The minimum number of calories for weight loss. The norm of calories per day for women - how to correctly calculate the body's need and consumption when losing weight

28.09.2019 healthy eating

When a person decides to lose weight, he is faced with a number of questions: how many calories should be consumed per day, how to adjust the menu, what types of physical activity should be preferred?

The issue of nutrition in the process of losing weight is perhaps the key.

The diet you choose, the nutritional value of the products and the size of the portions depend on 75% of the success of the enterprise.

We will help you determine how many calories you need to consume per day in order to lose weight, provide information on the best products for weight loss and help you choose the best menu.

Each person needs a certain amount of energy for normal life and the proper functioning of all organs, which is provided by the food consumed.

The calorie content of foods is, in other words, their energy value for our body.

Some foods have the same calorie content, but some are beneficial for us, while others contribute to the appearance of extra pounds.

Our goal is to saturate the body not with fats, fast carbohydrates or nutritional supplements found in unhealthy foods, but with fortified and satiating ones that restore the necessary balance in the body.

Every losing weight person should learn that food intake is carried out to maintain life, so you should not be like a hamster and stock up for the coming day, because the products are now freely available.

Calorie intake and expenditure must be balanced. If you consume more food than you need and do not use the energy received, then an imbalance occurs in the body. Excess energy leads to the deposition of fat and the appearance of extra pounds. If you have an active lifestyle, then insufficient calorie intake can lead to negative consequences.

Then how many calories can you eat per day for weight loss?

Calculate the optimal calorie content

The Internet space is replete with statements about how many kilocalories a person should eat per day, but this indicator is individual for everyone and depends on your weight, height, gender, age, lifestyle, goal and time to achieve it.

(Weight in kg x 9.99) + (Height in cm x 6.25 for women and 5 for men) - (Age x 4.92) - 161 = Optimal number of calories for you.

To compare the calorie content of the diet with your lifestyle, you should multiply the result by 1.2 for low physical activity, by 1.375 for moderate (irregular exercise), by 1.55 for high (regular physical activity).

In this way, you can calculate the number of calories that will help you maintain your current weight and not gain extra. For weight loss, reduce your calorie intake by 10-15%.

If you are going on an expedition to the North Pole, then your daily intake will be 5,000 kcal to maintain your current weight. No wonder people gain weight with the approach of the cold season: the body adapts to the temperature and stores energy in case of crisis conditions.

How many calories should you ideally consume? Under normal climatic conditions, the daily norm for an ordinary person is 2,500 kcal.

How many calories per day should people who want to lose weight eat?

When choosing a menu for yourself in accordance with the optimal number of kilocalories for you, concentrate not only on whether you have invested in the allowable limit or not, but also check whether your body has received enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates per day. You can find information about the calorie content and energy content of foods on the Internet.

It is necessary to form a diet so that each meal necessarily consists of protein, carbohydrates and fiber.

25% of the total calorie intake should be eaten for breakfast, lunch will be 35%, and dinner - 20%, and 10% for two snacks before the main meals.

Number of calories for weight loss

When calculating calories per day for weight loss, you must first of all proceed from your lifestyle.

As a standard for weight loss, the following menu calorie options are advised, which are guaranteed to help you lose weight.

With a sedentary lifestyle, your limit will be no more than 1,200 kcal.

Based on personal experience, I can say that by reducing the usual diet to this figure and excluding harmful foods from the menu, properly forming the diet and drinking 1.5 liters of water, you can lose up to 0.5-1 kilogram per day without active training.

It is worth making a little effort and controlling yourself, and soon the kilograms will begin to melt.

Consuming 1,200 kcal per day, the main thing is to choose nutritious foods that will relieve hunger and discomfort for a long time. Sticking to this limit per day, you can treat yourself to 30 grams of hard cheese, dried fruit or dark chocolate. Showing cereals without adding oil (at least try to reduce its amount), non-starchy vegetables, fruits and berries (do not get carried away with high-calorie bananas and sweet grapes), low-fat dairy products and meat, pure protein. By reducing the consumption of carbohydrates and fats, weight loss is carried out.

How many calories should be eaten per day to lose weight for people with moderate physical activity?

Approximately 1400-1500 kcal. Within this limit, you can afford to eat more diverse foods, not only quantitatively, but also taking into account their "value". When using mayonnaise, give preference to a low percentage of fat content, choose pasta of firm varieties, and bake potatoes in the oven with a peel.

