Images

In general, men burn more calories than women because they’re typically larger overall. Men are also predisposed to having more muscle and less fat mass, which impacts calorie burn, explains Kyle Gonzalez, M.S., C.E.S., C.S.C.S., an exercise scientist and performance.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average American man under 40 is 5 foot 9 and weighs 197 pounds. At a moderate activity level (moderate exercise 3 to 5 times per week), he would need about 2,822 calories per day to maintain his weight.

To Lose Weight

Cutting 500 to 1,000 calories a day can help you safely lose one to two pounds a week. For the average guy, that’s between 1,822 and 2,322 calories per day.

When you drastically cut calories, it can backfire, as you may end up getting so hungry that you overeat.

It’s also important to factor in exercise: If you’re burning 500 calories a day through physical activity, cutting 1,000 calories would actually lead to a deficit of 1,500 calories, which is too much.

To Gain Weight

If you want to gain weight, the Cleveland Clinic recommends increasing your calorie intake by 300 to 500 calories a day—3,122 to 3,322 calories per day for the average guy, assuming his activity level stays the same.

Injury and illness can also temporarily increase the amount of calories you need.

Certain injuries or illnesses can mean you need extra calories. Healing from burns or large open wounds requires extra energy and protein. If you have a fever, you need more calories to make up for your higher body temperature. Even fighting off the common cold takes energy.

How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Meal?

Evenly spacing your calories during the day is the best approach.

Tomaino suggests eating three meals and two snacks a day, and divvying up your total calories for the day across your meals.

“If you’re having those three meals, they could be between 500 and 700 calories, depending on what the total calorie goal is at the end of the day, and then make up the remainder with those snacks in between,” she says.

But, it’s really a personal preference. Some people prefer eating a larger breakfast and smaller dinner, so being mindful about what works for you is the best approach, McWhorter says.

Does Calorie Intake for Men Change With Age?

Yes. Once you turn 60, you need 2,000 calories a day if you’re sedentary and between 2,200 and 2,600 if you’re moderately active or active.

Westend61//Getty Images

That’s slightly less than what you need earlier in life. Between ages 21 and 40, men need 2,400 calories a day if they’re sedentary, 2,800 to 2,600 if they’re moderately active, and 2,800 to 3,000 if they’re active.

In your 40s and 50s, you need 2,200 if you’re sedentary, 2,400 to 2,600 if you’re moderately active, and 2,600 to 2,800 if you’re active.

“Your metabolism is pretty much steady throughout most of adulthood,” Tomaino says. “Once you reach about age 60, your muscle mass is decreasing and the general aging of your cells slows down your metabolism in such a way that you don’t need as many calories.

How to Calculate Your Calorie Needs

Although it’s possible to estimate how many calories you need in a day, there’s one huge caveat: “There are many different formulas available to determine calorie needs, but they all have large margins of error due to there being too many influential variables to control,” Rosen says.

Scientists use a method called indirect calorimetry to measure exactly how many calories a person burns in a day, but it’s expensive, time-consuming, and pretty inaccessible for most people.

If you’re curious about your exact calorie needs, here’s how to determine it.

Tracking Your Food Intake

“I find that the best way for you to determine your calorie needs (assuming you’re outside of a research setting) starts with ensuring that you are currently maintaining your weight,” Rosen says.

“Once weight is stable, track your food intake for one to two weeks without changing how you would normally eat,” she says. “The average calories across that time frame is a good estimate for your maintenance caloric needs, and you can adjust from there according to your goals.”

In other words: If your weight isn’t changing, you’re eating the right number of calories.

Using an app, like My Macros+, helps you count calories while focusing on your protein, carbs, and fat intake, Tomaino says. “If someone’s goal is to build muscle or to maintain muscle while losing body fat, it’s really important to know where those calories come from because plenty of foods can be equal in calories, but not nutrition.”

MyFitnessPal also lets you easily track calories, because you can scan barcodes on food packages or use its food database, she adds.

A Metabolism Calculator

You can also try using a formula to estimate your calorie needs, which is easy to do with an online calorie calculator from a trusted source. This one, from the American Council on Exercise, takes into account your age, weight, gender, height, and activity level, from sedentary to very active to determine your calorie needs.

How Does Muscle Mass Affect Calorie Burn?

Muscle burns more calories by weight than body fat, although the difference isn’t as big as it’s sometimes made out to be. “The claim ‘muscle burns more calories than fat’ is true, but misleading,” Rosen says.

