Not all body shaping methods are suitable for everyone who wants to lose weight, because it can be difficult to give up your favorite foods and start regular physical training.
A suitable way to reduce excess weight is the method of calculating the calorie content of foods consumed. To do this, you need to figure out how many calories you need to consume per day and how to calculate them correctly in order to lose weight. The main advantages and disadvantages of a diet based on weighing food and counting calories are discussed below.
Calorie definition
For those who are focused on results, it is important to know that calories mean the energy character of the product. Energy is accumulated in proteins, fats and carbohydrates, on this basis calories and kilocalories are divided.
Those who want to get their body in shape regularly resort to the method of calculating the calorie content of foods. This helps to remove extra pounds of centimeters in body volume. This method can not only reduce the weight category, but also gain the missing kilograms in muscle mass. This method is usually practiced by professional athletes.
If you consume more calories than they have time to spend, then the body begins to think about the "reserve". It is deposited in adipose tissue, which is then difficult to "melt".
Therefore, to correct your figure or maintain a constant weight, it is recommended to observe the daily proportions of calories consumed with food. The main enemy for losing weight is glucose, which is present in human food every day. It is impossible to completely remove its use, so it is worth adjusting the calories.
Healthy and unhealthy calories
It is known that in order to get as much energy as possible, a person needs to resort to eating carbohydrate foods.
Carbohydrates are usually divided into:
- quickly assimilated;
- slowly assimilated.
Fast carbohydrates include fruits, chocolates, nuts, and various sweets. When they are broken down, the body receives a lot of energy resources at one time, but they are enough for a maximum of 2 hours. Such carbohydrates are useful for people involved in sports, mental work, or in moments of loss of strength.
How many calories you need to consume per day to lose weight - everyone who monitors their health and weight needs to know. If in the mode there are no physical loads, which will be spent on the received energy, then fast carbohydrates turn into potentially dangerous ones.
With a passive lifestyle, the body will not waste them, but will simply store them in the form of fat deposits. Fast carbs are not meant to be satiated for long. After using them, a person will want to eat after 1.5 hours.
The calories found in sweets and refined fat are the most harmful. By consuming them, you can get an increase in waist size and more. Sweets are useless food. In addition, excessive consumption of them leads to the formation of diabetes mellitus.
Slow carbohydrates include potatoes, legumes, vegetables, grains, and various grains. Due to them, it is possible to obtain long-term saturation with minimal losses.
Such calories should be consumed by everyone, without exception, because the body needs it. By breaking down slow carbohydrates, the body spends much more energy, preventing the formation of fatty layer in unnecessary places.
Calories found in fats are not good for the body. It is difficult for him to digest fat and often there is an increase in adipose tissue. Fats are not only harmful, but also useful. Useful fats include vegetable fats and fish oil.
Benefits of Calorie-Based Nutrition
How many calories a day should be consumed by people on a diet in order to lose weight without causing harm to health is discussed in detail below. Calculating the energy content of foods is an easy and effective method that helps to bring the body into the desired shape.
Benefits:
- excludes fasting, which is often practiced by people who lose weight;
- there are no restrictions on the types of products used, you can make up a different menu;
- rapid adaptation of the body to a new diet without disruptions and constant feelings of hunger;
- improvement of metabolic processes throughout the body;
- the ability to adjust the calorie value of foods to reduce or gain weight category;
- gradual transition to a healthy diet.
Disadvantages of the method
Reducing the weight category by calculating calories, in addition to advantages, also has negative sides:
- Waste of time for long enough counting.
- The inconvenience of controlling the calorie content of dishes, especially when eating food outside the home.
- Continuous weighing of dishes.
- If you return to the previous volume of calories, then jumps in weight may occur in the positive direction.
For the female body
How many calories a woman needs to eat per day is an important question in order to lose weight. Scientists in the course of their research came to the conclusion that for 1 hour the body spends 1 calorie to maintain its functions. For full-fledged chemical processes to occur, you need to consume 24 calories per day, provided that the body is not subjected to physical exertion.
Average recommendations:
- If the girl does not move much, the calorie content per day should be at least 1800 kcal.
- For an average active woman, it is assumed to consume 2000 kcal.
- For the active entertaining, you need 2200 kcal.
During pregnancy
How many calories a day needs to be consumed in order to lose weight for a woman carrying a child is usually of interest to those who have gained too much weight. Keeping in shape is essential for a successful pregnancy and childbirth.
