How many calories do you need per day to survive. What is the minimum calorie intake for weight loss. Can restricting calories improve health and longevity. Discover the facts about calorie needs and safe weight management

Understanding Minimum Calorie Requirements for Survival

The concept of minimum calorie intake is crucial for maintaining proper health and bodily functions. However, determining the exact number of calories needed for survival is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Various factors come into play when calculating an individual’s minimum calorie requirements.

Factors affecting minimum calorie needs include:

• Age
• Gender
• Activity level
• Genetics
• Overall health status

It’s important to note that drastically reducing calorie intake without proper guidance can lead to nutrient deficiencies and other health complications. Any significant changes to your diet should be done under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

Recommended Calorie Intakes for Weight Maintenance

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average calorie needs for weight maintenance are:

• Sedentary 21-year-old male: 2,400 calories per day
• Sedentary 21-year-old female: 2,000 calories per day

These figures serve as a general guideline and may vary based on individual circumstances. For those looking to lose weight, health experts typically recommend a calorie reduction of 500 to 1,000 calories per day as part of a safe weight loss plan.

Safe Minimum Calorie Intakes for Weight Loss

While it may be tempting to drastically cut calories for rapid weight loss, it’s crucial to maintain a balance that ensures proper nutrition. Health experts have established guidelines for minimum calorie intakes during weight loss efforts:

• Women: At least 1,200 calories per day
• Men: At least 1,500 calories per day

These minimums are designed to help individuals lose weight while still obtaining essential nutrients. It’s important to remember that there is no universal “ideal” minimum calorie intake for weight loss, as individual needs vary greatly.

The Dangers of Extreme Calorie Restriction

Drastically reducing calorie intake can have unintended consequences on your body and metabolism. When you significantly cut calories, your body may enter a protective mode, slowing down your metabolism to conserve energy. This can lead to:

• Slower weight loss over time
• Difficulty maintaining weight loss
• Potential nutrient deficiencies
• Muscle loss
• Decreased energy levels

To counteract these effects, it’s recommended to combine moderate calorie reduction with increased physical activity. This approach helps boost metabolism and supports sustainable weight loss.

The Impact of Calorie Restriction on Metabolism

Research has shown that weight loss through calorie restriction can lead to a slowdown in metabolism. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in April 2014 demonstrated that as individuals lose weight, their metabolism tends to slow down. This metabolic adaptation can make continued weight loss more challenging.

Why does metabolism slow down during weight loss?

When you consume fewer calories, your body adapts by burning fewer calories to conserve energy. This protective mechanism can make it increasingly difficult to lose weight over time, even if you maintain the same calorie deficit.

Strategies to Combat Metabolic Slowdown

To counteract the effects of metabolic slowdown during weight loss, consider the following strategies:

1. Increase physical activity as you reduce calorie intake
2. Incorporate strength training to preserve muscle mass
3. Focus on nutrient-dense foods to ensure proper nutrition
4. Avoid extreme calorie restriction
5. Implement periodic diet breaks or “re-feeds” to prevent metabolic adaptation

By employing these strategies, you can help maintain a higher metabolic rate and support more sustainable weight loss.

Long-Term Effects of Calorie Restriction on Weight Maintenance

Maintaining weight loss after a period of calorie restriction can be challenging due to metabolic adaptations. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in July 2012 revealed interesting findings about long-term weight maintenance following significant weight loss.

Key findings of the study:

• Participants who lost one-third of their body weight experienced a slowdown in metabolic rate
• The metabolic slowdown was disproportionate to the amount of weight lost
• Continued vigorous exercise was necessary to prevent weight regain

These findings highlight the importance of developing sustainable lifestyle changes rather than relying solely on calorie restriction for long-term weight management.

Strategies for Long-Term Weight Maintenance

To improve your chances of maintaining weight loss in the long term, consider the following approaches:

1. Gradually increase calorie intake after reaching your goal weight
2. Maintain a consistent exercise routine, including both cardio and strength training
3. Monitor your weight regularly and make adjustments as needed
4. Focus on building healthy habits rather than following restrictive diets
5. Seek support from friends, family, or professional counselors

By implementing these strategies, you can improve your chances of maintaining your weight loss and overall health in the long run.

Calorie Restriction as a Potential Health and Longevity Enhancer

While calorie restriction is often associated with weight loss, research is exploring its potential benefits for overall health and longevity. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has been conducting studies to investigate the effects of calorie restriction on various health markers and lifespan.

Calorie Restriction in Animal Studies

A study published in the journal Nature in January 2017 examined the effects of calorie restriction on rhesus monkeys. The findings were intriguing:

• Monkeys consuming 30% fewer calories survived beyond the average lifespan for their species
• Calorie restriction appeared to have potential life-extending effects
• Further research is needed to fully understand the implications for human health

These animal studies provide valuable insights, but it’s important to note that more research is needed to determine the applicability to human health and longevity.

Human Studies on Calorie Restriction

The National Institute on Aging has also conducted human studies on the effects of calorie restriction. One such study, known as CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), yielded interesting results:

• 218 young and middle-aged participants reduced their calorie intake by 12%
• After two years, participants maintained a 10% weight loss
• The weight loss was sustained for an additional two years

These findings suggest that moderate calorie restriction may have potential benefits for weight management and overall health. However, it’s crucial to approach calorie restriction cautiously and under professional guidance.

The Role of Fasting Diets in Health and Weight Management

Fasting diets have gained popularity in recent years as potential alternatives to traditional calorie restriction. However, research on the long-term effects of fasting diets is still limited compared to studies on continuous calorie restriction.

Types of Fasting Diets

There are several types of fasting diets that have been studied or practiced:

• Intermittent fasting (e.g., 16/8 method, 5:2 diet)
• Alternate-day fasting
• Extended fasting periods (24 hours or more)
• Time-restricted feeding

Each of these approaches involves periods of reduced or zero calorie intake, followed by periods of normal eating.

Current Research on Fasting Diets

The National Institute on Aging notes that most research on fasting diets consists of observational studies of people who fast regularly, whether for religious or other reasons. While some studies have shown potential benefits, more research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of fasting diets on health and longevity.

Potential benefits of fasting diets being studied include:

• Improved insulin sensitivity
• Reduced inflammation
• Enhanced cellular repair processes
• Potential cognitive benefits

It’s important to note that fasting diets may not be suitable for everyone, and individuals should consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to their eating patterns.

Personalized Approach to Calorie Intake and Weight Management

Given the complexity of factors influencing calorie needs and weight management, it’s crucial to adopt a personalized approach. What works for one individual may not be suitable or effective for another. Here are some key considerations for developing a personalized plan:

Factors to Consider in Personalized Calorie Planning

• Current weight and body composition
• Health status and any existing medical conditions
• Age and gender
• Activity level and exercise routine
• Personal goals (weight loss, maintenance, or gain)
• Food preferences and dietary restrictions
• Lifestyle factors (work schedule, stress levels, etc.)

By taking these factors into account, you can develop a more tailored approach to calorie intake and weight management that aligns with your individual needs and goals.

Seeking Professional Guidance

While general guidelines provide a starting point, working with healthcare professionals can greatly enhance your success in managing your calorie intake and overall health. Consider consulting with:

• Registered dietitians
• Nutritionists
• Primary care physicians
• Endocrinologists (for metabolic concerns)
• Certified fitness professionals

These experts can help you develop a personalized plan that takes into account your unique circumstances, ensuring that you’re meeting your nutritional needs while working towards your health and weight management goals.

In conclusion, understanding minimum calorie intake and its impact on health and weight management is crucial for developing effective and sustainable approaches to nutrition. By considering individual factors, staying informed about current research, and seeking professional guidance when needed, you can create a personalized plan that supports your overall health and well-being. Remember that any significant changes to your diet or lifestyle should be discussed with a healthcare professional to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Minimum Amount of Calories Needed Per Day to Survive

If you cut too many calories from your diet, you may not be getting enough nutrients.

Image Credit: NelliSyr/iStock/GettyImages

The minimum calories per day needed to survive is a highly variable figure. It depends on your age, gender, activity level and even your genetics.

Tip

Restricting calories is something that should only be done under the supervision of your doctor. If you cut too many calories from your diet, you may not be getting enough nutrients. If that happens, any weight loss would probably not benefit your health, says Harvard Health Publishing.

Minimum Calories Per Day

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a 21-year-old sedentary male needs 2,400 calories to maintain weight. A sedentary 21-year-old female needs 2,000 calories per day to keep her weight the same. A safe weight loss plan allows for cutting 500 to 1,000 calories per day.

But health experts recommend that women consume at least 1,200 calories a day, and men consume at least 1,500 calories a day, says Harvard Health Publishing. There is no ideal minimum calories per day to lose weight or minimum calorie intake for a teenage girl, teen boy or adult. Instead, if you want to lose weight, take in at least 1,200 calories a day if you’re female and 1,500 calories a day if you’re male, and focus on a healthy weight-loss plan.

So what happens when you drastically cut your calories by 1,000 calories per day, the upper limit recommended for a safe weight-loss plan? According to a study reported in the April 2014 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, your metabolism slows when you lose weight. So focus less on the minimum calories to lose weight and focus more on a weight loss plan that is healthy and in line with what your doctor recommends.

Read more: The Best Way to Lose Weight in One Month

Harvard Health Publishing says that when your metabolism slows, you burn fewer calories. So by limiting your calorie intake, the body goes into protection mode by slowing your metabolism. While limiting calories may help you lose weight at first, your body will start to make it harder for you to lose weight if you continue to limit calories.

Your body may even respond to your lower calorie intake by not shedding any more weight, Harvard Health says. The solution to that is to increase your exercise as you cut calories. This will help you will boost your metabolism, which will help you burn more calories.

Once that weight is lost, however, your metabolism may have trouble returning to pre-weight loss levels. A study in the July 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that people who lost large amounts of weight by cutting calories and adding in vigorous exercise needed to keep up the vigorous exercise or risk regaining the weight they lost.

