How much should a person eat? Daily calorie intake. Calorie standards. Daily calorie intake

Our calculator is designed for those who follow a flexible diet, or just want to switch to this system nutrition.

The basic principle of a flexible diet is that you can eat almost anything, as long as the following conditions are met:

• You must adhere to your individual daily calorie intake;
• complied with correct ratio proteins fats carbohydrates.

That is, you must provide your body with a stable supply of the correct amount of calories and the required ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates (BJU), but the sources of these elements and energy can be represented by an endless number of foods and dishes.

When using a flexible diet, you not only count the total number of calories you consume, but you also need to manage your ratio of calories.

For example, you can spend your entire calorie budget on a pancake breakfast, but remember that you need to provide the right amount of fat and protein. And don’t be surprised that by lunchtime you may feel tired - you’ve used up all the carbohydrates and now you have no energy left.

Use this calculator to calculate your daily caloric intake and optimal macronutrient ratios based on your age, height, weight, gender, and physical activity level. Apply these results to flexible dieting to lose weight, keep it off, or gain muscle.

Physical activity level

High levels of physical activity are accompanied by higher calorie expenditure. To accurately control your calorie expenditure (and therefore calculate your daily calorie intake), you need to determine how many calories you burn per day. sports activities: for this use our .

Too much physical activity combined with low calorie intake can lead to muscle catabolism (the breakdown of muscle tissue), which in turn slows metabolism and loss. excess weight. Typically your metabolism starts to slow down after 3 days on a reduced calorie diet.

Weight loss and loss of fat mass do not always mean the same thing: weight can be lost due to loss of muscle mass, while the amount of fat tissue remains the same. To prevent this from happening, it is important to calculate the optimal ratio of macroelements - BZHU.

Incorporating regular physical activity into your new image life helps maintain muscle mass levels even with a calorie deficit.

But remember:

• The body spends 5-25% of total energy expenditure on physical activity, and this is not only special fitness classes, this also includes walking, doing our daily activities, etc.;
• about 10% of energy is spent on digesting food;
• about 60-80% of energy is spent on the basic functioning of the body.

Therefore, physical activity will definitely help in the process of losing weight, but still, the most important thing is limiting calorie intake.

Moreover, it should be taken into account that the body can spend limited quantity calories, it cannot work indefinitely, even if we constantly throw new energy. Therefore, if you spent a lot of calories on sports today, your body will optimize your daily calorie expenditure and will spend fewer calories on other processes. As a result, the total daily calorie expenditure of this day will not be much more than yesterday.

Physical activity is very important in itself, for both physical and psychological health, but with its help we can regulate a maximum of 5-25% of our daily energy expenditure.

What happens if there are too few calories? And is it possible to lose weight through diet alone?

With an extremely low calorie intake, muscle catabolism begins, muscles melt, and accordingly, the body begins to spend less energy on its basic life activities. That is, your basal metabolic rate decreases. This means that as soon as you return to your normal diet, you will not only regain your weight, but you will also gain more. Therefore it is very important:

When losing weight, be sure to introduce physical activity; this will help you not to lose muscle mass while reducing your calorie intake or even increase it, which means increasing your basal metabolism. This will help you lose weight much more effectively and prevent you from gaining weight when you return to your normal diet.

Macronutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates

Squirrels

Proteins are important for the growth of new tissues, as well as for the repair of damaged ones - this is what happens when you exercise physical exercise.

Squirrels should be yours best friends if you want to gain or maintain muscle mass.

But protein isn't just about muscle, it's also about satiety, which will help you stick to your diet.

Protein sources: eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, meat, fish, nuts, beans, peas, lentils, soybeans and other legumes.

Fats

Fat is often wrongly demonized.

Fats can be very helpful in achieving your body shaping goals, they also affect hormones - too little fat can be harmful to the body.

25% of all calories provided by a flexible diet are allocated to fat. This can be adjusted later, but this is what the initial proportion looks like.

Sources of fat: olive oil, coconut oil, natural peanut butter and other nut oils, avocado, almonds, Walnut, cashews, red fish, mackerel, egg yolks.

Carbohydrates

Your body uses carbohydrates to make glucose, which is our body's preferred form of fuel or energy. They are the ones who give us the opportunity to stay active.