With high activity during the day, allow yourself to consume up to 1,600-1,700 kcal per day so as not to damage the body. Rice containing slow carbohydrates, seafood and fish, baked meat and many vegetables, dairy products, eggs, mushrooms and nuts will suit you to restore vitality.

Many supporters of rapid weight loss are interested in how much weight can be lost if there are 1000 calories a day. People who followed this diet claim that in a month you can get rid of weight up to 9 kg!

Eat more light vegetables, vegetable soups, eggs, low-fat dairy products and a small amount of chicken meat, and you will achieve the desired result.

And how to lose weight even faster and how much weight can you lose if you eat 500 calories a day?

I think that the figure of more than 12 kg will amaze you and inspire you to achieve.

The menu will not please with variety and will consist mostly of vegetables, vegetable soups, a small amount of chicken fillet, together with small portions of buckwheat porridge.

Is it safe for our body?

Supporters of an active lifestyle are not recommended to resort to this daily calorie intake. Otherwise, it is fraught with hungry fainting and health problems. There will certainly be a visible result, but what is more important to you: quick weight loss for the sake of generally accepted standards of beauty or your well-being?

Not getting the necessary trace elements and vitamins from food, the body will begin to lose ground and respond to your negligence with hair loss, exfoliating nails, rough skin, diseases of the digestive system and heart failure.

Be prudent and make healthy choices and avoid foods that prevent weight loss.

Stop list for losing weight:

  • sweet;
  • flour;
  • fatty;
  • fried;
  • products containing starch;
  • sauces;
  • sweet carbonated drinks;
  • sausages.

Are there foods that help you lose weight?

These are:

  • green tea;
  • ginger;
  • grapefruit;
  • a pineapple;
  • cinnamon + honey;
  • cabbage.

Having decided on the calorie content, we face another question: how many calories do you need to burn per day in order to lose weight?

You need to work out so that the calorie deficit is no more than 500.

The most effective workout for burning fat is cardio. Cycling, running, and swimming will help eliminate excess calories and strengthen the cardiovascular system. As for the intensity and frequency of classes, we advise you to consult a trainer so as not to overwork the body and train with the greatest efficiency.

The daily calorie intake for women, men and children per day is fundamentally different. Not only age, metabolism and lifestyle play a big role, but also the goal you want to achieve. Have a desire to lose weight? The daily calorie intake per day should be "poor". Decided to get better? The daily calorie intake should be increased. How to correctly calculate the daily calorie intake for a person so as not to harm the body? Use tables and examples to determine your daily allowance.

The course of metabolic processes in women and men is different, therefore, on average, the daily calorie intake for a woman is 2000 cal, and for a man - 2500 cal - average values. With the help of formulas, examples and tables from the article, you can make the calculation more accurately. The result you can correlate with your lifestyle.

Daily calorie intake for a person

First of all, let's look at what a calorie is - a unit of energy thanks to which a person lives. When there is too much of this energy, it is deposited in fat masses. It happens that the energy received for life support is not enough, in this case the body takes energy from adipose tissue. This is how you lose weight.

Any physical or mental activity requires energy, so the calculation of the daily calorie intake per day for a woman or a man should be based on lifestyle.

For instance:

  • What activity is the person engaged in?
  • Are physical activities included in his life;
  • Gender and age also affect daily calorie intake.

For example, a young body requires more calories per day. Consumption is due to the fact that a lot of energy is spent on the development of the body. In adulthood, there are no such needs. Right?

Another example: one person works in an office and has a sedentary job, while another works hard on the shop floor. The former needs fewer calories per day than the latter. And if a person is engaged in intensive training, then the calorie consumption in this case is very large, therefore, you need to eat more.

Main theses:

  1. the closer to old age a person approaches, the less calories he needs;
  2. the daily calorie intake per day for a woman is lower than for a man;
  3. pregnant girls and young mothers must provide energy not only for themselves, but also for the baby;
  4. people involved in intense exercise should consume 2 times more calories per day.

Does the quality of the calories you eat matter?

Basically, everyone understands the number of calories, but many get confused with the quality. How much does the quality of calories consumed affect? Food should be balanced:

  • 30% fat;
  • 50% carbohydrates;
  • 20% proteins.

By greatly violating these proportions, for example, by eating a large amount of fatty foods that do not have enough proteins and carbohydrates, you will get extra body fat. .

In most cases, your daily menu should contain a large number of fresh vegetables and fruits - in this case, you are not afraid of being overweight.