Study participants who lost one-third of their body weight and increased their exercise had slower metabolisms after they lost the weight. Their slowdown in metabolic rate was out of proportion to the weight they lost, the authors said.

Read more: 9 Things You DON’T Have to Do to Lose Weight

Restricting Calories in Eating

The National Institute on Aging cautions that calorie restriction is not a weight-loss plan. Instead, calorie-restricted eating is being studied as a way to maintain good health and live longer.

In a ongoing study published in the January 2017 issue of the journal Nature, rhesus monkeys who ate 30 percent fewer calories survived beyond the average ages of these monkeys. Further study is needed to determine the full impact, NIH says.

In a long-term National Institute on Aging study of 218 young and middle-aged people, some of normal weight, and some moderately overweight, participants cut their calorie intake by 12 percent. After two years, they maintained a 10 percent weight loss. Two years after that, they were still able to keep up their 10 percent weight loss. CALERIE, which stands for Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy, is a partnership between NIH and several universities.

Less research has been done on fasting diets, the National Institute on Aging says. Most research consists of observation of people fasting routinely, whether for religious or other reasons. The NIH says a lot more research needs to be done to see if there are long-term benefits. Before you make any changes to your diet, discuss them with your doctor.

What should my daily intake of calories be?

An ideal daily intake of calories varies depending on age, metabolism and levels of physical activity, among other things.

Generally, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men.

What are calories?

Calories are a measure of how much energy food or drink contains. The amount of energy you need will depend on:

• your age – for example, growing children and teenagers may need more energy
• your lifestyle – for example, how active you are
• your size – your height and weight can affect how quickly you use energy

Other factors can also affect how much energy you burn. For example:

• some hormones (chemicals produced by the body) – such as thyroid hormones
• some medicines – such as glucocorticoids, a type of steroid used to treat inflammation
• being unwell

Calories and kilocalories

The term calorie is commonly used as shorthand for kilocalorie. You will find this written as kcal on food packets. Kilojoules (kJ) are the equivalent of kilocalories within the International System of Units, and you’ll see both kJ and kcal on nutrition labels. 4.2kJ is equivalent to approximately 1kcal.

Maintaining a healthy weight

To find out if you are a healthy weight, use the BMI calculator.

To maintain a healthy weight, you need to balance the amount of calories you consume through food and drink with the amount of calories you burn through physical activity.

Losing weight

To lose weight in a healthy way, you need to use more energy than you consume by eating a healthy, balanced diet with fewer calories while increasing your physical activity.

For more information on weight loss, download the NHS weight loss plan, our free 12 week diet and exercise plan.

A GP can also give you advice about losing weight.

Gaining weight

You should get advice from the GP if you’re underweight (your body mass index is less than 18.5).

To gain weight, you need to eat more calories than your body uses each day. For more information, see How can I gain weight safely?.

Further information

Page last reviewed: 24 October 2019
Next review due: 24 October 2022

Calorie Calculator

The Calorie Calculator can be used to estimate the number of calories a person needs to consume each day. This calculator can also provide some simple guidelines for gaining or losing weight.

• Exercise: 15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
• Intense exercise: 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
• Very intense exercise: 2+ hours of elevated heart rate activity.

Food Energy Converter

The following converter can be used to convert between Calories and other common food energy units.

Related:BMI Calculator | Body Fat Calculator | Ideal Weight Calculator

This Calorie Calculator is based on several equations, and the results of the calculator are based on an estimated average. The Harris-Benedict Equation was one of the earliest equations used to calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy expended per day at rest. It was revised in 1984 to be more accurate and was used up until 1990, when the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation was introduced. The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation also calculates BMR, and has been shown to be more accurate than the revised Harris-Benedict Equation. The Katch-McArdle Formula is slightly different in that it calculates resting daily energy expenditure (RDEE), which takes lean body mass into account, something that neither the Mifflin-St Jeor nor the Harris-Benedict Equation do. Of these equations, the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is considered the most accurate equation for calculating BMR with the exception that the Katch-McArdle Formula can be more accurate for people who are leaner and know their body fat percentage. The three equations used by the calculator are listed below:

Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:

For men:

BMR = 10W + 6.25H – 5A + 5

For women:

BMR = 10W + 6.25H – 5A – 161

Revised Harris-Benedict Equation:

For men:

BMR = 13.397W + 4.799H – 5.677A + 88.362

For women:

BMR = 9.247W + 3.098H – 4.330A + 447.593

Katch-McArdle Formula:

BMR = 370 + 21.6(1 – F)W

where:

W is body weight in kg

H is body height in cm

A is age

F is body fat in percentage

The value obtained from these equations is the estimated number of calories a person can consume in a day to maintain their body-weight, assuming they remain at rest. This value is multiplied by an activity factor (generally 1.2-1.95), dependent on a person’s typical levels of exercise, in order to obtain a more realistic value for maintaining body-weight (since people are less likely to be at rest throughout the course of an entire day). 1 pound, or approximately 0.45 kg, equates to about 3,500 calories. As such, in order to lose 1 pound per week, it is recommended that 500 calories be shaved off the estimate of calories necessary for weight maintenance per day. For example, if a person has an estimated allotment of 2,500 calories per day to maintain body-weight, consuming 2,000 calories per day for one week would theoretically result in 3,500 calories (or 1 pound) lost during the period.

It is important to remember that proper diet and exercise is largely accepted as the best way to lose weight. It is inadvisable to lower calorie intake by more than 1,000 calories per day, as losing more than 2 pounds per week can be unhealthy, and can result in the opposite effect in the near future by reducing metabolism. Losing more than 2 pounds a week will likely involve muscle loss, which in turn lowers BMR, since more muscle mass results in higher BMR. Excessive weight loss can also be due to dehydration, which is unhealthy. Furthermore, particularly when exercising in conjunction with dieting, maintaining a good diet is important, since the body needs to be able to support its metabolic processes and replenish itself. Depriving the body of the nutrients it requires as part of heavily unhealthy diets can have serious detrimental effects, and weight lost in this manner has been shown in some studies to be unsustainable, since the weight is often regained in the form of fat (putting the participant in a worse state than when beginning the diet). As such, in addition to monitoring calorie intake, it is important to maintain levels of fiber intake as well as other nutritional necessities to balance the needs of the body.

Calorie Counting as a Means for Weight Loss

Calorie counting with the intent of losing weight, on its simplest levels, can be broken down into a few general steps:

1. Determine your BMR using one of the provided equations. If you know your body fat percentage, the Katch-McArdle Formula might be a more accurate representation of your BMR. Remember that the values attained from these equations are approximations and subtracting exactly 500 calories from your BMR will not necessarily result in exactly 1 pound lost per week – it could be less, or it could be more!
2. Determine your weight loss goals. Recall that 1 pound (~0.45 kg) equates to approximately 3500 calories, and reducing daily caloric intake relative to estimated BMR by 500 calories per day will theoretically result in a loss of 1 pound a week. It is generally not advisable to lose more than 2 pounds per week as it can have negative health effects, i.e. try to target a maximum daily calorie reduction of approximately 1000 calories per day. Consulting your doctor and/or a registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) is recommended in cases where you plan to lose more than 2 pounds per week.
3. Choose a method to track your calories and progress towards your goals. If you have a smartphone, there are many easy-to-use applications that facilitate tracking calories, exercise, and progress, among other things. Many, if not all of these, have estimates for the calories in many brand-name foods or dishes at restaurants, and if not, they can estimate calories based on the amount of the individual components of the foods. It can be difficult to get a good grasp on food proportions and the calories they contain – which is why counting calories (as well as any other approach) is not for everyone – but if you meticulously measure and track the number of calories in some of your typical meals, it quickly becomes easier to accurately estimate calorie content without having to actually measure or weigh your food each time. There are also websites that can help to do the same, but if you prefer, manually maintaining an excel spreadsheet or even a pen and paper journal are certainly viable alternatives.
4. Track your progress over time and make changes to better achieve your goals if necessary. Remember that weight loss alone is not the sole determinant of health and fitness, and you should take other factors such as fat vs. muscle loss/gain into account as well. Also, it is recommended that measurements are taken over longer periods of time such as a week (rather than daily) as significant variations in weight can occur simply based on water intake or time of day. It is also ideal to take measurements under consistent conditions, such as weighing yourself as soon as you wake up and before breakfast, rather than at different times throughout the day.
5. Keep at it!

The above steps are an attempt at the most basic form of calorie counting. Calorie counting is not an exact science, and can be as complex as you want to make it. The above does not consider the proportions of macronutrients consumed. While there is no exactly known, ideal proportion of macronutrients (fats, proteins, carbohydrates), some balance is certainly advisable, and different foods have been found to have different effects on health, feelings of hunger, and number of calories burned. Generally, minimally processed plant and animal foods tend to be more conducive to healthy weight loss and maintenance.

There are many approaches to weight loss and there is no set ideal method that works for all people, which is why so many different diets and exercise regimens exist. While some methods are more effective for each individual person, not all weight loss methods are equivalent, and studies suggest that some approaches are healthier than others. That being said, one of the most commonly effective weight loss methods is counting calories. In its most basic form, calories consumed minus calories expended will result in weight gain if the result is positive, or weight loss if the result is negative. However, this is far from a comprehensive picture, and many other factors play a role in affecting healthy, sustainable weight loss. For example, there exist conflicting studies addressing whether or not the type of calories or foods consumed, or how they are consumed, affects weight loss. Studies have shown that foods that require a person to chew more and are more difficult to digest result in the body burning more calories, sometimes referred to as the thermic effect of food. While the increase in burned calories may be marginal, foods that are more difficult to digest such as vegetables generally tend to be healthier and provide more nutrients for fewer calories than many processed foods.