Overweight, first of all, affects the well-being of the pregnant woman. Shortness of breath and swelling appear, making it difficult for a woman to act. To normalize the weight category, you can calculate calories and find out for yourself how much of them is optimal.
According to dietary standards, pregnant women in the first trimester are recommended to consume 2200 kcal. Women who have crossed the border of the second trimester are supposed to consume 2500 kcal.
If the indicator exceeds the norm, the body will begin to form a fat layer. The most important rule is to eat food that contains many vitamins and minerals.
For a nursing woman
Calculating the energy value of food consumed for nursing mothers will help the body return to its usual form soon and without harm.It is necessary to calculate the optimal indicator personally. The following combination is recommended:
(Weight category) x (activity coefficient) + (550 kcal)
With low activity, 24 is indicated, with extraordinary mobility, 30 is prescribed, with loads, 44 should be indicated. The result is a numerical value indicating the recommended intake of calories.
Daily Value for Men
A diet that is based on calculating calories is suitable for both male and female bodies, but has distinctive features in terms of their number. For the stronger sex engaged in active sports, it is necessary to consume as much protein food as possible, because proteins affect the growth of muscle tissue.
Men who want to lose pounds don't really need to take additional measures to burn fat, because it is based only in the abdomen. Statistics show that in men faster than women, adipose tissue is converted into muscle.
For men at a young age, on the advice of nutritionists, it is better to get 2600 kcal from food. From 35 to 50 years old, you need to stop consumption at 2200 kcal. In old age, it is better to limit yourself to 2000 kcal.
An accurate calculation can be made by taking the weight value and multiplying it by 20. The result will tell you exactly how many calories a certain type of man needs.
Daily allowance for a teenager
Men need a lot of calories from birth. This is especially true for guys in their teens, they need to consume as many calories as possible.
An increase in the calorie content of foods consumed by a teenager should be carried out every 6 months. This is necessary for the growing child to receive as much nutrients as possible.
Adolescence lasts up to 14 years and is considered the most active. Nutritionists are advised to consume at least 2800 kcal per day. A teenager, who often leads a calm lifestyle, needs 2500 kcal, no more. If the child is engaged in professional sports training, you need 3000 kcal in the diet.
Calorie Counting Formula for Weight Loss
Each of the presented combinations has specific counting techniques. The exact result can be obtained by taking all the necessary numerical data. All combinations are divided into 2 varieties, which are targeted at the male and female population. The result obtained from the calculations is to multiply the numerical value of the activity.
Name | "F" | "M" |
Calculation of kcal ("Mifflin") | (10) x (weight category, kg) + (6.25) x height (cm) - (5) x (exact age, years) - (161) | (10) x (weight category, kg) + (6.25) x (height, cm) - 5 x (age range, years) - 5 |
Calculation of kcal ("Benedict") | 655.1 + 9.563 x (weight, kg) + 1.85 x (height, cm) - (4.676) x (age, years) | (66.5) + (13.75) x weight (kg) + (5.003) x height (cm) - 6.775 x age (years) |
Calculation of kcal ("BMR") | BMR = (447.6) + (9.2) x (weight category, kg) + (3.1) x (height, cm) - (4.3) x (age value, years) | BMR = (88.36) + (13.4) x (weight category, kg) + (4.8) x (height, cm) - (5.7) x (age value, years) |
Numerical designation of activity:
- "2" - minor physical activity, for example, a calm type of work;
- "375" - visits to the training hall, which take place 3/7 days;
- "4625" - regular training sessions 5/7 days;
- "550" - increased pace of training sessions 5/7 days;
- "6375" - attending training sessions every day;
- "725" - attending training sessions at an intensive pace;
- "9" - hard work, intense training sessions in the hall.
Calorie calculator for complex dishes
How many calories you need to consume per day to lose weight - control over the consumed calories is expressed in the constant calculation of the weight of the food. This approach forms the basis of a large number of diets.
For example, you can easily calculate the calorie content of morning porridge by weighing a portion on a food scale and subtracting the weight of the bowl. But it is more difficult to calculate the calories of a ready-made complex dish, such as stew, soup, pilaf. Currently, recipes have been created with a detailed description and calculation of the calorie content of each ingredient. But it happens that you want to cook a completely different dish.