Consuming mainly carbohydrates, there is plenty of energy for the body to work, but there is little protein. You will immediately notice a painful condition:

Each element: protein, carbohydrate, mineral, vitamin is important for our body to stay healthy. If a person begins to consume one thing in large quantities, then by definition he lacks something else - simple logic.


Judge for yourself, is it impossible to eat only sweets? It is also impossible to eat meat alone! You need to follow the right combination.

To increase the quality level of your health - try to remove all animal fats, confectionery, sugar from the daily diet. This is enough to start the body's processes of self-healing and weight loss. The painful state will pass and good spirits will appear!

How to calculate the daily calorie intake for a person

Every hour the body burns 1 calorie to maintain each kilogram of body weight. Let's say your weight is 55 kg, multiply it by 24 hours a day and get your daily calorie intake:

55 * 24 = 1320 calories

Please note! This amount of energy is only enough to keep the body in working condition.

Don't forget also about:

  • Digestion of food (it will take about 200 calories);
  • Very active or sports activity (a lot of energy goes here, look at the children, they are constantly on the move);
  • Mental work also requires a large amount of energy;
  • etc…

On the table you can see calculations and examples of the daily calorie intake per day for women, men and children:

General rules for counting calories.

The daily calorie intake per day can be set more precisely than shown in the table above. There are general counting rules:

  1. Every 10 years, the amount of energy consumed is reduced by 2%;
  2. A short person needs fewer calories than a tall person;
  3. On average, it takes 24 calories to maintain 1 kg of body weight every hour.

This is some simple math! The older and shorter you are, the fewer daily calories you need. And the higher and younger, the more calories per day should be eaten. Over the years, consumption becomes less intense, relative to childhood.

Daily calorie intake per day for a woman.

Again, a woman needs a smaller number of daily calories than a man. What does it depend on?
From such factors:

  • age,
  • occupation,
  • conditions,
  • even the climate.

Women gain weight faster - physiology decides. Obviously, the female body is trying to set aside fat reserves in case of childbearing, so the fat layer grows by leaps and bounds. Such a feeling! This does not happen with all women, but they have to be careful with sweet and flour products.

It all depends on the purpose for which you are doing the calculation. When you are faced with the task of maintaining the body in its current state, without any weight loss, we will offer you to choose one of the options below. If you want to lose weight, read on.

Sedentary life.

  • Girls 18 - 25 years of age should digest about 2000 calories per day;
  • For girls and women 26-50 years old, 1800 calories per day is enough;
  • For women from 50, the norm of daily calories is 1600 Kcal.

Average activity.

  • Girls 18 - 25 can safely consume 2200 calories;
  • Girls and women 26-50 years old can eat 2000 calories a day;
  • Women over 50 need 1800 calories per day.

High activity.

  • The norm of calories per day for a girl of 18 - 30 years of age, on average, should eat 2400 calories;
  • 31 - 60 years - 2200 calories;
  • A woman from 60 is enough for 2000 calories per day.

Try to look at these norms relatively. Do you think you should lose weight? Reduce your daily calorie intake slightly. After a while you will see the result. Write down your daily calorie intake and your weight. After a while, you will see the result, although it may not be. Regarding the results, adjust the daily calorie intake up or down.

Daily calorie intake for a woman when losing weight.

Consider all the recommendations and advice that we have given you above. After choosing the most suitable daily allowance of calories per day, subtract 500 calories from it. This approach will allow you to lose 0.5 kg of body weight every week.

The process of losing weight at this pace will help the body maintain your skin in an elastic state, eliminating sagging skin from sudden weight loss.

Try to use gentle weight loss and do not lower the daily calorie intake below 1200, because the body may experience stress and at a certain stage weight loss may stop. It's simple, the body will go into the "economical mode" of life support.

And now let's look at the formulas for determining the daily calorie intake for a woman when losing weight.

Formula Mifflin - San Jeora for women.

The formula was developed by San Jeor a few years ago. This formula is the most accurate calculation of the daily calorie intake. The daily calorie intake for a woman is calculated as follows:

10 x body weight (kg) + 6.25 x your height (cm) - 5 x your age (in years) - 161

  • 1.2 - very little or no physical activity at all;
  • 1.375 - go in for sports 3 workouts per week;
  • 1.4625 - go in for sports every day, except for weekends;
  • 1.550 - intensive training except weekends;
  • 1.6375 - go in for sports every day without days off;
  • 1.725 - daily intense exercise or 2 times a day;
  • 1.9 - intensive training every day, plus hard physical work.