Consistent with the view that in regards to weight loss, only net calories are important and not their source, there exist cases such as the Twinkie diet, where a person that solely counted calories while eating a variety of cake snacks managed to lose 27 pounds over two months. As effective as this can be, it is certainly not suggested. While the participant did not seem to suffer any noticeable health detriments in this particular case, there are other less measurable factors that should be considered such as long-term effects of such a diet on potential for developing cancers, heart disease, and diabetes. However, ignoring efficiency and health, sustained, significant reduction of caloric intake or increase of physical activity should result in weight loss, and counting calories can be an effective way to achieve this sole result.

Aside from being one viable method for facilitating weight loss, calorie counting has other somewhat less quantifiable advantages including helping to increase nutritional awareness. Many people are completely unaware of, or grossly underestimate their daily caloric intake. Counting calories can help raise awareness of different types of foods, the number of calories they contain, and how these calories have a different effect on a person’s feelings of satiety. Once a person has a better understanding of how many calories are actually in that bag of chips that they can so easily inhale within minutes, how much of their daily caloric intake it consumes, and how little the chips do to satiate their hunger, portion control and avoidance of foods with empty calories tends to become easier.

Having actual caloric measurements can also assist in weight loss, since tangible calorie goals can be set, rather than simply trying to eat less. Also, although this is not necessarily directly related to calorie counting, studies have shown that portion control by simply eating from a smaller plate can help reduce calorie intake, since people tend to fill their plates and eat everything on their plates. Many people do not realize that they are overeating, since they have become accustomed to restaurant-sized portions being the norm, when said portions can be up to three or more times larger than necessary for a typical meal.

Tracking calories also puts exercise in a quantifiable perspective, increasing a person’s awareness regarding how much exercise is really required to counteract a 220-calorie bag of M&M’s. Once a link is made between the amount of exercise that some snack equates to, many people find abstaining from that bag of chips to be the preferred option rather than performing an equivalent amount of exercise – which can lead to healthier eating habits.

In the end, however, what’s important is picking a strategy that works for you. Calorie counting is only one method used to achieve weight loss amongst many, and even within this method, there are many possible approaches a person can take. Finding an approach that fits within your lifestyle that you think you would be able to adhere to is likely going to provide the most sustainable option and desirable result.

Zigzag Calorie Cycling

Zigzag calorie cycling is a weight loss approach that aims to counteract the human body’s natural adaptive tendencies. Counting and restricting calories, as described above, is a viable method to lose weight, but over a period of time, it is possible for the body to adapt to the lower number of calories consumed. In cases where this happens, a plateau in weight loss that can be difficult to surmount can result. This is where zigzag calorie cycling can help, by not allowing the body to adapt to the lower calorie environment.

Zigzag calorie cycling involves alternating the number of calories consumed on a given day. A person on a zigzag diet should have a combination of high-calorie and low-calorie days to meet the same overall weekly calorie target. For example, if your target calorie intake is 14,000 calories per week, you could consume 2,300 calories three days a week, and 1,775 the other four days of the week, or you could consume 2,000 calories each day. In both cases, 14,000 calories would be consumed over the week, but the body wouldn’t adapt and compensate for a 2,000-calorie diet. This also allows a person more flexibility in their diet, allowing them to plan around occasions, such as work or family gatherings, where a person may consume more calories. Consuming a lower number of calories on other days can allow a person to enjoy these gatherings or even have a “cheat day” where they eat whatever they want without feeling guilty, since they can make up for the excess calories on their low-calorie days.

There is no concrete rule or study that dictates the most effective way to alternate or spread out calorie consumption. How to vary calorie intake is largely up to personal discretion. Depending on a person’s activity, it is generally recommended that the high-calorie and low-calorie days vary by approximately 200-300 calories, where the high-calorie day is often the number of calories a person needs to consume to maintain their current weight. For a person with a higher activity level, the calorie difference should be larger. The calculator presents two zigzag diet schedules. The first schedule has two higher calorie days and five lower calorie days. The second schedule increases and reduces calories gradually. In either case, the total weekly calorie consumption is the same.

In the end, regardless of what method you choose to use when approaching weight loss, what’s important is picking a strategy that works for you. Calorie counting and zigzag calorie cycling are only two methods (that are fairly interrelated) used to achieve weight loss among many, and even within these methods, there are many possible approaches a person can take. Finding an approach that fits within your lifestyle that you think you would be able to adhere to is likely going to provide the most sustainable and desirable result.

How Many Calories Do You Need?

Many people seek to lose weight, and often the easiest way to do this is to consume fewer calories each day. But how many calories does the body actually need in order to be healthy? This largely depends on the amount of physical activity a person performs each day, and regardless of this, is different for all people – there are many different factors involved, not all of which are well-understood or known.

Some factors that influence the number of calories a person needs to remain healthy include age, weight, height, sex, levels of physical activity, and overall general health. For example, a physically active 25-year-old male that is 6 feet in height requires considerably higher calorie intake than a 5-foot-tall, sedentary 70-year-old woman. Though it differs depending on age and activity level, adult males generally require 2,000-3000 calories per day to maintain weight while adult females need around 1,600-2,400 according to the U. S Department of Health.

The body does not require many calories to simply survive. However, consuming too few calories results in the body functioning poorly, since it will only use calories for functions essential to survival, and ignore those necessary for general health and well-being. Harvard Health Publications suggests women get at least 1,200 calories and men get at least 1,500 calories a day unless supervised by doctors. As such, it is highly recommended that a person attempting to lose weight monitors their body’s caloric necessities and adjusts them as necessary to maintain its nutritional needs.

Calories: Different Kinds and Their Effects

The main sources of calories in a typical person’s diet are carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, with alcohol also being a significant portion of calorie intake for many people (though ideally this should be limited since alcohol contains many empty calories). Some studies have shown that the calories displayed on nutrition labels and the calories actually consumed and retained can vary significantly. This hints at the complex nature of calories and nutrition and is why many conflicting points of view on the “best” methodology for losing weight exist. For example, how a person chews their food has been shown to affect weight loss to some degree; generally speaking, chewing food more increases the number of calories that the body burns during digestion. People that chew more also tend to eat less, since the longer period of time necessary to chew their food allows more time to reach a state of satiety, which results in eating less. However, the effects of how food is chewed and digestion of different foods are not completely understood and it is possible that other factors exist, and thus this information should be taken with a grain of salt (in moderation if weight loss is the goal).

Generally, foods that take more effort to chew – fruit, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, etc. – require the body to burn more calories since more calories are required to digest them. It also results in the feeling of satiety for longer periods of time. Furthermore, certain foods like coffee, tea, chilies, cinnamon, and ginger have been found to increase the rate of calories burned, due to the ingredients they contain.

The “quality” of calories consumed is also important. There are different classifications of foods in terms of calories. This includes high-calorie foods, low-calorie foods, and empty calories. Consistent with their naming, high-calorie foods are foods that are calorically dense, meaning that there are a high number of calories relative to serving size, while low-calorie foods have fewer calories relative to serving size. Foods such as fat, oils, fried foods, and sugary foods are examples of high-calorie foods. Being a high-calorie food does not inherently mean that the food is unhealthy however – avocados, quinoa, nuts, and whole grains are all high-calorie foods that are considered healthful in moderation. Low-calorie foods include vegetables and certain fruits, among other things, while empty calories, such as those in added sugars and solid fats, are calories that contain few to no nutrients. Studies have shown that there is a measurable difference between consuming 500 calories of carrots compared to 500 calories of popcorn. As previously mentioned, this in part can be attributed to differences in how the foods are consumed and processed. Carrots require far more chewing and can result in more calories burned during digestion. Again, the mechanism for these differences is not fully defined, but simply note that for weight loss purposes, the general formula of calories in minus calories out determining weight gain or loss does hold, but that the number of calories on a nutrition label is not necessarily indicative of how many calories the body actually retains. While there is no clear-cut or ideal amount of macronutrient proportions a person should consume to maintain a healthy diet or lose weight, eating a “healthy” diet replete with a variety of unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, and lean meats is correlated with being healthier, and is more likely to result in sustainable weight loss. Also, remember that calories from drinks comprise an estimated 21% of a typical person’s diet. Many of these calories fall under the category of empty calories. While sodas are an obvious culprit, drinks such as juices and even milk have large amounts of sugar and should be consumed in moderation to avoid negating their nutritional benefits. Ideally, a person should drink water, tea, and coffee without adding sugar in order to reduce calories gained from drinks.

Remember: All foods, including “healthful foods,” should be consumed in moderation, and distinctions can often be misleading since even natural foods like fruits can have large amounts of sugar, and foods labeled as “health foods” such as low-calorie foods, reduced-fat foods, etc. can potentially replace one unhealthy component with another. Many reduced-fat foods have large amounts of added sugar to compensate for taste lost through fat reduction. It is important to pay attention to, and consider the different components in a food product in order to determine whether said food should have a place within your diet.

Calories in Common Foods

* 1 cup = ~250 milliliters, 1 table spoon = 14.2 gram

2000, 1500, and 1200 Calorie Sample Meal Plans

Calories Burned from Common Exercises:

Energy from Common Food Components

Calorie Calculator – Daily Caloric Needs

How Many Calories Should I Eat?

Fixed calorie recommendations do not work. They must be customized to each individual.

The calculator shows how many calories you may eat in order to maintain or lose weight. Do your best estimate of how much exercise you will be stick to. Be honest.

The recommended calories include your exercise – so don’t mess around with trying to adjust what you are eating each day if you had a workout.

Over time, as you lose weight you will need to recalculate based on your new weight. Also, if you make big changes to your workout (reducing or increasing) you should also recalculate.

Calories for Fat Loss

Science tells us that 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories, so a daily calorie deficit of 500 should result in 1 pound per week fat loss.

In reality things don’t quite work that efficiently.

Generally, a person’s energy expenditure becomes less as they get lighter – meaning that you will inevitably plateau. The amount of food intake that once resulted in weight loss, will now only maintain².

Need help with the basics of weight loss? Read our straight-forward guide.

Take It Gently

Always try to aim for the “Fat Loss” daily calorie level.

The “Extreme Fat Loss” level is effectively a rock bottom calorie level. Do not attempt to immediately drop your calories to this level hoping for the quick fix. This may ultimately backfire.