Erik Isakson//Getty Images

The best estimate is that a pound of muscle burns six to seven calories a day. Fat burns about two calories in the same time period.

So, increasing muscle will increase the number of calories you burn — as will gaining fat, though to a lesser degree — but not drastically. An extra 10 pounds of muscle may only add 60 calories per day to your overall calorie expenditure.

The size of other body parts probably plays a more significant role in your daily calorie needs. A 2011 study found that more than 40 percent of differences in total calorie burn between people could be explained by the variations in the size of their internal organs.

How Does Exercise Affect Calorie Burn?

Your activity level plays a big role in your energy needs. It’s not just your workouts that burn calories, it’s also how much you move around during the day.

Halfpoint Images//Getty Images

A physically demanding job burns far more calories than one where you’re sitting at a desk most of the day. Biking or walking instead of driving can make a big difference, as well. When determining your physical activity level, it’s important to take all of this into account.

You also need to factor in your workouts. “With cardio training, you tend to not only burn calories quicker, but you also burn more total calories per session,” Gonzalez says. “Strength training, on the other hand, is usually anaerobic (without oxygen) in nature and helps you build muscle and boost your metabolism.

You’ll burn fewer calories per strength-training session, he explains, but your metabolic rate (the number of calories burned) will remain elevated for longer afterward. Plus, you’ll build muscle mass, which slightly increases your calorie burn and can support better health overall.

“A healthy mixture of both strength and cardio training with varying intensity, frequency, duration, and type is always best when building out your exercise program,” Gonzalez says.

Do You Need to Count Calories?

Ultimately, there’s no need to count calories in order to be healthy. If you feel good and have consistent energy levels throughout the day, you probably don’t need to worry about calculating your calorie needs, because chances are you’re hitting your target.

But if you’re worried that you’re eating too few or too many calories, understanding what contributes to calorie burn can help you understand your body’s needs.

Just don’t get too caught up in the numbers, McWhorter says. “There’s nothing wrong with counting calories, as long as you focus on the quality of the food. What makes up the plate? It’s not just calories; it’s food.”

Making sure half your plate is fruits and vegetables, and the other half is whole grains and protein should be your goal, he adds.

Calorie counting isn’t a good idea for anyone with a history of eating disorders, Tomaino says. And, if you’re dealing with a medical condition, check with your doctor before calorie counting, and they can refer you to a dietitian to help you get it right.

Christine Byrne

Christine Byrne, MPH, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian and the owner of Christine Byrne Nutrition, a private practice serving clients in Raleigh, NC, and virtually across the country. She specializes in eating disorders and disordered eating, and takes a weight-inclusive approach to health. A longtime journalist, she has worked as a food editor at BuzzFeed and Self, and her writing has appeared in dozens of national media outlets, including Outside, HuffPost, EatingWell, Food Network, Glamour, Bon Appetit, Health, and more.

Erica Sweeney

Erica Sweeney is a writer who mostly covers health, wellness and careers. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Parade, Money, Business Insider and many more.

calculation of calorie intake for weight loss

Why is the daily calorie intake for women important, especially for those who plan to lose weight or, conversely, gain muscle mass? How do these indicators differ from men’s and how to make your own schedule for the consumption of kilocalories, taking into account BJU for the maximum benefit of the body? We will answer these and other questions in this article.

Why count calories

Kilocalories are a unit of measure for the nutritional value of foods. And it is this indicator that measures the daily rate of energy consumed. The calorie intake is influenced by the age, weight and gender of the person, as well as the level of physical activity and diet. Any diet begins with determining the required number of calories. Even proper nutrition is based not only on the balance of BJU, but also on the calculation of energy costs. That is why the calculation of the daily calorie intake is an important step from which to start your journey to the figure of your dreams. To lose weight, you need to spend more energy than you consume with food.

According to WHO recommendations, to maintain a normal weight in the diet should be no more than 30% fat, of which 10% are saturated fats, trans fats – less than 1%.

At the same time, for women to lose weight, it is necessary to almost halve the calorie content of dishes.

How to calculate daily calorie intake

There are two methods: using the tables of the standard or using the Harris-Benedict formula. However, the latter method is considered the most accurate. However, you need to understand that when compiling a dietary diet, a lot depends on the individual characteristics of the body. The needs of each person can vary within 20-25% of the data obtained by calculating the formula. At the same time, a lot of factors affect the accuracy of the results: from the temperature outside to the level of stress and the amount of sleep. So if you want to clarify your daily calorie intake, you can use the simplest table. The spread is large: from 200 to 300 kcal, but such a formula can be applied without taking into account the impact of additional variables. It is important to remember that in order to lose weight, you will need not only to observe the calorie content, but also the balance of BJU in the daily diet.