Harris-Benedict formula: calculation for a woman.

This formula was developed by Harris-Benedict in 1919, so for modern life this daily calorie intake for a person is inaccurate, but we give it as an example. The daily calorie intake for a woman is calculated as follows:

655.1 + 9.563 x body weight (kg) + 1.85 x your height (cm) - 4.676 x age (in years)

We multiply the resulting number by your activity coefficient from the list above.

See? There are many ways to determine the most accurate daily calorie intake for a woman, both for weight loss and for a normal lifestyle. Try to calculate your daily rate right now. Suddenly something does not work out - write in the comments, we will help.

Daily calorie intake per day for a man.

The daily calorie intake per day for a man is different from the female norm. Men require more protein to build muscle mass. Of course, if a man leads an active life. Protein is the building block for building muscle mass.

Fat in a man is deposited not on the hips, but on the stomach, so it is easier and faster for a man to lose weight. It is enough to increase physical activity, eat less bread, sugar, and in a week you will feel the result. It is said that men are more difficult to tolerate a variety of diets. We don't think so!

For women, the maximum weight loss rate is 2 kg per month or 0.5 kg per week. It is quite possible for a man to lose 4 kg per month or 1 kg per week. In our personal example, a man lost 30 kg in less than a month. Now a year has passed since then, and the weight is kept at the reference level.

Let's find out how many calories are best for a man to consume, for the body to work without interruption, in order to maintain weight at the right level? And also, how many daily calories to consume for weight loss? Choose the option that suits you.

Sedentary lifestyle.

  • Men 18 to 30 can consume 2400 calories a day;
  • Between the ages of 31 and 50, the daily allowance will be 2200 calories;
  • For men over 50, 2,000 calories a day is enough.

Average activity.

  • Men from 18 - 30 are enough 2600 - 2800 calories;
  • At 31 - 50 years of age, the norm is already less - 2400 - 2600 calories per day;
  • Those over 50 can please themselves with 2200 - 2400 calories.

high activity.

  • At 18 - 30 years old, it is better to eat 3000 calories per day;
  • Men 31 - 50 years of age will have enough 2800 - 3000 calories;
  • Men over 50: 2400 - 2800 calories per day is enough.

Formula Mifflin - San Jeora for men.

10 x body weight (kg) + 6.25 x human height (cm) - 5 x (number of years) + 5

The resulting figure must be multiplied by your physical activity indicator from the table:

  • 1.2 - no physical activity, or it is minimal;
  • 1.375 - three workouts for the whole week;
  • 1.4625 - go in for sports 5 times a week;
  • 1.550 - intense workouts all week except weekends;
  • 1.6375 - regular workouts every day;
  • 1.725 - intensive training every day or more 1r. in a day;
  • 1.9 - daily training combined with hard physical work.

The Harris-Benedict formula for men.

As for the Harris formula, the norm is calculated as follows (do not forget that this calculation has a small 5% error):

66.5 + 13.75 x body weight (kg) + 5.003 x human height (cm) - 6.775 x (how old)

As in the San Jeor formula, the result must be multiplied by your physical activity indicator.

Calories per day for weight loss.

It is easy to calculate the daily calorie intake per day for weight loss, given that you have already chosen the appropriate option for yourself from the lists above. To lose excess fat, remove 20% of calories from the resulting option.

For example, you have determined that your calorie intake = 2000 cal, so we subtract 20% from this value and get:

2000 cal - 20% = 1600 cal

Do you want to lose weight very quickly? Remove 40% of your norm:

2000 cal - 40% = 1200 cal

See, it's simple! Try to keep the number of calories consumed at least 1200 (the minimum value for providing the body with energy). Believe me, consuming 1200 calories a day, the weight goes off very quickly.

Track the results of losing weight, take daily measurements in a workbook:

  1. How many calories did you eat;
  2. What is your body weight.

If you buy food products that are not listed calories (Cal), but kilojoules (J), use this comparison: 1 Cal = 4.184 J.

Daily calorie intake for children.

We figured out the daily calorie intake per day for women and men. Let's talk about the daily calorie intake for children.

Based on age, the daily norm is as follows:

  1. From 6 months to 1 year - 800 calories per day;
  2. If the child is 1 - 3 years old, 1300 - 1500 calories is enough for the body to work properly;
  3. 3 - 6 years 1800 - 2000 calories will be considered the norm for children;
  4. When children are 6 to 10, they will need 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day;
  5. And at 10 - 13 years of age, the daily rate increases to 2900 calories per day.

