The rapid development of scientific knowledge in the field of weight loss is paying off. More and more methods are offering new, radical ideas about weight loss mechanisms. Many of them criticize calorie counting, although previously this method was considered the main one, it was accepted for almost all diets and used in many approaches.
How many calories should a person consume per day to lose weight? How to calculate daily calories? How to determine calorie intake knowing your weight and height? How important are these skills? Let's take a closer look in this article.
Why do you need to count calories?
Calorie counting is based on one of the most important, fundamental laws of nature, the law of conservation of energy. It always works, so it is an essential component of the most effective weight loss methods. Knowledge and understanding of this matter will help you effectively and successfully solve important weight loss problems and achieve the results you want.
From a biological point of view, one calorie is the amount of energy required to heat one gram of water by one degree Celsius under normal atmospheric conditions. This value is extremely small, so calorie intake per day is calculated with a larger value - kilocalories.
Not everyone thinks about how much energy the body uses to perform daily tasks. Scientists have determined that a woman's body uses an average of about one and a half thousand kilocalories to maintain vital functions. Thanks to this, respiration, heart rate, muscle tone, peristalsis, stable body temperature and other processes occurring in the body are ensured. For men, this value is slightly larger, 1800 calories. This value has a special name - basal or basic metabolism. To determine this, special formulas or special devices are used - a body composition analyzer and a metabolograph.
The component is the main one, but there are other energy costs in addition to it. Physical activity also involves burning calories. Slow walking consumes about 150 kilocalories per hour, while vigorous exercise can burn more - up to 400-500. Calories consumed daily are used to support human life. All the energy that the body does not consume is stored. Therefore, for effective, noticeable weight loss, it is necessary to create a daily energy deficit, its size should be approximately 500-700 calories. To get the desired effect, you can calculate the calories yourself or use a ready-made menu.
Expert opinion
Given that the basis of counting calories is the law of conservation of energy—a fundamental law of nature like gravity, for example—we can say that calories are as outdated or inconvenient as gravity. Try to throw a pen or pencil on you - and everything will become clear. The laws of nature always work. They are the basis of all effective weight loss methods. Knowing and understanding these rules helps you to be effective and successfully solve important problems as well as weight loss issues. So what are calories?
1 calorie is the amount of energy needed to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. This is a very small value, so calories are usually measured in thousands - kilocalories, kcal. A woman's body uses about 1, 500 kcal a day to maintain vital functions (heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, peristalsis, body temperature, and other processes), and a man's body uses about 1, 800 kcal. The amount of energy the body uses to maintain life is called basal metabolism. There are special devices to calculate this value more accurately - a body composition analyzer and a metabolograph.
This part of energy consumption is the main one, but not the only one. Physical activity also uses energy, but to a lesser extent. For example, active sports such as swimming and cycling burn only 150-250 kcal in 60 minutes, it all depends on the intensity of the exercise. For noticeable weight loss, it is necessary to create an energy deficit of about 500-700 kcal from these figures, that is, women need to eat 1200 kcal daily, men - about 1500 kcal to lose a stable weight without harming the body. and all its systems. And then you can go two ways: counting calories directly or applying indirect caloric restriction through diet and diet choice.
Direct calorie counting takes some skill and persistence in the early stages, but for many people it works better than any weight loss diet. How to count calories? For this, you need to know the mass of the product (after weighing it on an electronic food scale), know the calories per 100 grams of the product, as well as paper, pencil, calculator and a few minutes of time.
Thus, the process of weight loss is a change in the balance between incoming and outgoing energy. The most direct, simple way available to everyone is to limit the caloric content of food by counting calories, which, if the correct caloric content is observed, will guarantee the breakdown of fat according to the law of conservation of energy. However, the direct calorie counting method has its drawbacks. Firstly, it does not give any information about satiety: for example, for the same daily number of 1200 kcal, you can be both very full and very hungry, it all depends on the diet, the products included in 1200 kcal - this is two bars of chocolate or permitted, healthy foodsfive full meals. Second, weight will decrease with an incorrectly selected diet on a reduced-calorie diet, but this may be associated with health risks - for example, if there is a lack of protein in the diet, not only fat, but also muscle tissue may be lost. . Third, you won't be counting calories for the rest of your life, once you lose weight you need to develop other mechanisms and habits to keep it off. These and other reasons make calorie intake necessary, but not the only tool in the process of losing weight.