The Extreme Fat Loss level shows the lowest calorie amount that can be considered. It should be seen as the exception rather than the rule.

It truly is better to burn the fat than to starve it.

The Weight Loss Plateau

Why use the 7-day Calorie Cycle (Zig-Zag)?

The human body is remarkably adaptive and quickly adjusts to a lowered calorie level.

It becomes more efficient at using energy (lowered metabolism), and therefore burns less fat. This is why most of us reach a weight loss plateau.

At this point, the only option is to change something:

• increased cardio,
• weight training,
• ‘cheat’ meals (i.e. occasional high-calorie meals),
• cycling (or zig-zagging) calories,
• even manipulating macro-nutrient ratios can all help to do this (don’t forget adequate sleep and hydration).

You often find that the nearer you get to your goal weight (or body fat percentage) – the harder things get!

Continually dropping calories only serves to lower metabolism even further – the moment you return to ‘normal’ eating – the weight comes back on. The 7 Day zig-zag provides a suggestion for daily calories that will keep your body guessing – and increase your chances of continual weight loss.

Need Help With Food Choices?

Minimum Daily Calorie intake

It is difficult to set absolute bottom calorie levels, because everyone has different body composition and activity levels.

Health authorities do set some baselines – these are 1200 calories per day for women, and 1800 calories per day for men.

These rules don’t make sense – are you are sedentary person with little muscle mass? Or someone who is tall, muscular, and exercises a lot? Absolute levels don’t work – but do give us a starting point.

When reducing calories:

Try not to lower your calorie intake by more than 500 calories below maintenance.

Doing so may invoke the bodies starvation response, which can lead to the Yo-yo dieting effect.

Try to gradually lower calories. A sudden drop (such as 500 calories or more) can cause your metabolism to slow.

Learn to eat slowly – research shows that faster eaters are heavier people¹.

What happens when calories are too low?

1. Muscle mass is broken down for energy (catabolism).
2. Metabolic rate will begin to drop (typically) after 3 days of very low calories – this is related to, and compounded by the loss of muscle mass.
3. With very low calories you risk sluggishness, nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, and often irritability.

You are completely set-up for a regain in fat if you suddenly return to your previous eating patterns.

Exercise Level

As your exercise level was already factored into the equation, there is NO NEED to subtract calories burned by exercise.

For the sake of simplicity we define a ‘workout’ as 15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate.

For you this could mean a brisk walk, for others it could be a slow jog. It could be a session of weight-bearing exercises.

Intense exercise can be defined as an hour of elevated heart rate (however intense workouts such as a series of body weight exercises (or heavy weights) with little or no breaks are considered intense even when only a shorter duration).

Estimating your exercise can be very arbitrary. If in doubt – underestimate. We all tend to overestimate how much exercise we do.

Have a play with our calories burned tool to see how different exercises compare.

You can lose weight without exercise, but do aim to include exercise in your lifestyle change: it maintains muscle when under calorie deficit, and is great for your heart and mental state.

Programs That Work

POPULAR Noom is one of the most individualized and comprehensive programs out there that take in all factors (physical, psychological, nutrition). The factors combine to form a unique program that’s backed by research.

Fat Loss Calories Around 1200?

If you have the budget, Diet-to-go have a delivered meal plan that sits exactly at 1200 calories. It’s about $122 per week (or $144 including breakfast / lunch / dinner).

Lose Fat and Build Muscle?

Most people lose muscle mass when restricting calories. It takes effort to maintain muscle tone – and is even more tricky actually building muscle while losing fat (hint: a comprehensive workout plan is needed).

• Old School New Body from Steve Holman is a great program that focuses on shorter workouts (maximum 90 minutes per week), while losing fat and building muscle. Age is no excuse here as the author is ripped and in his 50s !

“I just wanted to let you know how much your site has helped me over the past 6 months…

…I have used this calculator to help me lose weight. In total so far I have lost 50 pounds, I went from a size 14 to now a size 6-8…” – Saskia more…

References

This calculator has been developed using the most accurate methodologies from peer-reviewed research. See the Calorie Needs Guide for a complete explanation.

• [1] Faster Self-Reported Speed of Eating Is Related to Higher Body Mass Index in a Nationwide Survey of Middle-Aged Women. Sook Ling Leong, Clara Madden, Andrew Gray, Debra Waters, Caroline Horwath Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1 August 2011 (volume 111 issue 8 Pages 1192-1197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2011.05.012)
• [2] Modeling weight-loss maintenance to help prevent body weight regain. Kevin D Hall and Peter N Jordan , American Journal of Clinical Nutrition December 2008 (Vol. 88, No. 6, 1495-1503doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.26333)
  Link
• MD Mifflin, ST St Jeor, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals.
  
  J Am Diet Assoc 2005:51:241-247. Link
• Frankenfield DC, et al. Comparison of Predictive Equations for Resting Metabolic Rate in Healthy Nonobese and Obese Adults: A Systematic Review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:775-789. Link
• Frankenfield DC, et al. The Harris-Benedict studies of human basal metabolism: history and limitations. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:439-445.
• Manini, T. M., Everhart, J. E., Patel, K. V., Schoeller, D. A., Colbert, L. H., Visser, M., … & Harris, T. B. (2006). Daily activity energy expenditure and mortality among older adults. Jama, 296(2), 171-179. Link

How Many Calories Do Adults Need?

Rawpixel/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Many factors affect how many calories adults need. Some factors you cannot control. For example, your age and height. Activity level, on the other hand, is an example of something that impacts calorie needs that you can control.

Most people do not need to count calories. One way to ensure that you are eating enough — but not too much — is to get in tune with your body. We all have individual hunger and fullness cues. Try to get in touch with your personal cues. They are a helpful way to determine when and how much to eat:

• Weakness, shakiness and irritability may be signs of hunger for many people.
• Pacing yourself is an ideal way to assess fullness. For example, slowly eat half of your meal and then take a pause. Give your body a chance to begin to digest the food and think about how good it is to feel comfortably full and satisfied

That said, for those who are curious about the number of calories they need, there are lots of simple ways to find out.

Go with an Estimate

Calorie needs for adult women range from 1,600 to 2,200 per day. For men, the estimates range from 2,000 to 3,200 per day. The low end of the range may be better for you if you get little to no activity throughout the day. If you are very active throughout the day, the high end of the range may be more reflective of your needs. However, as we age, our calorie needs decrease.

For those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, calorie needs are higher and will depend on the trimester or the number of months after delivery, respectively. Ask your health care provider for a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist to learn more about your nutrition needs during and after pregnancy.

Use an Online Calculator

There are many free online calculators to help you figure out how many calories you need. The National Institutes of Health Body Weight Planner allows you to calculate your personal needs based on your height, sex, age, current weight and activity level — ranging from 1.4 (sedentary) to 2.5 (very active). The tool is set for a default value of 1.6, defined as someone who does light activity. For example, for an individual with a desk job who either takes walks or goes for a bicycle ride once a week.

The calculator also lets you obtain an estimate based on a goal weight and goal activity level.

Do the MyPlate Math

The MyPlate website also has an easy online tool for figuring out how many calories you need.  How does it work?

• Go to the “Get Your MyPlate Plan” app on the MyPlate website.
• Fill in your age, sex, weight, height and activity level.
• Press “Calculate Food Plan.”
• Read the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

You can also learn about the amounts that are recommended from each food group to help you meet your healthy eating goals:

• Click on the button with your recommended calorie intake.
• A page will open that lists the daily recommended amounts for you to eat from each of the five food groups.

Getting Too Few or Too Many Calories?

Some people have trouble maintaining a healthy weight.  And, not all weight changes are related to how much you are eating or drinking. Health conditions and medicines, for example, can impact weight changes. A registered dietitian nutritionist can work with you to develop an eating plan that meets your body’s needs as well as your taste preferences and lifestyle.

Why Is 1200 Calories a Day Important When Dieting

If you’re determined to lose weight, choosing healthier foods and counting calories is essential, but you might be surprised that slashing calories to the bare minimum isn’t the ticket to weight-loss success. Here’s some information and advice on the issue from a board-certified physician who practices in Southern California.

Dear Doctor,

I decided this is the year I will lose that 25 pounds I gained after college. I am dieting and counting calories. I heard that you shouldn’t eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, and I am wondering why? Can you please explain, because I thought I should eat as little as possible.

— Dieting For Real This Time

This is a great question, and I’m sure that there are other readers who have decided on a similar weight-loss resolution as you have! I commend you on your weight-loss resolution.

The principle behind weight loss is simple: you either have to burn more or eat fewer calories. To lose weight, you need to create an energy (or calorie) deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or both. Typically, what is recommended as the safest method is a combination of eating fewer calories and burning calories through physical activity. While you do report that you are dieting and counting calories, you do not mention that you are doing physical activity and exercise, which, as mentioned above, is so important in the safe weight-loss equation.

Determining a safe daily calorie deficit can be difficult because every person is different when it comes to baseline metabolism, body size and composition, sex, age, and level of physical activity. What is easy to determine, however, is the fact that 3,500 calories equals about one pound of fat. Therefore, you have to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose one pound. For example, if you cut 500 calories from your diet every day, you would lose about one pound a week. Or, if you are physically active, you can eat 250 calories less every day and burn 250 calories per day with your workout. Ideally, you do not want to lose more than one to two pounds per week, which means a safe calorie deficit would be to burn 500 to 1,000 calories per day through a reduced-calorie diet AND exercise.

Determining a safe minimum amount of daily calories can be difficult as well for the same reasons listed above. However, extreme restriction of consumed calories can significantly slow the metabolic rate, and hinder your weight-loss goals. The American College of Sports Medicine states that you shouldn’t send signals to your body to conserve calories by detoxing or fasting. They recommend that women should eat at least 1,200 calories per day, and men should eat at least 1,800.

