Every day, the human body spends a certain amount of calories on functions that ensure normal functioning, such as breathing, sleep, digestion. The consumption and consumption of calories obtained depends on the person’s age, his physical form and lifestyle. Therefore, it is always worth remembering that the calculation of the daily calorie norm is carried out individually for each person, where all physical characteristics are taken into account separately.
The general concept of calories
Before talking about how to correctly calculate the daily calorie intake, you should dwell on the basic concepts. Calorie is a generally accepted unit of energy measurement that the body spends in various processes during its life. A person receives calories in the process of assimilation of food by the gastric tract.
As already noted above, the amount of energy expenditure for each person is different and directly depends on the degree of daily physical and intellectual stress, the amount of food consumed, weight and state of health.
If the body, along with food, received a large number of calories and could not spend them during the day, then the excess settles in the body in the form of fat deposits. Thus, increased daily calorie intake leads to weight gain. But in the case when the body does not receive the portion of calories it needs during the day, fat reserves are burned. Thus, weight loss is observed. However, it is worth remembering: if there is no fat reserve and a person is in good physical shape, a lack of calories leads to severe depletion of the body, which is fraught with a deterioration in the general physical condition and the development of various pathologies, such as impaired function of the vascular, nervous and digestive systems.
The effect of age on calorie intake
It is extremely important to remember that one of the key points for calculating the daily calorie intake is age. This fact is due to the fact that the indicator of energy consumption at different ages will also be different. Young people, especially adolescents, need more energy, as various physiological changes occur in the body. Elderly people need much less energy, as physical activity decreases significantly with age.
Knowing and knowing how to use calories correctly, a person is able to regulate and adjust his state of health and weight. For example, calculating the daily norm of calories for weight loss will allow you to get rid of extra pounds even without extra sports training. And also, conversely, gain weight in case of exhaustion.
Calorie intake for women
As a rule, the fair sex more scrupulously approach the question of their appearance and body weight. The calorie norm for girls, as well as for men, is determined from the calculation of the daily way of life and age indicator. The conditional indicators of the daily calorie intake for women are the data that are listed below in the table.
Age of women | With a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle | With a moderately active lifestyle | With an active lifestyle |
18 to 25 years old | 2000 kcal | 2200-2300 kcal | 2400-2500 kcal |
From 26 to 50 years old | 1800 kcal | 2200 kcal | 2200-2300 kcal |
After 50 years | 1500-1600 kcal | 1800 kcal | 2000 kcal |
Using the above data, you can determine the daily calorie intake for women, but it is worth remembering that it is best to make calculations on your own using special formulas. How to do it correctly will be described a little below.
Calorie intake for men
The male body spends energy more intensively than the female, therefore, the number of calories received by representatives of the strong half of humanity should be greater. The average daily calories for men are the data shown in the table below.
Age of men | With a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle | With a moderately active lifestyle | With an active lifestyle |
18 to 25 years old | 2400-2500 kcal | 2800 kcal | 2900-3000 kcal |
From 26 to 50 years old | 2000 kcal | 2500-2600 kcal | 2900 kcal |
After 50 years | 1700-1800 kcal | 2100-2300 kcal | 2400-2700 kcal |
However, it is worth remembering that the given data of the daily calorie intake for men are average indicators, and in order to properly coordinate their nutrition, it is best to use only individual calculations.
Calorie intake for pregnant women
A girl who is preparing to become a mother needs to monitor her nutrition and the quality of her products. The norm of calories per day for girls in position depends on the duration of pregnancy.
It is extremely important to discuss the issue of nutrition with a gynecologist who monitors the course of pregnancy. However, on average, the amount of calories consumed in the early stages should be approximately from 2500 to 3200 calories per day, in the later stages - within 3100-3200 kcal, and already during lactation - up to 3500 kcal.
The calorie norm for losing weight
Nutritionists strongly recommend lowering the number of calories while losing weight gradually. If the body does not receive the usual food norm, it will be in a stressful condition, which is fraught with disorders of the stomach and nervous system. And also it is worth remembering that if, in the fight against overweight, a person begins to lead an active lifestyle and enjoys sports, it is strictly forbidden to sharply lower his calorie intake. It must be borne in mind that physical activity also requires a large expenditure of energy.