For calculating calories in difficult-to-cook meals, there are several important rules that must be followed:
- You do not need to take into account the calorie content of water, tea, coffee and natural spices, since they do not contain them.
- To a cooked dish using oil, 20% of its kcal is added. First of all, this is due to frying, because most of it remains in the pan. The gravy is supplemented with 100% butter calorie content. Vegetables or mushrooms fried in an oily composition also provide for the addition of their full calorie content. This is because vegetables tend to absorb the full amount of added oil.
- If you cook meat or fish, then they can lose 20% of their calories in the thermal process. The rest goes into the broth. This must be taken into account if the broth from the meat will be used separately.
- In boiled vegetables, 20% of their calorie content is taken away, since the rest goes into the water. This calculation is necessary for the preparation of vegetable salads.
- If you plan to cook a dish in the oven, then it must be borne in mind that during the cooking process, the products fully retain their original calorie content.
- When preparing cereals and pasta, it must be borne in mind that the information on the pack refers to the dry form of the product. During the cooking process, the product becomes larger, which means that there will be less kcal after cooking. Semolina should be excluded from the list of cereals, as it increases up to 10 times.
- Meat and fish, cooked on an open fire, have a caloric content of 20% higher.
- If a complex dish is being prepared, then initially it is necessary to calculate the calorie content of the products. Then weigh the bowl of water in which the dish will be prepared. If the broth is cooked on meat, then its kcal must also be taken into account. The weight of food and water is added up, and calories are added up in the same way.
Soup counting example: weight (5050) g, the amount of kcal ingredients (2045), we calculate the calorie content per 100g. (100) x (2045/50500) = 40.5 kcal per 100 g of cooked food.
How to distribute calories throughout the day
According to the advice of nutritionists, the optimal formula for calorie distribution is the following proportion:
Morning meal | 250 kcal |
Lunch time meal | 300 kcal |
Evening meal | 250 kcal |
It is stipulated that a quarter of the calories consumed should come from breakfast. Two-fourths are consumed at lunchtime. The rest of the calories comes from dinner. Some adjustments should be made to this proportionality.
Most of the calories consumed should be consumed in the morning. This is due to the fact that it is at this time that the maximum activity of the body occurs. In the evening, you should reduce the calories consumed, as the body prepares for a night's rest and does not need to recharge with energy.
Carbohydrate and fatty foods are best incorporated into the diet before lunchtime. Protein food is broken down for at least 2 hours, the eaten fats are digested within a 5-hour interval.
As for carbohydrates, the situation is slightly different. If carbohydrates were consumed in a complex form, then the digestion time increases significantly. Fast carbohydrates have instant digestion.
There are foods that have a long digestion time. These include legumes, mushrooms, meat. By consuming such foods, you can get heaviness in the stomach and long satiety.
At night, all food is digested longer than during the daytime, so if you feel hungry before going to bed, you need to have a snack with fast carbohydrates (kefir, baked fruits and vegetables).
An important factor that supports calorie distribution is exercise. If you plan to actively engage in sports activities during the day, then the menu should be planned with a slight excess of calorie content.
If a losing weight person does not engage in regular exercise, then it is necessary to adjust the diet in such a way as to exclude high-calorie foods.
To reduce the weight indicator, the expenditure of energy resources must exceed the calories consumed during the day.
Calorie consumption tables
How many calories you need to consume per day in order to lose weight, if there is no opportunity to attend sports classes in the gym - a frequent question of busy people.
It is important to understand that energy expenditure occurs daily during normal activities. The ideal option for body shaping would be to increase your daily activity in order to increase the expenditure of calories.
Activity name | Waste of calories |
Running up the stairs (up) | 770 |
Speed skating | 665 |
Running (16 km / h) | 670 |
Ballet lessons | 645 |
Build a snowman | 600 |
Jogging | 508 |
Fast crawl (swimming) | 480 |
Cycling (25 km / h) | 460 |
Jumping rope | 463 |
Aerobics on the water | 450 |
Training using a simulator | 447 |
Hockey | 400 |
Playing badminton | 415 |
Running (8 km / h) | 400 |
Handball | 450 |
Gymnastics | 380 |
Swimming | 390 |
Sawing wood | 410 |
Ski walking | 416 |
Dancing as usual | 415 |
Mountaineering | 380 |
Intensive dance classes | 420 |
Football game | 385 |
Pole dancing | 380 |
Yoga | 360 |
Walking (sports) | 355 |
Basketball | 320 |
Active games with a child | 320 |
Skiing on the water | 300 |
Cycling (15 km / h) | 270 |
Digging the beds | 270 |
Harvesting | 275 |
Tennis (table) | 265 |
Walk | 270 |
Roller skating | 260 |
Splitting firewood | 256 |
Weeding the beds | 250 |
Morning work-out | 256 |
Provision of massage services | 250 |
Washing windows | 230 |
Cleaning | 200 |
Buying groceries | 180 |
Dog walking | 170 |
Stroller walk | 130 |
All given data are approximate, because the weight category mainly affects the burning of calories. The higher the weight, the more calories are spent.