The reason that the metabolic rate slows with prolonged dieting of less than 1,200 calories per day is a chain reaction of physiologic responses to the stress associated with such a restricted diet. Your body initially adapts to the stress of low caloric intake by engaging the “fight or flight” stress response, which has several negative consequences, despite you seeing lower numbers on the scale. The “fight or flight” response stimulates the breakdown of muscle in order to supply the body with enough fuel (glucose) to maintain the blood sugar levels in the absence of sufficient dietary calories. This “fight or flight” stress response will eventually wear out, thus slowing the metabolic rate to compensate for what the body perceives as starvation.

In summary, there are three guidelines to safe and effective weight loss: aerobic physical activity, gradual changes in eating habits to encourage a lifestyle change, and a slow weight loss of one to two pounds per week.

Hopefully, your weight loss questions have been answered with the above information. As always, you should consult with your physician before starting any weight-loss or exercise program. Also, if concerned with dietary or nutritional aspects of weight loss, consulting with a licensed nutritionist or dietitian may be of benefit. Good luck with your continued weight loss!

Dr. Nicol’s posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Click here for more details.

Average Calorie Intake For Women and Men

Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your weight, having a basic understanding of how many calories your body requires can help you figure out how many calories to consume. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) collects data about the recommended calorie ranges for men and women. Depending on your activity level and body composition, your numbers may vary.

The total number of calories you consume every day is a major determining factor in your body weight. Once you get a baseline idea of how much energy your body requires, you can make adjustments to your energy balance, and as a result, change your weight. But note that calories are estimates, and this process won’t be perfect.

Calorie Intake Recommendations

Can you guess how many calories most Americans consume per day? According to some reports, the number is as high as 3,600. This figure has been on the rise for nearly half a century. Rising rates of calorie intake are likely contributing to the increased obesity rates for society as a whole.

The USDA recommends average daily calorie intakes for men and women that vary based on a number of factors including age, weight, height and level of physical activity.

The reference man used for these calculations is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds.

The reference woman used for these calculations is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 126 pounds.

Measure Average Calories Per Day

Although averages can be helpful, calculating your individual needs based on your measurements provides a more accurate range. To find out how many calories you average per day, keep a simple food journal over one week.

Choose a week when your daily food intake, activity level, and access to food are typical. Don’t do this when you are starting a new exercise program, on vacation, or experiencing any other changes to your usual routine. There are lots of free apps for tracking your calorie intake if you prefer. MyFitnessPal and Lose It! are two popular choices.

If weight loss is your goal, patience is key. You may feel eager to start losing weight. However, without a clear picture of your starting point, it can be difficult to identify which areas to improve. Temporary food tracking gives you a chance to learn basic skills, like recording and measuring out portions. Spending some time tracking helps lay the groundwork for weight loss success by making you more aware of your usual eating habits.

Record Daily Calories

Record your calories for one week online or on paper. There is no “best” method, but many people find smartphone apps easier because the calories and other nutrients are generated automatically after selecting your foods.

A handwritten food diary works just as well, as long as you’re consistent. Measuring and record everything that you eat and drink during this testing period will give you the most accurate data to work with. The USDA National Nutrient Database provides nutritional information for all foods and beverages for those tracking on paper. Follow these guidelines to keep an accurate food diary:

• Be honest about what you eat. There’s no benefit in underestimating (or overestimating) your calorie intake. Changing your diet during the recording phase is also counterproductive. Without an accurate recording of everything you typically eat, you’ll have trouble calculating your energy balance for weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance.
• Measure portion sizes. Understand the difference between portion size and serving size. If possible, use a digital scale to get precise measurements of the portions that you consume. It can be tedious, but this process gets easier the more you practice doing it.
• Be thorough. Don’t just write down the calorie count. Pay attention to your macronutrients as well. Writing down the amount of fat, carbohydrate, and protein for each food can help you identify gaps or dietary imbalances. For some, reducing calorie intake happens naturally after modifying their macronutrient intake. Changes like eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates can result in weight loss simply by promoting satiety.
• Record snacks and drinks. Don’t forget to write down snack foods and beverages. Consuming excess calories from snacks is easy to do without even realizing it. It’s important to keep in mind that drink calories add up, too. Simply changing what you drink could be the key to lasting weight loss in certain cases.

Calculate Average Calorie Intake

At the end of the week, add up your daily calorie intake. Add all seven days together and divide the number by seven to give you an average daily calorie count. Here’s an example:

Using this example, the total calories consumed during the week was 14,700. When divided by seven days, that’s an average of 2,100 calories per day.

You can also do this for each macronutrient to find out how many grams of fat, carbohydrate, and protein you typically consume each day. Depending on your activity level, making adjustments to macronutrient balance can better support your goals.

Adjust Calorie Intake

Once you’ve figured out your average calorie intake, you can adjust your food choices and activity level to fit your personal goals. If you are trying to lose weight, a good rule of thumb is to reduce your calorie intake by 3,500 calories per week, or an average of 500 calories per day. This should help you lose one pound of body fat per week, which is a sustainable rate of weight loss.

If you reach a weight loss plateau or if your weight loss plan just isn’t working, you might consider repeating this process to reevaluate your current calorie intake and calorie needs. Keeping a food diary lets you see if you are taking in enough vegetables, protein, and natural foods to support a healthy lifestyle. Even when they are low in calories, processed foods often have empty calories and just aren’t as filling or beneficial for sustainable weight loss as whole foods are.

It’s also possible that you won’t lose weight no matter how many times you repeat this process. If your body has reached its set point, it’s difficult to push it beyond that.

A Word From Verywell

While important, calories represent just one aspect of overall nutritional outlook. The combined caloric and nutrient values of the foods we eat matter more for our health. Eating a 100-calorie cookie doesn’t give you the same benefits as a 100-calorie bowl of vegetables. Striking a balance between treats and functional foods is the key to developing sustainable eating habits.

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1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Ninth Edition. December 2020.

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90,000 How to determine the daily calorie intake?

The key to a perfect figure is the correct calculation of the required number of calories. The norm for each person depends on many factors that must be taken into account when drawing up a diet.

Why count calories?

Almost any food is fuel, a source of energy for the human body. The calorie content of a product indicates a certain amount of energy that will be obtained during its use.Calorie intake is calculated individually and depends on gender, weight, age, lifestyle and physical activity during the day.

Remember algebra

One way to calculate your calorie intake is the Harris-Benedict formula. With its help, you can calculate the basal metabolic rate (BMR), namely the number of calories (energy) required for the proper functioning of the body: respiration, gastrointestinal tract, blood circulation, thermoregulation, nervous system, etc.

• Formula for men:

BMR = 88.36 + (13.4 × weight in kg) + (4.8 × height in cm) – (5.7 × age in years).

• Formula for women:

BMR = 447.6 + (9.2 × weight in kg) + (3.1 × height in cm) – (4.3 × age in years).

For example, a 25-year-old man with a weight of 72 kg and a height of 178 cm needs 1765 calories to provide the whole body with energy.

Don’t forget about the load

This formula only calculates the calorie baseline.But the needs of the body depend on the physical activity of the person:

• Sedentary lifestyle without exertion – multiply BMR by 1.2.
• Workout 1-3 times a week – Multiply BMR by 1.375.
• Classes 3-5 days a week – BMR multiplied by 1.55.
• Intensive training 6-7 times a week – Multiply BMR by 1.725.
• Athletes who exercise more often than once a day – Multiply BMR by 1.9.

What’s next? Decide on a target:

1. I want to lose weight.Consume fewer calories than the result. It is recommended not to cross the minimum limit of calories per day – 1200 kcal for women, 1800 kcal for men. There are special low-calorie diets, but it is better to consult a specialist before using them.
2. I want to gain weight. On the contrary, eat more calories than the formula suggests. Nutrition for weight gain will also be helped by a specialist.
3. My weight is perfect, I want to keep it. The formula indicated the approximate number of calories you need per day – stick to this figure.

Remember, the health of the body and a beautiful figure depend not only on the number of calories, but also on the quality, composition, method of preparation, amount of food consumed and lifestyle.

Sports food supplements and vitamin complexes can be purchased at Stolichki pharmacies.

90,000 How many calories per day should you consume? | Eternal Questions | Question-Answer

Caloric content or energy value of food is one of the most important characteristics of food.It is determined by the amount of energy that the body receives with the complete assimilation of the components included in the food consumed.

The daily calorie intake of a person depends on age, weight, height, gender, lifestyle, it is determined by the body’s energy expenditure on various activities. The minimum amount of energy required to ensure the normal functioning of the body in women is less than in men – by about 15-20 percent.

How many calories do women need per day?

Most nutritionists agree that the average woman needs 2000 calories.However, the amount of calories you can eat depends on your level of physical activity.

Women with a sedentary lifestyle need to consume the following number of calories:

• from 18 to 25 years old – about 2000 kcal;
• from 26 to 50 years old – 1800 kcal;
• after 50 years – up to 1600 kcal.

For women leading a lifestyle of average activity, the following indicators are the norm:

• from 18 to 25 years old – up to 2200 kcal;
• from 26 to 50 years old – about 2000 kcal;
• after 50 years – 1800 kcal.

With high activity, women need:

• from 18 to 25 years old – 2400 kcal;
• from 26 to 50 years old – about 2200 kcal;
• after 50 years – up to 2000 kcal.

Much more calories are required for a woman carrying a child. The daily diet in this case depends on how long she is in pregnancy. As pregnancy progresses, you should increase your daily food intake from 2500 to 3200 calories per day.The diet of a woman who feeds a baby should be at least 3500 kcal.

There are formulas that allow you to calculate the daily calorie intake depending on gender, age, height, weight and activity level.

In 1919, the Harris-Benedict formula appeared, for a modern person it is no longer accurate enough, has an error of about 5%.