In the following age intervals, the norm for children is equal to the norms of young men and girls.
It is worth paying attention to the quality of the food you give your child. The diet should include fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals. But sweets, pastries should be less. Flour products, sugar, confectionery sweets from the store - a real poison for the child's body. Now there are so many different things in the store: chips, lollipops, various sweet drinks. We must protect our children from this poison.

Some children are very mobile, besides the body is growing, so the need for energy is increased. Others behave calmly, and the daily calorie intake may be lower. Parents themselves must determine the daily allowance of a small person. It's pretty easy to do this!

See how much energy is spent on various activities:

  • calm video games - consumption of 22 calories per hour;
  • mobile video games - consumption of 150 calories per hour;
  • bike racing - 118-172 calories / hour;
  • skateboarding - 74-108 calories / hour;
  • slow dance lessons - 100 calories / hour;
  • even sleep takes - 13-19 calories / hour;
  • inactive TV viewing consumes 15-22 calories / hour;
  • homework requires 20 calories for every 15 minutes of work;
  • normal laughter burns 10-40 calories every 15 minutes.

Table for calculating the daily caloric intake.

For convenience, we have provided a table for the daily calculation of the daily calorie intake for women, men and children.

Daily calorie intake per day for women, men and children will differ dramatically. However, it is quite simple to create the right diet for yourself:

  • Determine your current weight. For weight loss, the daily number of calories should be less than if you need to get better;
  • select the desired rate from the above tables by the number of calories consumed and adjust it as necessary;
  • daily measure and record the results of calories eaten and body weight;
  • after a while, look at the result and, if necessary, adjust the daily calorie intake per day.
  • Be sure to monitor the quality of the food you eat;
  • Remember the proportions of proteins, fats, carbohydrates.

Do you want to have a healthy and strong body, never get sick and be slim? Follow three simple rules:

  1. Carry out a comprehensive cleansing of the body, starting with the intestines;
  2. Switch to eating raw plant foods without heat treatment and without mixing;
  3. Once a week, spend fasting days of fasting.

How many calories do you need per day to lose weight? Subject to certain rules, making figures slimmer is real. In this case, you should intensively engage in physical exercises, regulate the diet, adhere to the correct daily routine.

Calculation of the calorie content of products, taking into account your own weight, height, age and other parameters also contributes to weight loss.

What is meant by calorie counting

According to nutritionists, one should adhere to the rule - to consume fewer calories than those consumed per day. In order not to cause harm to health, you can reduce calories by 20% per day. To calculate you need:

  1. calculate the possible calories that are consumed per day (using a calculator or formulas);
  2. calculate how much to reduce kcal.

If you want to learn about the diet recommended by nutritionists, read this article.

Norm per day

This is a superficial calculation, since each organism has its own characteristics. To achieve the result, take them into account when calculating.

The calculation of the daily calorie intake is done taking into account:

  • how physically active the person is;
  • age values;
  • growth;
  • weight indicators;
  • metabolic features.

Calorie calculation for women

For women, a smaller amount is required, since there is a difference in how physiological processes proceed in organisms. The activity of the sexes also differs.

The average is 2000 kcal. With aging, the body no longer requires such rich energy foods, therefore, older ladies need less.

A woman with extra pounds for weight loss needs to eat about 1800 kcal.

However, lifestyle is taken into account. If women move little, do not play sports, then the following calorie norms are suitable:

  • from 18 to 25 years old - 2000 calories;
  • from 26 to 45 - the same amount;
  • from 45 - 1800 kcal.

With active life, the calculation changes:

  • from 18 to 25 years old - 2400;
  • from 26 to 45 - 2200 kcal;
  • from 45 - 2000.

How many calories do men need

For young people, it is enough to consume 2400 - 2600 calories throughout the day. Older people, aged 30 to 50 - 2200 kcal, the elderly - no more than 2000. These are approximate data without taking into account physical activity.

To get the actual number of calories needed for weight loss for a man, use a simple formula. Weight is taken and multiplied by 20, the result will be normal calorie intake, if you do not take into account physical activity.

When playing sports, 5 kcal per minute of load is added to the resulting number, if strength training was carried out, then 10 kcal is added.

The main rule to lose weight

The main thing is the use of more of the energy than that which came from food. Calorie balance calculation is not complicated. To find out how many calories you need per day to lose weight, you need to multiply your weight by 20 and reduce by 200 or 300. You get the amount of calories your body needs for proper weight loss.