Fiber, which is important to watch if you want to stay healthy, is also a source of carbohydrates, but it contains no calories.

Sources of carbohydrates: To cereals and cereals, bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, flour products.

Carbohydrates are simple and complex.

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly, which means the energy released during their processing is distributed by the body evenly throughout its life activities, without turning into fat reserves. And what’s also important is that the energy from complex carbohydrates is evenly released over 3-4 hours, which means that all this time the body will have enough energy and will not require additional food.

Typically, foods containing complex carbohydrates have more dark color than simple ones.

Examples — oats, brown rice, starchy vegetables, whole grain bread.

Simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are absorbed too quickly, the body does not have time to use them up and they go into fat reserves. In addition, the body receives energy in the form of a short burst, and then a breakdown occurs.

Examples — White rice, White bread, cookies and sweets.

Serving frequency and size

A large portion for one meal, even if you meet the daily calorie intake, can trigger fat deposition.

This happens according to a principle similar to the absorption of simple carbohydrates: a lot of calories and a lot of energy immediately enter the body, the body may not have time to use it all and then some of the energy may be deposited as fat.

If the daily diet is divided into a larger number of small portions, then each meal will contain fewer calories, which the body is more likely to absorb. Also in in this case the load on the digestive organs - stomach, pancreas, etc. is reduced.

In addition, it is recommended to eat before any active activity (physical: for example, before a walk, or just before going to work, or even mental - with increased mental activity, the body also spends more energy). But you shouldn’t lie on the couch or sleep after eating.

Calories for reducing fat mass

There is a belief that a pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so a daily deficit of 500 calories should help you lose a pound of fat per week.

In fact, everything is not quite like that.

In general, the body's energy expenditure gradually decreases as a person begins to lose weight. This means that you will inevitably find yourself at the plateau stage - stopping weight loss. The amount of food that previously led to weight loss will one day lead to weight maintenance. What follows from the warning:

Always try to aim for your daily caloric expenditure at the "Normal Weight Loss" level.

The “Extreme rate of weight loss” level is the most extreme and dangerous to health. Don't try to switch to it right away in hopes of a quick effect. Ultimately, the result may be the opposite of the desired one. This option provides the lowest level of calorie intake that can be considered. It should be seen as the exception rather than the rule. It is healthier to burn fat than to get rid of it through fasting.

Weight loss plateau - why weight stops falling when you reduce calorie intake

Over time, the body adapts to the reduced amount of calories consumed.

The body begins to use energy more efficiently - it slows down metabolism, so it burns less fat. This is why many people reach a weight loss plateau.

At this stage, the only option is to speed up your metabolism by:

• increasing cardio loads, strength training,
• eating “deceptive” food (i.e. periodically introducing high-calorie foods into the diet);
• periodic changes in the number of calories (the so-called “zig-zag” diet - used in our calculator, in a detailed calculation of calorie consumption by day); Link
• changes in the proportions of macroelements.

Important:

Only reducing the number of calories, in the absence of physical activity, will slow down your metabolism, and the moment you return to a “normal” diet, the weight will return again. Try to pay more attention to the exercises.

Learn to eat slowly - Research shows that people who eat quickly tend to be overweight.

Zig-zag diet

For more effective weight loss It is recommended to follow a diet according to the “zig-zag” principle, that is, it is necessary to alternate days according to the level of calorie consumption - sometimes less than the norm, sometimes more than the norm, leaving the calculated number of calories on average. This prevents the body from adapting to the reduced calorie intake and slowing down the metabolism.

It's no secret that to lose weight you need to have a higher calorie intake than your calorie intake. If it depends only on the consumption of food and drinks, then the consumption is divided into basic and additional. Basic calorie expenditure is the energy spent on maintaining life, and additional calorie expenditure is the amount of energy we spend on training and any other physical work. To avoid confusion in these concepts, let's look at them in more detail.

Calculation of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

The body spends much more calories on maintaining vital functions than on training activity. We don't notice it, but our body spends energy on breathing, metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, cognitive functions and maintenance nervous system, heartbeat and the work of others internal organs, on maintaining hormonal levels, on sleep, on movement and, even on food. The work of the body does not stop for a minute.

