Calorie is a unit of energy that the body uses to function and carry out all normal daily activities. This energy is provided by the calories consumed with food. The daily calorie requirement is different for each person and depends on age, weight, gender, fat mass and activity level. Once you know your total calorie needs, you can set up a diet plan to make it easier for you to reach your health goal.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Calculating the Total Caloric Need
Step 1. Use an online calculator
You can determine how many calories you need in total using one of the many calculators you find on the internet.
- Online calculators are simpler and less complex than mathematical equations that you should calculate on your own.
- You can find a variety of calculators on different sites online, ranging from weight loss ones to wellness clinics to medical associations. Make sure you choose a reliable one and don't use those from personal blogs or web pages.
- Most of these calculators work the same way. You need to enter your weight, gender, age and physical activity level. Make sure you have this information available when you use the calculator.
- You can determine your calorie needs thanks to this site, but there are many others.
Step 2. Determine Basal Metabolic Rate (MB) with an equation
The MB indicates the amount of calories that the body needs to carry out the normal vital activities of every day and maintain the functions of the organism; basically, it represents the calories the body burns when it is in a resting situation.
- The body needs a certain amount of calories to stay alive and function normally. Any activity, such as heart rate, breathing, or digestion, consumes calories. These are the functions that burn the greatest amount of calories each day.
- The calculation to do to determine the MB of an average woman is: (1.9 x height in centimeters) + (10.4 x weight in kilograms) - (4.7 x age). Add 655 to the result to get your overall basal metabolic rate.
- To calculate the MB of an average man it is necessary to do this calculation: (5 x height in centimeters) + (13.8 x weight in kilograms) - (6, 8 x age). Adding 66 to this value gives the overall MB.
- You can use Harris Benedict's MB equation to calculate how many calories you burn by taking into account the physical activity you do.
Step 3. Calculate the total amount of energy you consume using the Harris Benedict equation
This formula allows you to estimate how many calories you burn each day by multiplying your basal metabolic rate by a coefficient related to your average activity level.
- Multiply the MB by the activity level. This way, you can get a fairly accurate figure of your total daily calorie consumption.
- If you are a sedentary person (do little physical activity) multiply your MB by 1, 2.
- If you are a bit active (exercise 1-3 days a week) you need to multiply the MB by 1.375.
- If you are moderately active (do moderate exercise and / or a sport 3-5 days a week) multiply the MB by 1.55.
- If you are very active (do a demanding sport or strenuous physical activity 6-7 days a week) multiply the MB by 1,725.
- If, on the other hand, you are extraordinarily dynamic (doing heavy work or demanding physical activity like two training sessions a day) you need to multiply the MB by 1, 9.
Step 4. Consider the percentage of fat in the body
People with a very muscular physique or who have low body fat and high levels of lean mass need more calories than most average individuals.
- If you are an athlete or have a low-fat physique, you need to consume more calories than you can determine using a calculator or math equation.
- Lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat. By eating a little more you can more easily reach your calorie goal.
- Also keep in mind that overweight or obese people may overestimate their calorie needs using the Harris Benedict formula.
Part 2 of 2: Leveraging Calorie Needs to Manage Health
Step 1. Make an appointment with a licensed dietician
A nutrition professional can provide you with any specific advice regarding calorie needs. In addition, it will teach you how to leverage that information to better manage your health. This is especially important if you have any illnesses or medical problems that need to be taken into consideration.
- You can search for a dietician online or get a specialist for advice from your GP. Just make sure they are a licensed professional with a good reputation.
- Various dieticians may specialize in different fields. If you are interested in a specific topic, such as weight loss, nutrition to improve athletic performance or to manage chronic diseases, you need to find the professional who deals with this field.
Step 2. Use the Calorie Need Calculator to Lose Weight
Many people want to figure out how many calories they burn in a day to be able to lose weight. Change your recommended intake to meet your weight loss goals.
- Generally, it is recommended to cut 500 calories per day to lose weight in a healthy and safe way (0.5-1 kg per week).
- It is not advisable to give up more calories. If you don't eat enough, the weight loss process could slow down and you could expose yourself to serious nutritional deficiencies.
Step 3. Increase your calorie intake to gain weight
If you and your dietician have determined that you need to gain weight, you can use the calorie requirement calculation for this purpose.
- Health professionals recommend eating an extra 250-500 calories per day. This way, you should be gaining 250-500g per week.
- To maintain your current weight, try to align the amount of calories you consume with the amount resulting from the calculations.
- If you notice an unintentional change in weight, reevaluate your calorie intake and make adjustments.