The best option is when the amount of calories consumed is gradually reduced by 15-20%. So, for example, if a girl’s daily norm was 2000 kcal with a sedentary, measured lifestyle, then the daily calorie intake for a woman for weight loss would be 1700-1600 kcal. In the future, when the body is rebuilt, you can reduce the number of calories consumed to 30 or 40%. But be sure to remember that it is best to use individual calculations.
If a person made a decision to lose weight and bring his figure back to normal, without building proper nutrition, this goal will not be achieved quickly and extremely hard. Even the most exhausting workouts will not bring the desired results if the body's energy reserve in the form of fat deposits exceeds the daily calorie expenditure.
It is important to pay attention to the fact that the process of losing weight with the help of balancing the calorie balance will not be able to give the body the desired shape without minimal physical exercise. If the body stops receiving the usual portion of calories, it will gradually begin to process muscle mass, which will negatively affect the figure and health. Thus, the process of getting rid of excess weight has two key factors - proper nutrition and moderate physical activity.
How to calculate your calorie intake?
For the correct calculation of the daily calorie intake, experts in the field of nutrition have developed special formulas. However, using different calculation methods, you can get different numbers, which often becomes the reason for the incorrect construction of food. If a person has seriously decided to approach the issue of calculating the calorie norm, then it is best for him to turn to a specialist who will help calculate the individual norm.
If for some reason you can’t get an appointment with a doctor, you can calculate the rate yourself. Today, practicing nutritionists recommend using the daily calorie formulas of the scientists Mifflin - San Geor and Harris - Benedict. The indicators of the above methods for calculating the daily calorie intake may differ from each other and have an error in the range from 100 to 300 kcal.
When is it not worth calculating calories yourself?
It is worth noting that all the calculations are applicable for people who have already reached puberty, and, as is commonly believed, this moment comes at 18 years old.
People with diseases of the digestive, vascular, or nervous system will not be able to use average statistics. In order for them to understand how much calories should be consumed, they should contact dietitians, since only a specialist can correctly coordinate the calories in the matter of the daily allowance.
How to quickly count calories in food?
In order to put your diet in order, it’s not enough to know your calorie intake, you also need to be able to correctly count the calories in the food you eat. The easiest and most effective way to date is calorie calculators, which can be found on the Internet, installed on a personal computer or downloaded as an application on your smartphone.
The algorithm of these programs is very simple - on the basis of official data on the calorie content of the products, a calculation is made and indicators of the portion of the product or the finished dish are issued. Thus, you can calculate and compose your diet without any special difficulties, as well as without unnecessary time and financial costs.
Best Calorie Calculation Apps
With the modern rhythm of life, it is often difficult for people to independently calculate the calorie content of each portion of food eaten. As already noted, phone applications are the most affordable, optimal and fastest way to find out how many calories are in food. Also, the advantage of many such applications is that they can find out how many calories were spent during the day and help create an appropriate list of foods and dishes.
The best calorie calculator apps for smartphones are:
- YAZIO. The information base of this application contains data on a huge number of products and ready-made dishes. The convenience and uniqueness of the program also lies in the fact that in YAZIO you can find recipes according to which you can cook a dish with the desired calorie content.
- "Calorie." The application will help anyone who wants to not only control the daily calorie intake, but also tell you how many calories have been spent.
- Lifesum This application will help not only to find out information about the calorie content of food, but also to draw up the right diet for a specific purpose. This program is a good helper, especially for those people who have decided to lose weight.
- FatSecret. In this application, any user will be able to find all the necessary information about food, ranging from calorie content to its nutritional value.
How to calculate calorie content manually?
If it is not possible to calculate the number of calories in the food consumed using modern technologies, this can be done manually, knowing the calorie content of the product itself or the finished dish.
To do this, you need to multiply the weight of the product by its calorie content. For example, knowing that 1 gram of Caesar salad, prepared according to the classic recipe, contains 1.9 kcal, then in a portion weighing 250 grams there will be 475 kcal.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that nutrition is the basis of human life. It is extremely important to listen to your own body and pay due attention to the calculation of calories consumed, since their excess or, conversely, a deficiency can cause negative consequences, such as diseases of the digestive system or diseases of the nervous system.