Harris-Benedict Formula

The authors developed the original version in 1919. To compile it, scientists examined 239 people of different sexes and ages with different weights. Seventy years later, the formula was revised and refined. Now it is calculated according to the following formulas.

For men . 88.36 + (13.4 x own weight) + (4.8 x own height) – (5.7 x age). As a result, you will get the result of the required calorie intake.

For women . 447.6 + (9.2 x weight in kilograms) + (3.1 x height in centimeters) – (4.3 x age).

In this case, the results obtained must be multiplied by the coefficient of daily activity, which is determined depending on the amount of physical exercise within a week. If such calculations seem too complicated, you can use the online calculator: it will calculate everything for you.

Daily Calorie Tables

A convenient way to find out the required amount of calories in dishes is to use a ready-made calculation. Especially for you, we have compiled a convenient table, taking into account the level of physical activity and age. Here you can see the calculation of the daily calorie intake for women.

Age Activity level Calorie norm
17 to 40 Short 1800–2000
Moderate 2000–2200
High 2200–2400
41–60 Short 1600–1800
Average 1800–2000
Intensive 2000–2200
Over 61 Low 1600
Average 1800
Regular loads 2000

If the main goal is to lose weight, all indicators in the table can be reduced by 15-20%. For example, for a woman at the age of thirty with moderate physical exertion, the daily calorie intake will be 1500-1700 kcal. It is important to remember that a deficit of kilocalories for a long time can lead to dystrophy and a number of other diseases.

How many calories do you need to lose weight

There are fast hard diets with reduced calorie content. As a result, the body consumes only 1000 kcal per day and begins to rapidly lose weight. However, such a diet is only suitable for people with perfect health, only after consultation with an experienced specialist. But we do not recommend torturing the body. You can get rid of excess weight in more gentle ways. What is the daily calorie requirement for weight loss? Depends on the initial data: weight, age, height, physical activity. The average caloric intake for women is 1800–2200 kcal per day. For intensive weight loss, you need to reduce it to 1300–1500 calories and connect physical activity. To get rid of excess weight faster, aerobic workouts are well suited: brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming, dancing. It is important to remember that the body receives energy from food. During fasting days, no training is allowed.

Calories and nutrition

Energy is contained in any food. If you want the body to maintain stamina longer, the diet must have a lot of protein and complex carbohydrates. These foods are digested slowly, providing a feeling of satiety for a long time. So you can avoid overeating and not get tired during training. Slow carbohydrates can be eaten 2-3 hours before physical activity.

This is interesting: WHO recommends eating at least 400 grams of any fruits and vegetables per day, with the exception of sweet potatoes and other root vegetables with a high content of starch.

Protein can be obtained from meat, fish and dairy products. However, for those who are planning to lose weight, Herbalife Nutrition’s Formula 1 protein shakes may also be suitable. The high protein content, low calories (up to 96 depending on taste) and vitamin-mineral complex in one serving, as a rule, provide complete nutrition, saturating the body with energy and preventing overeating.

Setting up the menu

What foods should be included in the daily diet so that the body burns fat and at the same time saves energy for work?

  1. Proteins. These are meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products (with the exception of sweet yogurt or curd mass), seafood.
  2. Fats. It is best if the diet contains a lot of nuts, avocados, vegetable oils. In addition, products containing omega-3, for example, Herbalifeline Max from Herbalife Nutrition*, will help to saturate the cells with polyunsaturated fatty acids.
  3. Carbohydrates. Whole grain bread, cereals, vegetables and fruits with an average glycemic index, dark chocolate. From fast carbohydrates – honey, bananas, mashed potatoes and white rice (provided that there is no insulin resistance or diabetes).
  4. Vitamins. They can be obtained both from fresh vegetables and fruits, and in a complex of nutritional supplements. So you can be sure of the use of the daily norm of the necessary substances and their absorption by the body.