The daily calorie intake for women is calculated as follows:

655.1 + 9.563 x weight (kg) + 1.85 x height (cm) – 4.676 x age (years)

Next, the result obtained must be multiplied by the coefficient of physical activity:

• 1.2 – minimum or no physical activity;
• 1.375 – fitness classes 3 times a week;
• 1.4625 – fitness classes 5 times a week;
• 1.550 – intense physical activity 5 times a week;
• 1.6375 – fitness classes every day;
• 1.725 – every day intensively or twice a day;
• 1.9 – daily physical activity plus physical work;

The result is also multiplied by the activity coefficient.

The most accurate to date is recognized as Mifflin-San Geor formula :

10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161

The result must also be multiplied by the activity factor.

How many calories do men need per day?

The metabolic process in men occurs much faster, therefore the daily diet of a man is significantly different from that of a woman.An adult male of average build needs about 2500 kcal. in a day. But, if we take into account the level of physical activity, the picture looks like this:

Sedentary men require:

• from 18 to 30 years old – about 2400 kcal;

90,015 from 31 to 50 years old – 2,200 kcal;

• after 50 years – 2200-2400 kcal.

For men leading a lifestyle of average activity, the following indicators are the norm:

• from 18 to 30 years old – 2600-2800 kcal;
• from 31 to 50 years old – 2400-2600 kcal;
• after 50 years – 1800 kcal.

With high activity, men need to consume the following amount of calories:

• from 18 to 35 years old – about 3000 kcal;
• from 31 to 50 years old – 2800-3000 kcal;
• after 50 years – 2400-2800 kcal.

You can calculate the calorie intake for men using the Harris-Benedict formula :

66.5 + 13.75 x weight (kg) + 5.003 x height (cm) – 6.775 x age (years)

The result is multiplied by the coefficient of physical activity:

• 1.2 – minimum or absence;
• 1.375 – 3 times a week;
• 1.4625 – 5 times a week;
• 1.550 – intensively 5 times a week;
• 1.6375 – every day;
• 1.725 – every day intensively or 2 times a day;
• 1.9 – daily + physical work.

According to the Mifflin-San Geor formula , the calorie intake per day for men is calculated as follows:

10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5

Here, too, the result is multiplied by the activity factor.

How many calories per day do children and adolescents need?

The daily diet for children depends on age. The caloric intake of food should be increased every six months in order for the growing child’s body to develop well.

The calorie intake for children and adolescents looks like this:

• up to 2 years old – 1200 kcal;
• from 2 to 3 years – 1400 kcal;
• from 3 to 6 years – 1800-2000 kcal;
• from 6 to 10 – 2000-2400 kcal;
• from 10 to 13 years – no more than 2900 kcal.

90,017 90,000 How many calories do a man or woman need per day to lose weight

The problem of being overweight is present in millions of people. A simple recipe – to eat less, does not always work. Fortunately, science comes to the aid of man. She advises to achieve the right weight for yourself by creating a calorie deficit. In this case, it is worth taking into account the characteristics of the body and correctly composing your menu.

♥ ON TOPIC: Plank: how to do it right, instructions, examples and techniques – 8 best iPhone apps.

Calorie consumption and calorie expenditure is no longer surprising. This technique formed the basis of one of the most effective ways to lose weight. You just need to spend more energy than you consume. However, it is not enough to simply operate with numbers – it will take moral efforts and will. The result will be achieved only by those who stubbornly go to achieve their goal. Most often, not health problems – the cause of excess weight, not hormones or genetics, but ordinary laziness. Let’s talk about self-organization and the correct calculation of calories and their expenditure.

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How many calories are in one kg of fat?

Back in 1958, physician Max Vishnovsky in his article came to the conclusion that he lost 0.4 kilograms of weight while getting rid of 3000 calories through exercise and dieting.

Accordingly, to lose weight per kilogram, you need to spend about 7,700 calories.

You can calculate your weight loss schedule.If you consume 2,000 kcal per day, and spend 2,500 kcal through training or an active lifestyle, then this deficiency can lead to weight loss per kilogram in about half a month. To lose 5 kilograms, you will have to be in this mode for 2.5 months.

Nutritionists do not recommend losing more than 3-4 kilograms of weight in one month.

But the rule seems simple only at first glance. The processes in our body do not always correspond to linear formulas.And you can’t just cut back on food intake. You need to eat correctly and balanced. It is necessary to create a calorie deficit wisely: along with a decrease in the calorie content of food, simultaneously increase physical activity. An active lifestyle will also speed up metabolic processes, and the body will begin to burn calories faster. Vishnovsky’s rule is not an axiom, but a guideline. Indeed, with a decrease in body weight, he also needs less calories, which will lead to a slowdown in the intensity of weight loss.

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How to increase motivation?

Before solving any problem, it is important to formulate an ultimate goal for yourself. This will be helped by the list of bonuses that will become available after losing weight. It could be new clothes, dates, a beautiful body. But in parallel, it is worth making a list with the reasons standing on the way to the goal. Usually these are banal weakness, laziness, lack of time. Both lists must be constantly kept in front of your eyes, keeping in mind the goal and obstacles on the way to it.

Awareness of your weaknesses will help you understand how to proceed. It is worth describing the obstacles in more detail – this will help to cope with them.

What is weak will? This is not an absolute concept, but applicable to something specific, to the same training. You can strengthen your will by instilling new habits. It is worth trying to make a promise to yourself to do at least a feasible minimum of training. Keeping a vow will make you feel stronger. You can do the same with your other weaknesses.

♥ ON TOPIC: 25 useful habits that can change your lifestyle.

Natural cunning of the body

The above rule will work the first time, but then the metabolism will become slower. In conditions of limited food volume , the body will begin to save energy . And just a diet for active weight loss will no longer be enough. Sports will come to the rescue. Strength training and vigorous alternating exercise will help create increased oxygen consumption in the body.Debt coverage will be carried out with the help of calories, both during the exercise itself and a few hours after it. Exercise is also needed to prevent muscle loss in the context of normal protein intake.

To burn calories, you don’t have to torture yourself with exercise for several hours a day. You can do 3-5 workouts per week for one hour, but at the same time increase the level of non-training activity. This can be your usual walk in the fresh air, an active hobby, exercise on a simulator, or even while watching a TV show.

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How to lose fat, not muscle

A person needs to get rid of excess weight, but at the same time it is important what exactly the body wants to part with. There is a risk that a calorie deficit will affect muscle mass. Its loss will make the figure look ugly. In 2008, American scientists conducted a special study on this topic. Experts have confirmed that it is possible to preserve muscle during a low-calorie diet.But protein is required to form them. Combining strength training with a diet will require supplementing with protein-rich foods. It is better to eat whole foods: cereals from unpeeled cereals, eggs, cottage cheese, fish, nuts and seeds. This will give the body both nutrients and the required energy.

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Safe minimum calories

It would be thoughtless to keep your calorie intake to a minimum and expect to lose weight.Yet energy is important for our body, providing the work of all its major systems. Even in a state of complete rest, our body consumes calories. It is believed that a woman spends about 2000 kcal per day, while for a man this number is a quarter more. In the case of a sedentary lifestyle, the expenses will be slightly less. To determine the exact number of calories that ensure a stable weight and a normal lifestyle, you will have to measure body parameters and carry out simple calculations on a calculator. I must say that there are several options for counting at once.Most of them are very conditional and do not take into account the person’s age, the ratio of muscle to fat, and activity.

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How many calories do you need daily to lose or maintain weight

Organisms of all people differ from each other, therefore, the calculation of calorie consumption (for weight loss or weight maintenance) must be made individually for each person. You can use the Harris-Benedict formula to determine the required daily calorie intake.

It is generally accepted that the average daily calorie intake is: for men 2500-2700 kcal per day, for women – 2000-2200 kcal per day.

It is important to remember that a constant excess of only 100 calories in excess of the norm can cause the appearance of body fat. To eliminate this, it is recommended to calculate the individual calorie intake.

The Harris-Benedict Formula was developed by James Arthur Harris and Francis Gano Benedict back in 1919.

Scientists have shown that the amount of daily calories a person needs varies with indicators such as basal metabolic rate (BMR) and active metabolism (AMR).

How to Calculate Basal Metabolism (BMR)

Formula for calculating basal metabolism in adult males:

BMR = 88.4 + (13.4 × weight in kg) + (4.8 × height in cm) – (5.7 × age in years).

Basal metabolic rate BMR for women:

BMR = 448 + (9.2 × weight in kg) + (3.1 × height in cm) – (4.3 × age in years).

How to calculate active metabolism (AMR)

Depending on the activity of the lifestyle, select the appropriate factor:

• Sedentary lifestyle – 1.2;
• Moderate activity (light physical activity (training) 1-3 times a week) – 1.375;
• Average activity (trainings 3-5 times a week) – 1.55;
• Active people (intense workouts 6-7 times a week) – 1.725;
• Athletes and people performing heavy physical activity (6-7 times a week) – 1.9.

Calculation of daily calories

Multiply the above two values:

BMR (Basal Metabolism) × AMR (Active Metabolism).

Example .

The basal metabolism of a man at the age of 27, weighing 85 kg and height 184 cm, will be 1956. A person leads a lifestyle of average activity (3-5 physical trainings per week), respectively, AMR is 1.55. We multiply the obtained values ​​(BMR × AMR) and, as a result, we have a daily rate of 3032 kcal.If you adhere to this indicator, then a man will be able to maintain his own weight of 85 kg.

How to calculate exactly how many calories you need to lose weight or gain weight

After completing the calculations, you have a number corresponding to the daily calorie requirement, which is necessary to maintain your current weight.

• If your goal is to lose weight , eat fewer calories than in the resulting calculations (but not less than 1200 kcal for women and 1600 kcal for men, as this is unhealthy).
• If your goal is to gain weight – eat more to exceed the daily value.
• To maintain weight – Eat foods in accordance with the calculated calorie intake.

In any case, do not forget about systematic sports.

Important! The Harris-Benedict Formula is not applicable to very obese people and athletes (bodybuilders, powerlifters, etc.). In the first case, the formula overestimates the actual need for calories, while in the second, it underestimates.