However, these indicators change, it depends on how actively a person spends the day. To calculate, you need to multiply the result by the activity indicator:

  • 1.5 - with daily training;
  • 1.4 - if sports are given at least three times a week;
  • 1.3 - this applies to office workers;
  • 1.2 - recommended for those who are inactive.

Even if you know how many calories you need per day to lose weight, sports are important, only the combination of these programs will help in getting rid of excess weight.

Number of calories What you should eat daily depends on many factors. The daily energy consumption of a person depends on age, weight, height, gender, lifestyle, and general health. A physically active 6'2" man needs significantly more calories than a 5'2" sedentary woman.

Researchers at Purdue University have found that even how you eat your food affects how many calories you take in. The longer you chew food, the better it will be absorbed and, accordingly, the more calories the body will retain.

The recommended daily calorie intake varies around the world. According to the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, an adult man of average build needs about 2500 calories per day to keep his weight constant, while a woman needs 2000. US authorities have recommended 2700 calories per day for a man and 2200 for a woman. An interesting fact is that in the UK, where people are on average taller than Americans, the recommended daily calorie intake is lower. Overweight and obesity rates among adults and children in the US are significantly higher than in the United Kingdom.

The National Health Service (NHS) emphasizes that people need to focus on healthy eating, a balanced diet, physical activity, and the number of calories burned per day instead of counting calories.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the minimum number of calories for the average person per day worldwide is approximately 1,800 kilocalories.

Over the past twenty years, sugar has been added to a growing number of foods that we actively consume. Unfortunately, labels in the US and Europe do not include detailed information on how much sugar is in a particular product. Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist, wrote in the British Medical Journal in June 2013 that the amount of added sugar in foods and drinks is almost impossible for consumers to calculate.

Timing your meals is as important as the number of calories you eat. A large breakfast helps to bring your weight back to normal or keep it off, researchers from Tel Aviv University published in the medical journal. They claim that one large breakfast of approximately 700 calories is ideal for weight loss and reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Team leader Professor Daniela Jakubowicz added: “When we eat our food matters a lot, as does what we eat and how many calories our foods contain.”

What is the difference between calories and kilocalories?

In scientific terms, one kilocalorie equals 1000 calories. However, in English, the terms "calorie" and "kilocalorie" have become so freely used that they have practically combined their meaning. In other words, in most cases, calories and kilocalories have the same meaning.

kcal is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water from 15° to 16° Celsius at a pressure of 1 atm.

« small calories" refers to the traditional scientific term "calories", that is, one thousandth of a kilocalorie.

Internationally, most countries talk about food energy in kJ (kilojoules). 1 kcal (kilocalorie) = 4.184 kJ.

Serving Sizes

In industrialized and developing countries, people consume far more calories than they need. Today, portion sizes, both in catering restaurants and in high-end establishments, are much larger than they used to be.

The human body and energy use

It takes a lot of energy for the human body to stay alive. About 20% of the energy we use for brain metabolism. Also, energy is spent at rest on blood circulation and respiration.

If the environment becomes cold, then our body begins to produce more heat to maintain a constant body temperature. When we are in a warm environment, we need less energy.

Our body also needs mechanical energy for our skeletal muscles to maintain posture and move around.

Respiration, in particular cellular respiration, refers to the metabolic processes in which the body obtains energy from the reaction of oxygen with glucose to form carbon dioxide, water, and ATP energy. How correctly the energy from breathing is converted into physical (mechanical) energy depends on the type of food eaten, as well as on the physical activity that is used - aerobic or anaerobic.

How many calories does a person need per day?

The Harris-Benedict equation, also known as the Harris-Benedict principle, is used to estimate a person's BMR (basal metabolic rate) and daily requirement. A person's total BMR is multiplied by another number that represents their level of physical activity. The resulting number is that person's recommended daily allowance of calories to maintain their body weight.

This equation has limitations. It does not take into account the muscle mass of each person - a very muscular person needs more calories, even while resting.

How to calculate your BMR:

  • Adult men:
    • 66.5 + (13.75 x kg body weight) + (5.003 x height in cm) - (6.755 x age) = BMR;
    • 66 + (6.23 x pounds of body weight) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.76 x age) = BMR.
  • Adult women:
    • 55.1 + (9.563 x kg body weight) + (1.850 x height in cm) - (4.676 x age) = BMR;
    • 655 + (4.35 x kg body weight) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age) = BMR.