Calories and physical activity

With intense loads, it is not worth reducing the daily rate of kilocalories. The fact is that the body quickly burns the energy received from food, and when it is deficient, it begins to experience problems. There is drowsiness, fatigue, apathy. In this case, the body enters an energy conservation mode and requires immediate caloric support, which provokes overeating. Therefore, two hours before training, it is recommended to eat a heavy meal (slow carbohydrates are used). If you plan to eat an hour before going to the gym, it is better to choose fast carbohydrates. They are also suitable for post-workout nutrition, helping to restore energy. At the same time, intense exercise itself has a beneficial effect on weight loss. It doesn’t matter how many calories you’ve consumed, it’s all about the goodness of the food. Fresh vegetables, meat, fish, milk, dark chocolate and no fast food, store-bought sweets and packaged juices!

Additional recommendations

To lose weight, it is important not only to monitor the calorie intake and BJU, but also follow a few rules:

  • Never skip breakfast. The first meal is the most important, it starts the normal functioning of metabolic processes. It is at this time that it is best to consume slow carbohydrates to saturate the body with energy.
  • Drink more water. The minimum volume of daily consumption of clean liquid is 1.5 liters. With intense physical exertion, it can increase.
  • Observe the regime of the day. Healthy sleep not only helps fight stress, but also normalizes metabolism.

And don’t chase results. A sharp decrease in the calorie content of the usual diet can provoke overeating due to outbreaks of hunger. Therefore, the transition to a new diet should be gradual. When the desired result is achieved, the caloric content will need to be increased again to average levels, otherwise an energy deficit and a number of unpleasant diseases of the digestive, nervous and cardiovascular systems may occur.

*BAA. NOT A DRUG


2020-02-23

Author: Be in Form

Rate the material!

Add review


Reviews

Yana
| 27. 04.2021 12:54


I have breakfast and dinner with smoothies from the weight loss program, it helps a lot not to overeat, especially in the evening

Kira
| 27.04.2021 12:48


Low calorie or hunger does not work for sustainable weight loss, only as a deload for a day or two

Angelica
| 27.04.2021 12:44


Excess weight has haunted me since childhood and I have almost died. Only after meeting with a consultant from Herbalife did I learn how to count calories and make a menu. Evening Formula 1 cocktail replaces dinner and saves you from getting stuck. I have already lost 7 kg and I believe in success

Laura
| 27.04.2021 12:40


In the Herbalife Active Lifestyle Club, a consultant helps to calculate the color content and create a varied menu. In such a team, physical activity is given with pleasure and breakfast.

Elizabeth Svetlova
| 27.04.2021 12:35


My husband and I want to build up together and move to an active lifestyle. Herbalife Nutrition’s Weight Loss Shakes help you balance your diet and maintain protein levels.

Raisa Shustova
| 27.04.2021 12:32


My nutritional consultant calculated my norm in the corridor of 1400 – 1500 calories. This is taking into account the deficit for weight loss

Lydia
| 11.10.2020 19:18


Thank you, I learned a lot of new things for myself

Nina
| 06/08/2020 6:14


Thank you for such a wonderful site. He helps me a lot in my work

Natalia
| 05/08/2020 0:11


I really like it, here is the information that will help in the work of a balanced nutrition consultant

Nutrient medium: how many calories do we spend per day, and how to calculate the daily allowance so as not to gain weight and not harm our health

FoodHealth

How many calories does a person burn per day? There is no single answer to this question, as you might guess. Calorie consumption is an individual value that depends on genetics, gender, age, height, weight, habitat and physical activity habits. Given these factors, you can calculate how many calories you personally spend per day and how much is enough for you not to get better.

What are calories, kilocalories and calorie content of products

A calorie is a unit of heat energy, or rather, the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. The word comes from the French calorie, which is derived from the Latin calor meaning “warmth”. The first to use the term “calorie” was the Swedish physicist Johann Wilke, who lived in the 18th century, and since then this indicator has been used to determine the amount of energy the body needs for normal functioning.

The calorie content of a product is the amount of energy received by the body when it is digested. The three main elements in the composition of food – proteins, fats, carbohydrates (BJU) – contain different amounts of calories and, therefore, provide the body with different amounts of energy. Most manufacturers list the nutritional content in kilocalories on the packaging to keep the numbers short. 1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 1000 calories (cal). In colloquial speech, the word “calorie” is used more often – simply because it is easier to pronounce.

The calculation of the daily calorie limit is one of the tools with which you can control your weight and protect your health.

What determines the daily calorie intake

Assimilation of calories, as well as metabolism in general, is influenced by many factors, slowing down or speeding up the process, for example, taking medications, muscle mass, love for spicy or salty foods, smoking, etc. . Daily calorie expenditure depends primarily on daily physical activity, but in general, men burn more calories than women. On average, calorie intake rates come down to the following numbers, which change with age: the older the person, the fewer calories needed:

  • Inactive: 2000 to 2400 calories for men, 1600 to 2000 for women.