Formulas for calculating calories
You can calculate your daily calorie intake for weight loss using the two formulas below.
The Harris-Benedict formula was developed and presented to people in 1919 by the famous scientists Francis Gano Benedict and James Arthur Harris. It has two types: for men and women.
66 + [13. 7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6. 76 x age (in years)] - for men;
655 + [9. 6 x weight (kg)] + [1. 8 x height (cm)] - [4. 7 x age (in years)] - for women.
This calculation formula may be wrong for modern residents of the metropolis, because the study was conducted at the beginning of the last century. This nuance should be taken into account when calculating the number of calories, especially for people whose body mass index exceeds the established norm.
The Mifflin-San George formula was developed much later - at the end of the last century, in the 90s. Today it is considered the most accurate and popular.
Men - [9, 99 x weight (kg)] + [6, 25 x height (cm)] - [4, 92 x age (years)] + 5;
Women - [9, 99 x weight (kg)] + [6, 25 x height (cm)] - [4, 92 x age (years)] -161.
The formula takes into account the characteristics of nutrition and other characteristics of the modern world. But it does not take into account the percentage of fat and muscle tissue.
Algorithm for calculating calories for weight loss
The ability to correctly calculate consumed calories is the first step towards a healthy, beautiful body. This technique is not limited to specific products. But if you consider your entire diet every day, it becomes clear that it is better to eat a plate of meat salad than a small bar of chocolate or some kind of confectionery. Their caloric content is almost the same, but the nutritional value is significantly different.
Calorie counting is considered an effective way to lose weight and is included in many weight loss systems. This is explained by the following advantages:
- This method provides a reasonable approach to nutrition without stress and strict restrictions. The body easily tolerates a new diet;
- the ability to calculate the number of calories consumed allows you to choose a complete diet rich in food components, vitamins, minerals, which distinguishes this technique from various types of diets and fasting;
- Each person can independently determine how many calories should be consumed per day. For this purpose, there is a special calorie calculator for losing weight online. This can be useful for people who do not have access to qualified specialists or a weight loss clinic due to the distance of residential areas from urban centers, various financial constraints and living conditions;
- The calorie counter will allow you to calculate your diet for free, include your favorite foods and ensure compliance with the proportions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
The calculation algorithm consists of three consecutive steps: calculation of the basic metabolic rate, determination of daily activity, calculation of the final result. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Step 1: Calculate your basal metabolic rate
To begin with, you need to use one of the most convenient formulas to calculate the basal metabolic rate. Example: height 170 cm, weight 75 kg, a 36-year-old woman should not be less than:
655+9, 6×75+1, 8×170-4, 7×36=1512 kcal
This amount of energy would be enough to support life.
Step 2: Define your daily activities
The resulting value of the basal metabolism must be multiplied by the activity coefficient:
- 1. 2 – low activity, complete lack of sports;
- 1. 375 – sedentary lifestyle, light physical activity 1-2 times a week;
- 1. 55 – moderate activity, enough load 2-4 times a week;
- 1. 725 – active lifestyle, active work, exercise about 5 times a week;
- 1. 9 – high activity, active work, daily active exercise.
Suppose a woman goes to the gym three times a week, then:
1512 kcal × 1. 55 = 2344 kcal
This value is the required daily rate. This is how many calories you should consume per day.
Step 3: Calculate the final result
To get the final result, you need to subtract 500-700 kcal from the resulting value - this is how much you need to consume per day to lose weight.
2344 – 500(700) = 1844 (1644) kcal – this is how much the body needs to start losing weight.