Applications of physical activity levels to formulate the equation:

  1. Sedentary lifestyle - if you do very little or no exercise at all.
  • Your daily caloric requirements are BMR x 1.2.
  • Lightly active lifestyle - light exercise one to three times a week.
    • Your daily caloric needs are BMR x 1,375.
  • Moderately active lifestyle - if you do moderate physical activity 4-5 times a week.
    • Your daily caloric requirements are BMR x 1.55.
  • Active lifestyle - if you do intense heavy exercise 6-7 times a week.
    • Your daily caloric needs are BMR x 1,725.
  • Very active lifestyle - if you do very hard, intense exercise twice a day (especially hard workouts).
    • Your daily caloric needs are BMR x 1.9.
  • How much should I weigh?

    Like how many calories you should be consuming each day, your ideal body weight depends on several factors, including your age, gender, bone density, muscle-to-fat ratio, and height.

    • BMI (Body Mass Index) - Some say BMI is a good indication of how much you should weigh. However, BMI does not take into account muscle mass. A 200-pound, 6-foot (1.83 cm) Olympic champion sprinter who is not overweight has the same BMI as an overweight lazy person of the same height.
    • Waist-to-Hip Ratio - This measurement shows that your ideal weight should be in line with your BMI. However, the waist-hip ratio does not properly measure a person's total body fat (muscle to fat ratio) and is also limited.
    • Waist to height ratio - today this method for determining ideal body weight is the most affordable. This was presented by Dr Margaret Ashwell, ex-Scientific Director of the British Nutrition Foundation at the 19th Obesity Congress in Lyon, France on May 12th 2012. This is a fairly simple calculation that even non-professionals can use.

    Dr. Ashwell's team has found that keeping your waist circumference less than half your height can help increase the lifespan of every person in the world."

    If you are a tall adult male 6 feet (183 cm) - your waist should not exceed 36 inches (91 cm).

    If you are a 5'4" (163 cm) adult woman, your waistline must not exceed 32" (81 cm).

    You can estimate the circumference of your waist in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) - you should place a tape measure in the middle of the distance from the lower rib to the iliac crest.

    Simply counting calories, ignoring what you put in your mouth, cannot lead to good health. Insulin levels will rise significantly more after eating carbohydrates than after you eat fats or protein. Also, recently, it is customary to divide carbohydrates into fast and slow. Fast carbohydrates are digested more easily and enter the bloodstream faster in the form of glucose. Refined flours are fast carbs, while wholemeal oats are slow carbs. Slow release carbs are better for weight control and overall health than fast carbs.

    A 500-calorie meal consisting of fish or meat, salad and a little olive oil, followed by fruit, is much better for your health and will keep your appetite from increasing longer than a 500-calorie snack of buttered fried potatoes or a cake.

    Today, there are several different diets that have helped people lose or maintain their body weight. Some of them have been extremely successful and good for the participants, but it's notoriously hard to limit yourself to your favorite foods for the long term.

    These 8 most popular diets have become popular thanks to many positive reviews:

    1. Atkins diet;
    2. zone diet;
    3. Vegetarianism;
    4. Veganism;
    5. Maintaining a figure;
    6. South Beach Diet;
    7. Raw food;
    8. Mediterranean diet.

    Summing up, it would not be superfluous to recall that excess weight is one of the main causes of the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes, damage to the joints and spine (back pain, disc herniation) and other health problems. If you learn to keep your weight normal, eat right and rationally, then you will prolong your life and enjoy active longevity.

    Age: years
    Floor: Female
    Male
    Weight: kilograms
    Growth: centimeters
    Degree of physical activity:
    Minimum loads (sedentary work)
    Easy workout 2-3 times a week
    Workout 4-5 times a week
    (or moderate work)
    Intensive training 4-5 times a week
    Daily Workouts
    Daily intensive training or training 2 times a day
    Hard physical work or intense training 2 times a day
    Calculation formula: Mifflin-San Geora
    Harris-Benedict

    To lose weight and maintain normal weight, you need to calculate the daily calorie intake that a person can receive with food every day.
    Using our calculator, you can easily calculate how many calories you need per day for your height, weight and level of physical activity. The calculator will allow you to calculate the daily calorie intake for women and men using two formulas:

    • The Harris-Benedict formula, which was introduced in 1919;
    • And the modern Mifflin-San Geor formula, which has been used since 2005 and is recommended by the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

    And also how many calories a person with your level of physical activity needs per day to maintain body weight.

    How many calories does a person need per day to lose weight?