  • Moderate activity: 2200-2800 kcal for men, 1800-2200 for women.

  • Active lifestyle: 2400-3000 kcal for men, 2000-2400 kcal for women.

The absorption of calories is also affected by seasonal weather changes. In colder climates, more energy is required to maintain a constant body temperature as the metabolism increases to generate heat. Thus, walking along the street in winter, you spend more calories than during summer promenades.

How to calculate calorie expenditure per day

To determine how many calories you need, you need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and determine the activity factor.

Basal metabolic rate is the approximate number of calories burned per day at rest. In other words, this is the minimum amount of energy needed to maintain the life of the body, including breathing, heartbeat, digestion of food, but without taking into account physical exertion.

Nutritionists use two standard equations to calculate BMR: the Harris-Benedict formula and the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula, named after the scientists who developed the principle of calorie counting.

The 1984 version of the Harris-Benedict formula is:

  • Calculation for men: 88.362 + (13.397 × weight in kilograms) + (4.799 × height in centimeters) – (5.677 × age in years)

  • Calculation for women: 447.593 + (9.247 × weight in kilograms) + (3.098 × height in centimeters) — (4.330 × age in years)

The Mifflin-St.

  • Calculation for men: (10 × weight in kilograms) + (6.25 × height in centimeters) – (5 × age in years) + 5

  • Calculation for women: (10 × weight in kilograms) + ( 6.25 × height in centimeters) — (5 × age in years) — 161

Once you’ve calculated your BMR, you need to multiply it by your physical activity factor so that your calorie burn calculation matches your lifestyle. Here are the numbers taken as the standard:

  • 1.2 – if your activity is reduced to moving from bed to sofa;

  • 1. 375 – if you have heard about the benefits of activity and exercise up to three times a week;

  • 1.55 – if moderate exercise is not alien to you 3 to 5 times a week;

  • 1.725 if you train hard 6-7 times a week;

  • 1.9 – if you give your all (work physically, train twice a day, do strength exercises).

If all these formulas sound too complicated, find a calorie calculator on the Internet or ask a nutritionist to make an individual calculation for you.

How many calories are burned during different types of activity

At rest, about 20% of the energy consumed is used for brain metabolism. Other calories are burned in the process of basal metabolism – blood circulation, digestion, respiration, cellular respiration, tissue repair and growth. We also need mechanical energy to work our skeletal muscles in order to maintain our posture and move around.

How many calories you burn when you eat depends on the time of day. During the morning meal, the body burns about 60 kcal, at lunch – 85 kcal, at dinner – 60 kcal. Most of the energy is spent on the digestion of animal proteins: 30-40% of the nutritional value of the protein is spent on its absorption. The cost of digesting carbohydrates is 4-7%, fats – only 2-4%.

During sleep, an average person spends 60-70 kcal per hour, provided that you sleep at least 8 hours and do not eat carbohydrates or fats at night.

Calorie consumption at work depends on mental and physical activity. On average, for an 8-hour working day, office workers spend about 550 kcal, service and education workers – up to 1050 kcal. Most calories are burned by those who work physically (loaders, athletes, etc.) – about 2000 kcal.

Even if you stay at home, you have a chance to burn more calories. Rest in a lying position will destroy no more than 70 kcal per hour, but you will spend 120-280 kcal on cleaning (washing dishes – 50 kcal, windows – 280 kcal, floors – 280 kcal). A ten-minute shower after cleaning – minus another 40 kcal.

Most calories are burned during sports. Jogging – 380 kcal, swimming – 200-600 kcal (depending on style), cycling – 220-450 kcal, skating or rollerblading – 200-620 kcal, dancing – 350 kcal, jumping rope – 350 kcal. Yoga lovers burn about 250-300 calories per hour. In an hour of circuit training, you can lose about 350-400 calories, and strength training will burn about 400 calories on average.

If you don’t like sports, but you like walking, keep in mind that a quiet walk burns about 140 kilocalories per hour, and a fast walk burns about 180.

How to increase your calorie expenditure if you want to lose weight

If your goal is to maintain weight, you need to consume the same number of calories as you burn, maintaining the so-called calorie balance. However, if your goal is to lose weight, you should burn more calories than you take in.

The simplest rule used by nutritionists is to reduce the energy value of food by 500 kcal per day.