Calculation of lean body mass (LBM):

LBM = [weight (kg) × (100 - %fat)]/100

BMR = 370 + (21.6 × LBM)

Basic caloric expenditure is related to both the amount of fat and the amount of muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more energy your body expends at rest.

Incremental energy expenditure is divided into calories expended during exercise and calories expended during non-exercise activities.

During training, we spend relatively few calories - on average 400 calories per hour of intense exercise. With three workouts per week, this gives us only 1,200 calories. However, if training is aimed at strengthening muscle tissue, then basic energy expenditure will increase. The body spends more calories building and maintaining muscle than storing and retaining fat.

This includes any spontaneous or routine physical work: walking, shopping, cleaning, cooking, playing with a child, and even working at the computer.

Knowing energy expenditure allows you to correctly calculate the calorie deficit for weight loss, but predicting exact weight loss is quite difficult.

Difficulties may arise due to:

• Errors in calculating calories consumed;
• Erroneous assessment of one’s own activity;
• Fluid retention in the body;
• Fluid retention in the female body during certain phases of the cycle;
• Simultaneous growth of muscle mass and fat burning;
• Inattention to slowing basal caloric expenditure.

To avoid the above difficulties, eat properly within the calorie and BJU range, soberly assess your own non-training activity, trying to maintain it at approximately the same level every day, exercise regularly, weigh yourself and measure volumes at the same time, and also take into account the phase of the menstrual cycle.

If you are serious about your health and physical fitness, then you know how important it is to meet your daily calorie intake. The predominance of certain nutrients in the body can lead to obesity, various serious diseases and loss of human mobility. Scientists and nutritionists from all countries have proven that a correctly calculated and applied daily calorie intake leads to excess weight loss and relief from many ailments. Let's figure out what this norm should be for women and men.

How many calories should a person consume per day?

There is a special table with which it is easy to calculate the exact amount of energy consumed per day that a person requires for normal life. It is based on several parameters: the person’s gender, number of completed years, weight, height. The physical activity that has to be performed in a week is also taken into account (for example, visiting sports training, physically hard work). There are different indicators for each age period and gender, see for yourself.

Women

Depending on the active lifestyle of women of different age groups, their daily calorie intake should not exceed certain indicators to avoid excess weight. The older you get, the smaller it gets required amount energy elements per day. Children and teenagers need more nutrients as the body grows and develops. Here are the averages for each age of women separately, calculated in kilocalories:

• Girls under 17 years old need to consume up to 2760 kcal every day.
• Women aged 20 to 30 years old are recommended to consume 2000 kcal if they lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. With moderate activity, the need will be 2200 kcal, and if there is a lot of activity during the day - 2400 kcal.
• Pregnant women need to consume much more energy (up to 3600 every day).
• After 30 years and up to 50, women who want to reduce their weight should eat no more than 1800 kcal daily. With average activity, the level of energy consumed will be 2000 kcal, and with high activity – 2200 kcal per day;
• After 50 years, the level of energy consumption drops to 1600 kcal if a woman does not engage in physical activity. With average activity, she can eat up to 1800 kcal, and with high activity - 2000 kcal daily.

For men

To maintain normal life, men need more fats, proteins and carbohydrates daily, as they are physically active. active life. Depending on how busy the day is with movement and physical activity, the rate of energy consumption per day will vary. Below you will find the average norm for each age of men, calculated in calories:

• Boys under 17 years of age need to consume up to 3,160 kilocalories of energy daily.
• From the age of 20 to 30, a man's energy requirement per day is: for active guys - 2800 kilocalories, with average activity - 2400 kilocalories, and with a sedentary lifestyle - 2200 kilocalories.
• From 31 years old to 50 years old, the indicators change: 2400 kilocalories for sedentary men and 2600 kilocalories for active ones.
• Older men should consume 2,400 kilocalories per day with high activity and 2,200 kilocalories with low activity.

Children and teenagers

For the youngest representatives of humanity, the daily calorie intake increases with age, so they need to be fed a little more. However, this does not depend on the child’s gender or physical activity. For example, from birth to one year, a baby needs 800 kilocalories daily. By the age of 5, this need grows to 1800 kcal, and by 10 – to 2380 kcal. Teenagers under 14 years old need to consume 2860 kilocalories.