    To lose weight, you need to spend more energy than you get, that is, so that the number of calories that enter the body with food is less than the calculated daily calorie intake.

    But in order for the body not to turn on the danger signal, you can not cut calories too much. To calculate your daily calorie requirement for weight loss, you can:

    • Subtract 200-500 kcal from the resulting value of the daily norm, or, more precisely, reduce it by 10-20%.

    Features of calculating the daily calorie intake

    Daily calorie intake differs significantly for men and women. Calculating the ideal figure must take into account a wide range of factors. The final indicator for each person will be different, individual. First of all, it is recommended to take into account:

    • the person's age;
    • his way of life;
    • degree of daily activity.

    The latter indicator is especially important, it is formed not only from playing sports, but also from walking, doing chores at work and solving household tasks, including ironing clothes, hand washing, repairing appliances or washing dishes.

    Daily calorie intake for men

    It is believed that the daily calorie intake in men is slightly higher than in women. To calculate the daily calorie intake for a male, you need to take into account his lifestyle and age.

    daily calorie intake for women

    The calculation of the daily calorie intake for women is carried out in a special way. To understand what kind of nutrition and amount of energy a lady needs, you can use the table below. It takes into account not only age, but also the degree of daily activity in the same way as in the table for men.

    The calculation of the daily calorie intake for women also largely depends on their own relationship to body weight. If a person is trying to build a diet in such a way as to lose weight, then he should consume fewer calories. When the mass, on the contrary, seems insufficient to the girl, it is recommended to include food rich in calories in the daily menu.

    Muffin-Jeor Formula

    To find out what is the norm of calories per day, many use the Muffin-Jeor formula, derived in 2005. The Mifflin-San Geor scheme, as it is also called, is the basis of modern calorie calculators. It is believed that it allows you to get the most accurate and correct results. The formula makes it possible to calculate how many calories a person spends per day.

    Formula for men: 9.99 x weight in kg + 6.25 x height in cm - 4.92 x age + 5

    Formula for women: 9.99 x weight in kg + 6.25 x height in cm - 4.92 x age - 161

    By calculating the rate of required calories per day, you can find the approximate number of calories that ensures the maintenance of the initial body weight. To do this, the figure obtained by the formula must be multiplied by CFA (physical activity coefficient). You can find this number in the table below.

    It should be borne in mind that the result of the calculation using such a calculator correctly “works” only for people over 18 years old.

    Harris-Benedict Formula

    The Harris-Benedict formula allows you to accurately calculate the number of calories a person needs per day.

    The calculation is extremely simple: basal metabolism (BMR) x active metabolism (AMR).

    If the AMR value can be taken from the table above (the AMR unit should be calculated in the same way as the CFA), then the basal metabolic rate will have to be calculated for each person individually.

    BMR formula for men: 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) - (4.330 x age in years).

    BMR formula for women: 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) - (5.677 x age in years).

    So, what does the rate of calories per day according to Harris-Benedict give? Getting the exact number of kcal allows you to adjust the diet. If you want to gain weight, then you should eat more food. When you plan to lose weight, you should include in the menu a set of products with a lower calorie content than the result. To maintain weight, you need to adhere to the received limit.

    Ketch-McArdle Formula

    It is worth mentioning right away that not everyone should use this option, since it is based on accounting for lean muscle mass, and not on weight. Here, the energy expended per day is not taken into account at all. That is why overweight people will not be able to achieve accuracy and adjust nutrition according to the recommendations.

    Data is obtained according to a single scheme for men and women.

    The result is compiled as follows: 370 + (21.6 x body weight in kg)

    WHO Formula

    The calculation of the required caloric content according to WHO is based on the use of body area.

    To create the optimal diet, you should use the formulas below.

    For men aged 18 to 30: (0.063 x body weight in kg + 2.896) × 240 × CFA;

    For men from 31 to 60 years old: (0.484 x body weight in kg + 3.653) x 240 x CFA;

    For men aged 60 and over: (0.491 x weight in kg + 2.459) x 240 x CFA.

    For women aged 18 to 30: (0.062 × mass in kg + 2.036) × 240 × CFA;

    For women from 31 to 60 years old: (0.034 x weight in kg + 3.538) x 240 x CFA;

    For women aged 60 and over: (0.038 x weight in kg + 2.755) x 240 x CFA.

    CFA is used from the table above.

    Using one or more formulas and following the results will help you achieve ideal proportions and the desired figure.

    How many calories per day do you spend?