How many calories to burn to lose 5 kg
To lose weight by 1 kg, you need to spend at least 7000 kcal. If you plan to lose weight by 5 kg in two months, then you need to burn at least 900 kcal per day.
Eating the right diet will help you adjust your weight in conjunction with intense training. It is impossible to completely abandon meals, otherwise, when entering a regular diet, the body will receive stress and begin to deposit the received calories into adipose tissue.
How many calories to burn to lose 10 kg
Losing weight is not strongly recommended by nutritionists, therefore, to burn 10 kg, you need to spend at least 2-2.5 months. 7000 calories equals 1 kg. For a quick result, you need to spend 1500 kcal per day with vigorous training. It is important not to deviate from the set goal and not get frustrated, otherwise you can get a big weight gain.
Daily diet options: 1800 kcal menu
A calorie-based diet allows for a variety of foods. Thanks to your imagination, you can cook many delicious and favorite dishes. You can change the menu according to your taste preferences, but it is important to observe the daily calorie content.
1 morning meal | Boiled buckwheat - 150g; Boiled beef tongue - 100g; Boiled beets in olive oil - 200g; Tea (green) - 200 ml. |
2 morning meal | 60 g cottage cheese (with or without minimal fat content); 150 g apples (green); 1 piece - bread. |
Lunch meal | 250 ml - cabbage soup; 280 g salad (Greek); 150 g - boiled pasta; 100 g - for steamed tuna; 100 g - cauliflower; 50 g grain bread; 200 ml - freshly prepared compote. |
Afternoon snack | 250 ml - low fat kefir; 150 g - raspberries. |
Evening meal | 350 g - cabbage (stewed); 200 g - salad (from fruits); 30 g - bran bread. |
Daily diet options: 1200 kcal menu
Observing a diet based on calculating calories, you should not reduce their value to the minimum level, otherwise the body will perceive the changes that are taking place as stress, and even a small amount of calories consumed will be processed into adipose tissue.
1 breakfast | 30 g - omelet with ham; 250 ml - tea (without sugar); 30 g - cheese. |
2 breakfast | 30 g of bread (whole grain); jam (no added sugar). |
Lunch break | 200 g - stewed vegetables; 2 pcs. - chicken cutlets. |
Afternoon snack | 1 PC. - apple (green); 50 g - dry fruit |
Dinner | 200 g - cape or steamed fish; 300 g - salad (from vegetables). |
Daily diet options: 800 kcal menu
The products included in the menu can be packaged as the slimmer wishes. The main rule is not to reduce or exceed the recommended value of 800 kcal. But on the advice of nutritionists, you need to distribute calories correctly.
1 breakfast | 2 pcs. - eggs (hard boiled); 1 PC. - grapefruit; 250 ml - tea (no added sugar with milk). |
2 breakfast | 100 g - cottage cheese seasoned with sour cream (minimum fat content) 250 ml - tea (no added sugar). |
Dinner | 300 g - lettuce (cucumber, tomato, pepper, sour cream); 2 pcs. - eggs (hard boiled); 250 ml - tea or coffee (no added sugar).
|
Afternoon snack | 250 ml - kefir; 1 PC. - apple (green). |
Dinner | 100 g - beef (lean); 150 g - raw vegetables; 250 ml - milk (low fat); |
Following a diet that is based on calculating the number of calories needed to consume per day in order to lose weight is beneficial for every person, no matter how old he is.
Article design: Vladimir the Great
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How many calories do you need per day to lose weight:
How many calories do you need per day to lose weight or gain muscle mass:
During pregnancy, the doctor recommended 2500-3000 kcal per day. And after childbirth, the number of calories needed to be reduced by 1000 to lose weight