Formulas for calculating daily calorie intake

Additionally, there are special calculations that help calculate the required number of calories per day to ensure the normal functioning of the human body. Each calculation method uses its own parameters, but the goal does not change: it is important to correctly calculate the required level of kcal for daily consumption. Check out the most accurate and well-known calculation formulas.

This calculation method was developed relatively recently (10 years ago) and is the most advanced way to calculate daily calorie intake. The American National Dietetic Association has established that the Mifflin-San Geor (or Muffin-Geor otherwise) calculation helps to determine as accurately as possible what the daily requirement of calories is for the human body in a state of rest. Check out the calculation options below.

• For women:

9.99 * body weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) – 4.92 * age – 161;

• For men:

9.99 * body weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) – 4.92 * age + 5

To calculate your individual daily calorie intake, you will need the following coefficients that correspond to your level of physical activity. Select the appropriate number and multiply with the result obtained from the formula (above).

• 1.2 – indicates minimal or no physical activity in your life;
• 1.4 – you visit a fitness club no more than three times a week;
• 1.5 – frequency of visits to the fitness club occurs up to 5 times a week;
• 1.55 – you get intense exercise 5 times a week;
• 1.64 – you continuously visit the fitness club every day;
• 1.7 – you do quality physical exercise several times every day (for example, bodybuilding);
• 1.9 – in addition to daily physical activity, you do physically difficult work (for example, if you are a professional athlete).

This is another method that helps calculate the number of kcal needed to maintain the body's vital functions when it is in a state of rest. The results of the Harris Benedict formula are calculated taking into account a person’s age, because the basal metabolic rate continuously changes in the body over time: in children it increases, and in adults it decreases. Calculate your required daily kcal level using this formula.

• basal metabolism in women:

655.1 + 9.6 * body weight (kg) + 1.85 * height (cm) – 4.68 * age;

• basal metabolism in men:

66.47 + 13.57 * body weight (kg) + 5 * height (cm) – 6.74 * age.

Once you have your basal metabolic rate, you can find out your individual daily calorie intake. To do this, select the physical activity coefficient that suits your lifestyle, the figures of which are given in the Mifflin-Saint Geor method, and multiply with the value that you obtained using the formula derived by Harris Benedict.

What is the daily calorie intake for weight loss?

The daily level of kcal consumption for weight loss is the required amount of energy, which allows you to receive a sufficient minimum of nutrients for the normal functioning of the body, while simultaneously losing overweight. To accurately calculate your daily calorie intake for weight loss, use the first or second formula and subtract 20% from it. If you need to reduce body weight as quickly as possible short time– 40%. Make sure that the result does not fall below the figure obtained from the following formula:

body weight (kg) / 0.450 * 8

To calculate your daily nutrient intake, it is not necessary to look for various formulas and scrupulously calculate your individual indicator. You can just use online calculator to calculate the amount of energy required. Check out below detailed instructions, what data you need to enter to use the automatic calculator.

• In the Age cell, enter your full number of years.
• Select your gender below.
• Next, you will need to enter your weight in kilograms.
• Below is a cell for entering your height in centimeters.
• In the next section, select one of your levels of physical activity (from minimal to heavy physical activity).
• Select the desired formula that will calculate the result.
• Click on the "Calculate" button.

When calculating your daily calorie intake in order to lose weight, remember that the result obtained is the normal amount of energy that you will need to function effectively. If you decide to lose extra pounds, then your diet should contain fewer calories. But the minimum level is not lower than 1600 calories. Lose weight correctly and healthily - for this purpose scientists have invented formulas for calculating daily caloric intake.

Human activity is associated with the expenditure of energy. Its quantity is measured in calories. For normal life, it is necessary to constantly replenish the body with energy, which enters it in the form of food.

Daily norm calorie intake depends on the gender, type of activity and age of the person. For example, men need more energy per day than women. And active young people, who are still growing and developing, burn more calories each day compared to adults.

Daily calorie intake for men

For active men

• up to 30 years: 3000 calories;
• from 30 to 50 years: within 2800 - 3000 calories;
• over 51 years old: 2800 - 2400 calories.