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Calorie counting websites and applications

In order to find out exactly the required calorie intake per day, the formulas will have to be used much more complex. Internet services and applications come to the rescue. Most of them help calculate how many calories the body has received from the analysis of food eaten.Here are some of the helpers.

Namnamra.com

On this site you can find ready-made recipes with an indication of the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and calories, as well as dietary fiber. And her mouth-watering photos will also motivate you to cook healthy food. There are also useful filters “Low-calorie”, “Fast” and “Simple”. In the table, you can see the calorie and nutrient content of the ingredients. You can change the components of the dish and re-calculate its calorie content.

Health-diet.ru/table_calorie/

The site stands out for its detailed analysis of all products and recipes. The calorie content of components, proteins, fats and carbohydrates is indicated both for the most frequently used components and for ready-made meals. You can also find out what vitamins and minerals are contained in our food. Special sections are devoted to weight loss techniques. There are nutrition and exercise diaries here.

FatSecret Calorie Counter for iPhone, Android and Windows

This iOS app is actually your food diary.You can add the eaten food there, and the utility will calculate the calories and consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates by itself. The application contains ready-made dishes and food products from different manufacturers.

The barcode of the product can be read and the product can be identified by it. The application also offers an exercise diary, in which you can find out the expenditure of calories for different types of activity. There is a version of the program for both Windows and Android.

YAZIO

The application has its own database of products, but it also makes it possible to identify them using a scanned barcode.You can find out the calorie content of dishes using built-in recipes or user-selected ones.

The Sports and Exercise section calculates the calories burned. Pairing with wearable devices will help with this, due to which training data will automatically enter the application. YAZIO is available for both iOS and Android.

MyFitnessPal

The program is not just a calorie counter, but also allows you to store your recipes, information about dishes and even meals.You can also calculate the expenditure of energy by choosing the type of your activity: strength exercises, games, cardio training. But for an accurate calculation of the number of calories, you will have to manually register their expenditures for each lesson.

But the counter can be synced with fitness trackers and other activity tracking applications. You can download a version of MyFitnessPal for both iOS and Android.

Other useful iOS apps

Table of calorie content of products.

Calorie and weight counter.

Lose weight in 30 days.

See also:

90,000 How many calories should you eat per day?

The number of calories a person should consume daily depends on several factors, including age, body weight, height, gender, lifestyle, and overall health. Scientists from Purdue University, USA, found that how a person eats also affects their calorie intake.So, the longer he chews food, the more calories enter his body.

Recommended daily calorie intake varies worldwide. According to the National Health Service, UK, an adult male needs an average of 2,500 kcal per day to maintain a stable body weight, while an adult female needs an average of 2,000 kcal. In the United States, the norm is different – 2700 kcal per day for men and 2200 kcal for women. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the average person needs a minimum of 1,800 calories.

Experts from the National Health Service (NHS) emphasize that instead of accurately counting calories consumed, people should focus more on a healthy and well-balanced diet and be physically active. As a result, you burn about the same number of calories per day as you consume.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University, Israel, emphasize that a hearty breakfast (about 700 kcal) helps to keep body weight under control and even lose weight and is excellent for weight loss, reducing the risk of diabetes mellitus, cardio -vascular diseases and lowering high blood cholesterol levels.

The Harris-Benedict Equation, also known as the Harris-Benedict Principle, is used to estimate a person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily caloric requirements. The resulting number is the recommended daily calorie intake in order to keep body weight constant. However, this equation has some limitations. It does not take into account the different amounts of muscle mass and its ratio to fat, and after all, a muscular person needs more calories than a thin person, even when he is resting.

Harris-Benedict formula for adult men: BMR = 66.5 + (13.75 • body weight in kg) + (5.003 • height in cm) – (6.755 • age). For women: BMR = 55.1 + (9.563 • body weight in kg) + (1.850 • height in cm) – (4.676 • age). The formula calculates how many calories the body burns daily while at rest. However, during the day, a person is physically active, so for a more accurate calculation of calories, it is necessary to take into account his level of physical activity, and not just BMR.

Thus, for a person leading a sedentary lifestyle (does not exercise or does it rarely) the daily calorie requirement is BMR • 1.2; for a slightly active person (light exercise 1-3 times a week), the daily calorie requirement is calculated as BMR • 1.375; for moderately active persons (moderate exercise 1-3 times a week) – BMR • 1.55; for people leading an active lifestyle (intense exercise 6-7 times a week) – BMR • 1.725, very active (hard training twice a day) – BMR • 1.9.

The human body needs energy for normal life. Approximately 20% of energy is used for metabolism in the brain. Also, a lot of energy is required for other metabolic processes, for example, blood circulation and respiration. When in a warm environment, the body requires less energy to maintain body temperature than in a cold environment. A lot of energy is also expended for movement and activity of muscles. Simply put, a person needs calories to stay alive.But how many of them are normally required depends on several factors – age, gender, bone density, muscle-fat ratio and height. For calculating body mass, the calculation of the body mass index (BMI) is popular. However, BMI does not take into account muscle mass. Waist to Hip Ratio – This calculation is considered more accurate in determining the ideal body weight than BMI. However, this method does not take into account the ratio of fat to muscle mass. Therefore, today they also use another indicator – the ratio of waist circumference to height.The ideal body weight is when the waist circumference is less than half the height of the person. So, for a man with a height of 183 cm, the waist should be approximately 91 cm, then he will be in normal weight. A woman with a height of 163 cm should have a waistline of 81 cm and her body weight will be considered healthy.

The researchers emphasize that, in addition to counting calories, you should consider the quality of the diet and monitor what foods a person eats. So, 500 kcal obtained from meat / fish, salad and a small amount of olive oil, and then fruit, is much healthier than 500 kcal from popcorn with butter or sweets.

Based on materials from www.medicalnewstoday.com

90,000 How many calories do you need per day – we calculate the norm

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Sports food is much more than just eating sports nutritional supplements. The good news is that nutritional perfection may not require special protein shakes at all.According to Sarah R. Gibson, MD, the secret to success is incorporating the right natural foods in the right amounts in your fitness plan.

1. Calorie requirements. Athletes have unique nutritional needs. Because they exercise more than less active people, they usually need extra calories to maintain both current performance and growth. Depending on how active an athlete is, they may need 2,000 to 5,000 calories per day to meet their energy needs.
2. What happens if the food is not high in calories? So what happens if athletes are not getting enough calories? Their bodies are less likely to achieve peak performance and may even degrade instead of building muscle. Athletes who do not consume enough calories each day will not be as fast and strong as they could and may not be able to maintain their weight. And extreme calorie restriction in adolescent athletes can lead to growth problems and other serious health risks for both girls and boys, including an increased risk of fractures and other injuries.
3. Athletes and diet. Because athletes need extra fuel, diet is not always a good idea. Athletes involved in sports that emphasize weight maintenance (such as wrestling, swimming, dancing or gymnastics) may feel the need to lose weight, but they need to prevent the possible side effects mentioned above.

Important: If a coach, PE teacher, or teammate says you need to go on a diet, talk to your doctor first or see a dietitian who specializes in athlete nutrition.If your trusted healthcare professional agrees that the diet is safe, they can work with you to develop a plan to help you get the nutrients you need and perform at peak efficiency while losing weight.
See also: How not to go on a diet?

Want to really eat right? Eat a variety of foods!

You need a range of vitamins and minerals that are responsible for everything in your body, from getting access to energy to preventing disease.A balanced diet that includes many different fruits and vegetables should provide the body with the vitamins and minerals it needs for good health and athletic performance.

Important: You may have heard of “Carbohydrate Loading” before a competition. But when it comes to long-term support for your body, you shouldn’t focus on just one type of food. Carbohydrates are an important source of calories, but they are just one of many foods an athlete needs.You also need: vitamins; minerals; proteins; fats. All this is necessary to stay in great shape.
See also: Sports and Nutrition for Vegetarians.

Muscle minerals and vital vitamins

1. Calcium. Calcium helps strengthen the bones that athletes depend on, and iron carries oxygen to the muscles. Athletes often do not get enough of these minerals, and this is especially true for adolescent athletes because their needs may be even higher than those of other athletes.
2. Iron. To get the iron you need, eat lean (or not very fatty) meats, fish and poultry, green leafy vegetables, and iron-fortified grains. Calcium, important for protecting against stress fractures, is found in dairy products such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
3. Proteins. Athletes may need more protein than less active people, but most people get a lot of protein through regular meals. It is a myth that athletes require a huge daily protein intake to build large, strong muscles.Muscle growth comes from regular exercise and hard work. And consuming too much protein can harm the body, causing dehydration, calcium loss, and even kidney problems. Good sources of protein are fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, soy, and peanut butter.
4. Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are an irreplaceable source of fuel for athletes. Cutting back on carbohydrates or following low-carb diets is not a good idea for them, because restricting carbohydrates can make a person feel tired and tired, which ultimately affects performance.Good sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, and grains. Choose whole grains (such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain bread) more often than their more processed counterparts such as white rice and white bread.
5. Fats. Everyone needs a certain amount of fat every day, and this is especially true for athletes. This happens because active muscles quickly burn carbohydrates and need fats for long-term energy storage. The most beneficial for exercising are unsaturated fats, which are abundant in foods such as fatty fish, olive oil, and walnuts.

Calories per day for physical perfection

Calories – this is the energy that the body just needs to function normally. Let’s figure out how many calories you need to consume per day, depending on a number of factors.

RATE OF CALORIES CONSUMPTION WITH AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
Age 19-30	Consumption rate: 2200-2800 kcal.
Age 31-50	Consumption rate: 2000–2600 kcal.
Age from 51 years	Consumption rate: 1800-2400 kcal.

RATE OF CALORIES CONSUMPTION WITH A MODERATE LIFESTYLE
Age 19-30	Consumption rate: 2400-3000 kcal.
Age 31-50	Consumption rate: 2200-2800 kcal.
Age from 51 years	Consumption rate: 2000–2600 kcal.