Experience shows that it is difficult to maintain the norm daily. Nutritionists suggest setting a minimum lower and maximum upper limit. This will help to avoid malfunctions: if you really want something forbidden, you can eat it. But the next day, reduce the rate a little:
- upper limit: calorie norm + 100;
- lower limit: calorie norm - 200.
In addition, it is recommended to maintain the ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates:
- 10-25% protein of the daily diet;
- fats - 20-35%;
- carbohydrates - 45-65%.
These proportions may vary slightly depending on the specific goal: weight loss, weight gain, muscle gain.
Losing weight quickly and effectively at home is not difficult. Calorie counting reduces restrictions and allows you to include your favorite foods. The main thing is to honestly keep a diary, write down every product consumed, every sugar cube. But there is a special technique offered in clinics to lose weight. It is based on an integrated approach, a combination of nutrition and psychology. This allows for optimal results and effective weight loss.
Calorie charts
The table of calorie content of foods will help you prepare your daily diet. It contains, as a rule, the main products that form the basis of the diet. For all other store-bought products, the calorie count, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content are listed on the packaging.
Dairy products
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry cream | 23. 0 | 42. 7 | 26. 3 | 579, 0 |
| Whole milk powder | 26. 0 | 25. 0 | 37. 5 | 476, 0 |
| Skimmed milk powder | 37. 9 | 1. 0 | 49. 3 | 350. 0 |
| Milk condensed with sugar | 7. 2 | 8. 5 | 56. 0 | 320. 0 |
| Cow's milk | 3. 2 | 3. 6 | 5. 1 | 61. 0 |
| Sour cream, 30% fat | 2. 4 | thirty, | 3. 1 | 294. 0 |
| Fat cottage cheese | 14. 0 | 18, | 2. 8 | 232. 0 |
| Cream, 20% fat | 2. 8 | 20. 0 | 4. 5 | 206. 0 |
| Cream, 10% fat | 2. 8 | 10. 0 | 4. 8 | 118. 0 |
| Full fat kefir | 2. 8 | 3. 0 | 3. 6 | 56. 0 |
| Hard cheese | 23. 0 | 29. 0 | 0. 0 | 360. 0 |
| Cheese "Holland" | 26. 0 | 26. 8 | 0. 0 | 352. 0 |
| Cheese "Poshekhonsky" | 26. 0 | 26. 5 | 0. 0 | 350. 0 |
| Processed cheese | 22. 0 | 27. 0 | 0. 0 | 340. 0 |
| Brynza | 17. 9 | 20. 1 | 0. 0 | 260. 0 |
| Unsalted butter | 0. 5 | 82. 5 | 0. 8 | 748. 0 |
| Ice cream | 3. 3 | 10. 0 | 20. 1 | 179. 0 |
| Milk margarine | 0. 3 | 82. 0 | 1. 0 | 743. 0 |
| Mayonnaise "Provence" | 2. 8 | 70. 0 | 2. 6 | 624. 0 |
Bread and cereal