For men with a sedentary lifestyle

• up to 30 years: 2400 calories;
• from 31 to 50 years: 2200 calories;
• after 51 years, 2000 calories per day is enough.

For men with a moderate lifestyle

• 19-30 years: 2600 - 2800 calories;
• 31-50 years: 2400 - 2600 calories;
• from 51 years old: 2200 - 2400 calories.

Daily calorie intake for women

For moderately active women

• up to 25 years old, it is enough to consume 2200 calories per day for the normal functioning of their body;
• at 25-50 years old the recommended daily intake is 2200 calories
• over 51 years old: just 1800 calories is enough.

With a sedentary lifestyle

• for young girls under 25 years old, 2000 calories is enough;
• for women from 26 to 50 years old, it is optimal to consume no more than 1800 calories;
• After age 51, you need to reduce your intake to 1,600 calories.

With an active lifestyle

• young women 19 - 30 years old can consume 2400 calories;
• women aged 31 - 60 years old need 2200 calories;
• Women over 61 years of age are recommended to have a daily intake of 2,000 calories.

Individual calculation of daily calorie intake

The above daily calorie values ​​are general and approximate. But each person is individual and has his own height, weight, muscle mass and degree of activity. Therefore, scientists have developed formulas that allow us to calculate the daily calorie intake for different people.

First, the number of calories needed by a person in a state of complete inactivity and at a comfortable temperature is calculated. In other words, first of all you need to find out how much energy the body needs for the functioning of its internal organs without physical and emotional stress. Typically, this indicator is measured in laboratory conditions in a supine position and in the absence of violent emotions. To measure it at home, formulas were developed for determining the value of basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Formulas for calculating SBI

• For men :

66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age in years)

• For women :

655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)

For example:

For a 39-year-old woman weighing 70 kg and height 168 cm, the BVR is calculated as follows:

655 + (9.6 *70) + (1.8 *168) - (4.7*39)=1446.1 calories

Formula for calculating daily calorie needs (DCR)

SPK = activity coefficient x SBI

Determination of the activity coefficient value

• 1.2 - with a lifestyle without physical activity;
• 1.375 - with light physical labor;
• 1.55 - with average, moderate physical activity;
• 1.75 - during heavy physical activity;
• 1.9 - with particularly heavy physical labor.

For example:

With BOO = 1446.1 and with average activity (we take the coefficient - 1.55), the daily norm is determined as follows:

SPK = 1446.1*1.55= 2241.46 calories

It is convenient to use a calorie calculator to calculate your daily intake.

Daily calorie intake for weight loss

Knowing your SPC value, you can solve the problem with overweight. To do this, you just need to reduce the energy intake into the body from food. This can create a calorie deficit, which will lead the body to the need to use up its reserves - fat.

To what extent is it safe to reduce your calorie intake to lose weight? This is very important question, because with an incorrectly created energy deficit, the well-being and health of the person losing weight will certainly suffer. To lose extra pounds, you need to reduce the SPK value by 500 - 1000 units. But at the same time minimal amount Daily calories consumed when losing weight for men are 1800, and for women - 1200. Below these values, it is very dangerous to create an energy deficit in the body.

If you want to lead healthy image life, you must definitely follow human daily caloric intake and try not to exceed them. The amount of calories consumed per day depends on gender, age, type of human activity, as well as climate. As children mature and grow, they require more and more calories for the full development of the body. In an adult, daily calorie intake decreases depending on age: than older man, the less energy it requires. This, of course, does not apply to those who prefer to exercise in old age! Men have a higher calorie intake per day than women. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should remember to get enough calories for themselves and their baby. Athletes can consume 1.5 to 1.8 times more calories per day than non-athletes. Don’t forget that when thinking through your diet, you need to take into account not only the number of calories you consume per day, but also their “quality”. It is completely wrong to think that it is only important not to exceed the daily calorie intake, and it does not matter what foods to gain it from. Your food should be balanced, contain a sufficient amount of protein and a moderate amount of carbohydrates and fats, the excess of which is known to lead to fat deposition. Fats should account for no more than 20-30% of the daily calorie intake, and carbohydrates - no more than 50%. Your diet must include fruits and vegetables, preferably fresh, as well as grains.

Daily calorie needs of certain categories of people

Daily calorie intake depending on physical activity and age