PASSIVE LIFESTYLE CALORIES RATE
Age 19-30	Consumption rate: 2000-2400 kcal.
Age 31-50	Consumption rate: 1800-2200 kcal.
Age from 51 years	Consumption rate: 1600-2000 kcal.

How to determine your daily calorie intake?

There are two main ways to determine your calorie intake and consumption.

FIRST METHOD: FORMULA ACCORDING TO MIFFLIN-SAN JEORUE

For men: 10 * weight + 6.25 * height – 5 * age + 5

For women: 10 * weight + 6.25 * height – 5 * age – 161

SECOND METHOD: FORMULA ACCORDING TO HARRIS-BENEDICT

For men: 66.5 + 13.75 * weight + 5.003 * height – 6.775 * age

For women: 655.1 + 9.563 * weight + 1.85 * height – 4.676 * age

Important: in both cases, the result obtained must be adjusted to the current level of physical activity.This coefficient is 1.2 at the minimum level of activity, 1.9 – at the maximum, typical for athletes. At an average load, it is 1.4. For the purpose of losing weight, it is enough to reduce the calorie intake by 100-500 kcal.
See also: How to eat before exercise?

90,000 How many calories to consume to lose weight?

For weight loss, there is little regular physical activity and a balanced diet.All foods have a certain calorie content. And calories are nothing more than the amount of energy that the body can receive by processing food.

It is quite logical that fat will begin to be burned only if a person spends more energy than they receive with food. Conclusion – for the diet to be effective, you need to calculate how many calories you need to consume per day at the current level of activity, weight, age, height.

How to calculate the calorie content of a diet for weight loss?

You can calculate the calorie content of the diet in which the body will begin to burn fat reserves in this way: find out the average calorie intake that suits you and reduce it by 10, 20 or 30%, taking into account the amount of excess weight and the intensity of training.

For effective weight loss, it is important to speed up metabolic processes in the body and remove excess toxins. Herbal tea from wild herbs No. 1 (Purification and drainage) – Baikal Tea Collection with hay, buckthorn, Kuril tea and clover copes with these tasks. This herbal drink will help you regain lightness and use energy efficiently.

Appetite control is another important task when losing weight. This work was created for chrome as part of the complex from Siberian Wellness – Chromlipaz – Siberian Super Natural Sport.It regulates insulin production and normalizes blood glucose levels, thereby reducing hunger and craving for sweets.

The caloric content of the diet for men and women of different ages is shown in the table:

The nature of the lifestyle	Floor	Caloric content of the diet, kcal
		19-25 years old	26-50 years old	50 years and older
Sedentary	M	2400	2200	2000
	F	2000	1800	1600
Moderately active	M	2800	2600	2400
	F	2200	2200	1800
Active	M	3000	3000	2800
	F	2400	2200	2000

To find out a more accurate rate of kilocalories per day, you can resort to the Mifflin-San Geor formula, which takes into account the basic metabolism and activity of a person. With its help, nutritionists develop individual weight loss programs.

Attention! Formula for calculating daily calorie intake: (weight x 10 + height x 6.25 + age x 5 – 161 for women (or + 5 for men)) x exercise ratio.

The coefficient is:

• 1.2 – with minimal or no activity;
• 1.38 – with medium-intensity training 3 times a week;
• 1.46 – with an average load in the gym 5 times a week;
• 1.55 – with intensive training 5 times a week;
• 1.64 – during daily activities;
• 1.73 – with very active activities one or more times a day;
• 1.9 – daily strong sports load + hard physical work.

To correctly calculate the calorie rate using this formula, you first need to multiply, then add all the values ​​in parentheses and multiply by a factor. For example, for a woman who has a body weight of 100 kg, height – 160 cm, age – 40 years, activity is minimal, the calculations will look like this: (100 x 10 + 160 x 6.25 + 40 x 5 – 161 ) x 1.2 = (1000 + 1000 + 200 – 161) x 1.2 = 2039 x 1.2 = 2446 kcal.

How to calculate the calorie content of the diet?

After calculating the rate of kilocalories at which you begin to lose weight, all that remains is to learn how to correctly compose a diet.Pay attention to the labels affixed to the products, where the energy value is indicated in 100 g. By multiplying this figure by the serving size, you can easily calculate the total calorie content of the food eaten. For example, 100 ml of milk contains 54 kcal. After drinking 200 ml (1 glass), you consume 108 kcal.

For a healthy snack, add Blackberry Yoo Go protein nutritional shake to your diet, rich in vitamins, amino acids and healthy fats. Each serving is a complete, healthy snack packed with fiber, omega-3 PUFAs, protein, and L-carnitine.The balanced composition provides the body with vital nutrients and helps to keep you feeling full for a long time.

A refreshing Weight Control Drink (raspberry-pomegranate) – Yoo Go – a source of natural fiber for every day is perfect for correcting the diet, controlling calorie content. The drink will help reduce the number and volume of servings consumed, regulate bowel movements and suppress sugar cravings.

The situation is a little more complicated with calculating the calorie content of ready-made dishes, for example, soups or salads, consisting of several ingredients.You will have to print out a table with the energy value of products for yourself and weigh all the components of your culinary masterpiece, in order to then determine the calorie content of each of them and add up all the values ​​obtained. It is not necessary to weigh the products “by eye”, as there is a high probability of error.

90,000 Nutrition in old age. Calorie content and daily diet

We wrote in our previous article that the nutrition of the elderly should be balanced and varied.But what should be the calorie content of the diet? What should be the diet? How are medicines combined with food? Why pay attention to what foods are on your plate?

Lyudmila Zhilevich, chief freelance gerontologist of the Ministry of Health, head of the Republican Gerontological Center (Active Aging), was the expert of the information portal “Healthy People”. We continue the conversation.

Energy value

Excess calories in almost all cases leads to weight gain or obesity.This is an axiom. In old age, excessive consumption of excessively high-calorie food, in addition to excess weight, can trigger pathological processes that will lead to the development of diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, gout, urolithiasis, cholelithiasis.

By the way, according to a study by American scientists, the amount of calories consumed with food can affect life expectancy and even accelerate aging.

The average daily rate of energy value in old age is:

• for men – 2300 kcal;
• for women – 2100 kcal.

Norms change somewhat with age. Thus, the World Health Organization recommends gradually reducing the number of calories from 30 to 70 years old by a total of about 30%.

The way of life of an elderly person is also important. If he is still active or working, his need for energy is greater than that of his more passive peer. As the interlocutor said, it is quite simple to control the daily calorie intake: if the weight is stable, then everything is normal.In any case, you need to adhere to the following rule: the number of calories per knock should not exceed energy costs.

Power mode

In old age, said Lyudmila Zhilevich, meals should be regular, without long “hungry” intervals. It is advisable to divide meals by 4-5 times.

With four meals a day, the number of calories per day is distributed as follows:

• 25% – first breakfast;
• 15% – lunch or afternoon tea;

90,015 35% – lunch;

• 25% – dinner.

With five meals a day, experts recommend dividing the energy requirement as follows:

• 25% – 1 breakfast;
• 15% – 2 breakfast;
• 30% – lunch;
• 20% – 1 dinner;
• 10% – 2 dinner.

For breakfast you can make porridge and drink herbal tea.Second breakfast includes a light salad or baked fruit or vegetable. Lunch is more substantial. It can consist of soup, second course, compote (fruit drink). Dinner should be light, so as not to overload the digestive system at night, but nutritious. Before going to bed, it will be useful to drink fermented baked milk or kefir.

Lyudmila Zhilevich Chief Freelance Gerontologist of the Ministry of Health, Head of the Republican Gerontological Center (Active Aging):

– It is advisable to choose natural products, with a lesser degree of culinary processing and without the presence of various artificial additives.Use herbs and herbs. And one more thing: do not get carried away with exotic products, it is preferable to eat those vegetables and fruits that are familiar to our body.

If, after the age of 75, a person loses appetite and begins to lose weight quickly, this may be a sign of senile asthenia or pathological aging! By adjusting the diet, this process can be stopped. The main rule: the diet should contain enough protein and vegetable fats.

With age, dental problems can make themselves felt.As a result, older people prefer grated, more liquid consistency food. This makes chewing easier, but does not put enough stress on the intestines. In this case, Lyudmila Zhilevich advised to consume more greens or dietary fiber as an additional supplement.

Combination of food and medicine

It is very important when taking medications to take into account their compatibility with food. For example, those who take “Warfarin” need to be careful when using cabbage, spinach, green tea, cucumbers.These foods can affect the level of INR (one of the indicators of the blood coagulation system). Or the patient is taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. This already puts a lot of stress on the gastric mucosa, and if you add fried and fatty foods, you can get a whole bunch of undesirable consequences. The erythromycin group of drugs is not always combined with dairy products.

Lyudmila Zhilevich Chief Freelance Gerontologist of the Ministry of Health, Head of the Republican Gerontological Center (Active Aging):

– There are many such examples.Therefore, I advise you to check with your doctor about which foods with your medications are undesirable. Anticoagulant drugs are especially sensitive to food products (they reduce the activity of the blood coagulation system and prevent excessive formation of blood clots).

The interlocutor also reminded that the tablets should only be taken with water. Do not neglect also the time of taking the medicine. If the instructions say that the medicine should be taken “before or after meals,” so it should be done.There are drugs that reduce their effectiveness after eating by 50%.

We combine products competently

The expert does not recommend mixing different foods in one meal. It is better to eat one product, and after a while – another. This will make it easier for the digestive system to cope with the stress. For example, meat and fish are better assimilated with vegetables, but a combination of potatoes and meat products “will give” only a feeling of heaviness.

Recommended by gerontologist

Summarizing all of the above, we have formulated several general recommendations.Compliance with them will help you stay in shape and stay in good health:

1. Fish and meat are best boiled, stewed, baked or steamed.
2. You can consume no more than 30 g of sugar per day (in 1 teaspoon – about 5 g of sugar without a slide). Don’t forget about hidden sugars (sauces, canned foods, baked goods).