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat flour, whole grain | 10. 3 | 1. 0 | 69. 0 | 334. 0 |
| Millet groats | 11. 5 | 3. 3 | 67. 2 | 348. 0 |
| buckwheat | 12. 6 | 3. 2 | 54. 3 | 335. 0 |
| Rice porridge | 7. 0 | 1. 0 | 73. 2 | 330. 0 |
| semolina | 10. 3 | 1. 0 | 67. 7 | 328. 0 |
| Barley groats | 10. 00 | 1. 30 | 66. 31 | 324. 00 |
| Pearl barley | 9. 3 | 1. 1 | 67. 5 | 320. 0 |
| Croup "Hercules" | 11. 0 | 6. 2 | 49. 2 | 305. 0 |
| Oatmeal | 11. 0 | 6. 1 | 49. 9 | 303. 0 |
| Wheat bread, whole grain | 7. 9 | 0. 8 | 50. 1 | 238. 0 |
| Rye bread | 6. 6 | 1. 2 | 41. 8 | 181. 0 |
| Sugar cookies | 7. 5 | 11. 8 | 74. 4 | 436. 0 |
| Cream crackers | 8. 5 | 10. 8 | 69. 6 | 398. 0 |
| Pasta, V. S. | 10. 4 | 1. 1 | 74. 9 | 337. 0 |
| Butter bread | 7. 6 | 5. 2 | 56. 8 | 295. 0 |
| bun | 7. 7 | 3. 0 | 53. 3 | 235. 0 |
| Maya | 12. 7 | 2. 7 | 0. 0 | 75. 3 |
Vegetables and fruits
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green peas | 5. 0 | 0. 2 | 13. 8 | 73. 0 |
| Crushed tomatoes | 1. 1 | 0. 2 | 5. 0 | 23. 0 |
| potato | 2. 0 | 0. 4 | 18. 1 | 80. 0 |
| Eggplant | 1. 2 | 0. 1 | 6. 9 | 24. 0 |
| White cabbage | 1. 8 | 0. 2 | 6. 8 | 27. 0 |
| Sauerkraut | 1. 8 | 0. 0 | 3. 2 | 19. 0 |
| Onion onion | 1. 4 | 0. 0 | 10. 4 | 41. 0 |
| Green onions | 1. 3 | 0. 0 | 5. 2 | 19. 0 |
| garlic | 6. 5 | 0. 0 | 6. 0 | 46. 0 |
| root | 1. 3 | 0. 1 | 7. 9 | 30. 0 |
| cucumber | 0. 8 | 0. 1 | 3. 8 | 14. 0 |
| Pickles | 0. 8 | 0. 1 | 2. 3 | 13. 0 |
| Pepper | 1. 3 | 0. 0 | 7. 2 | 27. 0 |
| radish | 1. 9 | 0. 2 | 8. 0 | 35. 0 |
| Turnip | 1. 3 | 0. 0 | 3. 1 | 27. 0 |
| radish | 1. 2 | 0. 1 | 3. 8 | 21. 0 |
| Salad | 1. 5 | 0. 2 | 3. 1 | 17. 0 |
| It's a beet | 1. 5 | 0. 1 | 12. 8 | 42. 0 |
| Pumpkin | 1. 0 | 0. 1 | 5. 9 | 25. 0 |
| Spinach | 2. 9 | 0. 3 | 2. 5 | 22. 0 |
| Pear | 0. 4 | 0. 3 | 10. 9 | 49. 0 |
| apple | 0. 4 | 0. 4 | 11. 8 | 45. 0 |
| Peach | 0. 3 | 0. 1 | 11. 3 | 43. 0 |
| apricot | 0. 9 | 0. 1 | 10. 8 | 41. 0 |
| Orange | 0. 9 | 0. 2 | 10. 3 | 40. 0 |
| Watermelon | 0. 7 | 0. 2 | 7. 9 | 38. 0 |
| Melon | 0. 6 | 0. 0 | 10. 3 | 38. 0 |
| Grapefruits | 0. 9 | 0. 2 | 10. 3 | 35. 0 |
| Strawberry | 0. 8 | 0. 4 | 11. 2 | 34. 0 |
Dried fruits and beans
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dried apricots | 3. 3 | 62. 6 | 30. 8 | 241. 0 |
| Raisins | 2. 5 | 78. 4 | 16. 5 | 296. 0 |
| Dates | 2. 4 | 75. 0 | 20. 5 | 282. 0 |
| Plum | 2. 3 | 65. 6 | 25. 0 | 264. 0 |
| FIG | 3. 3 | 63. 8 | 30. 0 | 249. 0 |
| Dried apple | 3. 2 | 68. 0 | 20. 0 | 273. 0 |
