How Many Calories Do You Really Need? (2024)

Daily calorie intake

Regardless of whether you tryLose weightIf you want to gain weight or maintain your current weight, it is important to know how many calories you should eat daily.

The daily calorie intake is different for every person. It depends on a number of things, such as your age, gender and activity level. In general, people assigned male at birth need more calories because their bodies are larger. And people who are more active need more calories than less active people. In your senior years, you need fewer calories due to changes in your metabolism.

Calorie intake chart

This graph shows the estimated calorie needs. It should only be used as a reference point because everyone's metabolism is different, even if they are the same size, gender and age.

You can find out your activity level by using this as a guideline:

• Sedentary means that you only engage in light physical activity in daily life.
• Moderately active means that you perform physical activities equivalent to approximately 2.5 to 5 km of walking per day at a speed of 3 to 6 km per hour, in addition to the light activities of daily life.
• Active means that you perform physical activities equivalent to walking more than 5 km per day at a speed of 3 to 6 km per hour, in addition to the light activities of daily living.

How many calories should I eat per day?

Your daily calorie needs are based on the amount of calories you consume and the number of calories you burn each day. You can get a better estimate of your calories because each food item has an estimated number of calories. It is more difficult to estimate your calories burned. It's not just the calories you burn through exercise and daily activities, but how many calories your body burns that power your bodily functions such as digestion and metabolism.

To get a more accurate estimate, have it tested in a lab to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Then you can add the calories you burn daily through your activities to get a better picture.

But most people don't have access to laboratory tests. So you can use these guidelines as a basis for planning your diet:

How many calories should I eat per day to maintain my weight?

To maintain your current weight, you must balance the amount of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses each day. On average, women need about 1,600 to 2,400 calories each day, and men need 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day, depending on age and activity level. If you find out that you need 2,000 calories per day, you should keep your calorie intake approximately equal to that number.

How many calories should I eat per day to lose weight?

When you take in more calories than you burn, your body stores the extra energy it doesn't need as fat. To lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit. This means that you should consume fewer calories than you burn each day. This way, your body will draw on your fat reserves to meet your energy needs and you will lose weight.

How many calories should I eat per day to gain weight?

If your goal is to gain weight, turn this around and eat more calories than your body burns each day.

In reality, weight gain and loss are more complicated than these explanations.Because calorie burn varies so much, the best way to figure out how many calories you need is to look at your results. If you are trying to maintain your weight but are still gaining weight, you will need to lower your calorie intake or increase your calorie burn by being more active.

It's also important to note that your metabolism can be affected by your genetics, health problems you have, medications you take and more. If you're having trouble achieving your goals, it helps to see a doctor or dietitian to find out what's getting in the way of your success.

How many calories do you burn per day if you do nothing?

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories you burn each day while doing absolutely nothing. This is the number of calories your body needs to support your body's basic functions, such as breathing, digestion, circulation and regulating your body temperature. Your BMR accounts for approximately 60% of your daily calorie burn.

BMR is different for every person, depending on things like age, gender, weight and height. Average:

• Adult women have a BMR of 1,400 to 1,500 calories per day
• Adult men have a BMR of 1,600 to 1,800 calories per day

It's just a guess. It is important to note that the amount of muscle mass you have has a major impact on your BMR. Your body uses much more energy to maintain and build muscle than fat. So the more muscle you have, the higher your BMR will be.

How do you calculate the number of calories burned?

There are a few ways to calculate calories burned:

Wear a fitness tracker.This wearable device gives you an estimate of the calories you burn throughout the day.

Wear a heart rate monitor.Heart rate monitors are usually more accurate than fitness trackers for calculating calorie consumption. But they are not that comfortable to wear all day.

Use a calorie calculator.To measure the number of calories burned during a specific activity, you can use an online tool that takes into account your age, gender, weight and height, as well as the type of activity you did and how long you did it.

Use an equation.You can use the MET (metabolic equivalent of task) value to measure the calorie expenditure of a specific activity. MET values ​​are measured on a scale where 1 is the least amount of effort and calories burned. You need oneMET value chartto find your MET value for your activity. You also need to know your weight in kilograms, which you can find by dividing your weight in kilograms by 2.2.

Then you plug your information into this equation, which will give you the number of calories you burn per minute. minute: 0.0175 x MET value x weight (in kilograms).

For example, if you weigh 60 kg (about 132 pounds) and do low-impact aerobics with a MET value of 5, you will burn about 5.25 calories per minute. If your class lasts 45 minutes, you will have burned just over 236 calories.

Counting calories

Calorie counting is a method of tracking your calories by keeping track of all the foods and drinks you consume every day. More and more experts no longer recommend counting calories for a number of reasons:

It's time consuming.Keeping track of every calorie you consume takes a lot of time and effort. After a while it can start to feel like a burden.

It's not always accurate.Calorie counts on food labels and databases may be wrong. You often guess at your portion sizes, which can also cause tracking errors.

You can become obsessive and stressed.Focusing on too many numbers can lead to an unhealthy obsession with food and calories, which can cause stress and anxiety. It can even lead to an eating disorder.

Food quality is not taken into account.It is possible to stay within your calorie budget by eating low-quality foods lacking nutrients.

It is not a picture of your overall health.You may spend so much time counting calories that you forget about other important aspects of staying healthy and losing weight: exercise, sleep, stress reduction and mental health.

There are still some benefits to tracking what you eat:

It keeps you aware and responsible.Recording everything you eat and drink, as well as your portion sizes, can make you more aware.

Nutritional insight.You will be given a log of your daily diet that you can review and see where you can make healthy changes.

Your doctor or dietitian will help you with this.If you're getting weight loss help from a professional, keeping a food log can give them more information so they can better guide you.

It may be better to keep track of what you eat in a day and how much, rather than trying to count every single calorie. You can take quick notes about your meals, writing down how you felt about the quality - and how you felt after eating. You can also take some photos to share with your doctor or dietitian.

Takeaways

Your daily calorie needs are based on several things, including your gender, age and activity level. Using charts and calculators you can get an idea of ​​how many calories you should eat, but it's difficult to determine the exact amount. If you want to maintain your weight, you generally need to balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn; to lose weight you must eat fewer calories than you burn; and to gain weight you have to eat more calories than you burn. The best way to find out what your calorie needs are is to talk to your doctor or dietitian.

Frequently asked questions about calories

What is a calorie in food?

A calorie is a unit of energy. It measures the amount of energy that food gives your body. All foods contain calories, but some have more than others. Carbohydrates and proteins contain 4 calories per gram, and fats contain 9 calories per gram.

Which foods contain a lot of calories?

Because fat has 9 calories per gram, fatty foods have the highest number of calories. This includes fried foods, fast foods and snacks. Nut butters, cheese and fatty meats are also high in fat. Foods high in sugar, such as sweets and pastries, are also high in calories.

Are all calories created equal?

No. Some foods provide more nutrition compared to the amount of calories they provide. These nutrient-rich foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meats, nuts, seeds and beans. Processed foods such as snacks, baked goods, desserts, sweets and fast food tend to be low in nutrients and high in calories.