| Dried pears | 2. 3 | 62. 6 | 20. 0 | 249. 0 |
| Dried peaches | 3. 0 | 68. 5 | 18. 0 | 274. 0 |
| pea | 54. 8 | 0. 1 | 8. 5 | 298. 0 |
| pea | 54. 2 | 20. 1 | 5. 0 | 328. 6 |
| Soya | 34. 9 | 17. 3 | 17. 3 | 364. 0 |
| beans | 21. 0 | 2. 0 | 47. 0 | 298. 0 |
Meat
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pork | 11. 7 | 33. 3 | 0. 0 | 491, 0 |
| Beef | 18. 5 | 16. 0 | 0. 0 | 218. 0 |
| mutton | 15. 6 | 16. 3 | 0. 0 | 209. 0 |
| Rabbit meat | 21. 1 | 15. 0 | 0. 0 | 183. 0 |
| Beef liver | 17. 9 | 3. 7 | 0. 0 | 105. 0 |
| Beef heart | 16. 0 | 2. 8 | 0. 0 | 86. 0 |
| Pork stew | 14. 9 | 32. 2 | 0. 0 | 349. 0 |
| Beef stew | 16. 8 | 16. 0 | 0. 0 | 220. 0 |
| Chickens | 18. 2 | 18. 4 | 0. 7 | 241. 0 |
Sausage
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amateur sausage | 17. 3 | 39. 0 | 0. 0 | 420. 0 |
| Half smoked sausage | 16. 5 | 63. 6 | 0. 0 | 376. 0 |
| Milk sausage | 11. 0 | 22. 8 | 1. 6 | 266. 0 |
| Doctor sausage | 12. 8 | 22. 2 | 1. 5 | 257. 0 |
| There is sausage. separately | 11. 0 | 21. 0 | 0. 0 | 240. 0 |
Egg
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw chicken egg | 12. 7 | 11. 5 | 0. 7 | 157. 0 |
| Melange | 12. 9 | 11. 6 | 0. 8 | 160. 0 |
| Egg white | 10. 5 | 0. 0 | 1. 0 | 50. 0 |
| Egg yolk | 16. 7 | 30. 8 | 1. 7 | 358. 0 |
Fish and seafood
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cod liver (canned in oil) | 4. 20 | 65. 70 | 1. 20 | 613. 0 |
| salmon | 23. 0 | 12. 0 | 0. 0 | 206. 0 |
| Shrimp | 18. 9 | 2. 2 | 0. 0 | 95. 0 |
| Pollock | 17. 6 | 1. 0 | 0. 0 | 79. 0 |
| perch | 19. 9 | 3. 6 | 0. 0 | 112. 0 |
| salmon | 20. 0 | 8. 3 | 0. 0 | 153. 0 |
| Tuna | 26. 0 | 1. 0 | 0. 0 | 115. 0 |
| cod (liver) | 16. 0 | 0. 6 | 0. 0 | 136. 0 |
| Horse mackerel | 18. 5 | 4. 5 | 0. 0 | 114. 0 |
| squid | 18. 0 | 4. 2 | 0. 0 | 110. 0 |
| Sardines in oil (canned) | 16. 0 | 17. 7 | 0. 0 | 223. 0 |
| Mackerel Blancheer. In oil | 13. 1 | 25. 1 | 0. 0 | 278. 0 |
| Flounder in tomatoes (canned) | 12. 6 | 5. 4 | 6. 0 | 125. 0 |
Sweets
| Product (per 100 g product) | Proteins (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Energy value (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jam | 0. 4 | 0. 2 | 74. 5 | 286. 0 |
| Waffles | 8. 2 | 19. 8 | 53. 1 | 425. 0 |
| Hematogenous | 6. 2 | 2. 8 | 75. 5 | 352. 0 |
| Marshmallow | 0. 7 | 0 | 75. 5 | 295. 0 |
| Iris | 3. 1 | 7. 7 | 81. 2 | 384. 0 |
| Marmalade | 0. 0 | 0. 2 | 77. 1 | 289. 0 |
| Honey | 0. 6 | 0. 0 | 80. 5 | 312. 0 |
| Sugar | 0. 2 | 0. 0 | 99. 6 | 377. 0 |