Olya Likhacheva

Beauty is like a precious stone: the simpler it is, the more precious it is:)

Content

If you're serious about your health and fitness, you know how important it is to meet your daily caloric 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, required by a person 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 during the week is also taken into account (for example, attending sports training, physically demanding 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 the required amount of energy elements per day becomes. Children and teenagers need more nutrients as their bodies grow and develop. 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 functioning, men need more fats, proteins and carbohydrates daily, as they lead a physically demanding, 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 daily energy requirement 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.

	Physical activity	For men, kcal/day	For women, kcal/day
0.5 – 1 year	Not taken into account
1 – 1.5 years
1.5 – 3 years
34 years
11 – 13 years old
14 – 17 years old
18 – 30 years old
	Sedentary
30 – 50 years
	Sedentary
After 50 years
	Sedentary

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 to maintain the normal functioning of the body, while simultaneously losing extra pounds. 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 in the shortest possible 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 simply use an online calculator to calculate the amount of energy needed. Read below for detailed instructions on 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.

Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give treatment recommendations based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

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Calorie counting is one of the main components of health. The presence of extra pounds or health problems associated with concomitant human diseases is due to poor nutrition.

Poor nutrition indicates an incorrect calculation of the daily calorie intake or a lack of control over calorie intake in foods.

People who are ready to change their diet, composition and nutritional standards have a question: “How to calculate the amount of calories that a particular person needs?” Before you can answer this question, you need to know as much as possible about calories.

What is a calorie?

Calorie is a unit that measures the amount of heat (energy) that a person receives daily from food when it is consumed. In the body, after the intake of food, heat is released, which is usually measured in calories.

If the balance of calories consumed and expended is imbalanced, excess weight appears and the normal functioning of the body is disrupted.

Calculator for calculating the number of calories burned daily

How many calories should a person consume per day?

An important part of diet planning is determining the exact and correct amount of energy, namely, how much is the optimal number of daily calories a person needs? After all, this energy plays a role in the normal functioning of the body.

It is important to keep in mind that the body expends energy on physical work performed by a person.

And besides:

For the purpose of calculating everyday generally accepted calorie measurements, a large number of methods have been created. When using formulas to calculate calories, be sure to take into account your individual characteristics, because they play an important role.

According to the World Health Organization, it is believed that per day you need to consume about 2000 cal.

It is also important to take into account the gender and age category of the person who needs to determine the amount of calories consumed.

Nutritionists, classifying people by age category, distinguish:

• Children.
• Teenagers.
• Adult people.
• Old people.
• Old people.

Depending on gender, people are divided into:

• Men.
• Women.

There are many classifications, for example, people are classified according to the type of professional activity. All this data is taken into account when calorie distribution.

Women

Calorie content for an insufficiently active lifestyle:

• Girls (19–25) per day required 2000 cal.
• Middle aged (26–50) need to 1800.
• Older (51 and older) required 1500–1700.

Calorie content for a moderate lifestyle:

• Girls (19–25) approximately 2000.
• Middle aged (26–51) required 1800.
• Older (51 or more) required 1700–1800.

An active lifestyle requires the following number of calories:

• Girls (19–25) approximately 2400–2450.
• Middle age (26–51) necessary 2100–2200.
• Older age (51 or more) necessary 2000.

For men

The average calorie intake for males ranges from 2500 to 2900–3100 cal.

The amount of calories depends on:

• Weights.
• Growth (the taller you are, the more food you need to eat).
• Age category.
• Lifestyle.
• Physical activity.
• Goals.

For an inactive lifestyle, calories needed:

• Young people (19–30) necessary 2400–2500.
• Middle aged (31–50) necessary 2250–2300.
• For older people (51 and older) it takes about 2000.

A moderate lifestyle requires calories:

• Young (19–30) it takes about 2700–2800.
• In middle age (31 or more) recommended to use 2400–2600.

When playing sports (moderate physical activity), energy requirements increase by approximately 12% of normal.

Children and teenagers

It is important to remember that the child’s caloric intake must be sufficient, since the formation of a healthy body requires a lot of energy.

Calorie content depends on the age category of the child:

Calories for teenagers:

• For girls 11–12 years old need to 2150 cal, boys required 2250.
• Girls 12–15 years old, need to 2200-2300 cal, boys required 2500.
• Young people 15–19 years old required 3000 cal, and for girls required 2400.

After 19 years of age, adult values ​​are used to determine calorie content.

If you don't want to spend time calculating calories on a piece of paper, you can use a table. Using the table, you can determine calorie content, taking into account age category, gender and other indicators.

Daily calorie requirement for a person:

Children
From 6 months to 1 year	800
From 1 year to 1.5 years	1330
1.5-3 years	1480
3-4 years	1800
5-6 years	1990
7-10 years	2380
11-13 years old	2860
Boys 14-17 years old	3160
Girls 14-17 years old	2760
Adults
Pregnant women	3200
Nursing mothers	3500
Students (men)	3300
Students (women)	2800
Male athletes	4500-5000
Women athletes	3500-4000
Men engaged in heavy physical labor	4500 or more

Formulas for calculating daily calorie intake

Determining caloric intake begins with setting a goal that a person wants to achieve. Calorie intake will vary significantly among people who have different goals.

Based on the analyzed statistical data, we can identify several main goals of people who decided to determine the caloric content they need:

There are formulas designed to calculate calories.

Namely:

• Mifflin-San Geor.
• WHO ( World Health Organization).
• Harris Benedict.
• Tom Venuto.
• Ketch-McArdle.

When applying the World Health Organization formula, it is required to take into account the physical activity ratio (PAI).

Before calculating calorie content, the CFA is determined:

• 1 – low physical activity.
• 1, 3 – average.
• 1,5 – high.

Afterwards, you need to remember your coefficient in numbers; this number will be needed for further calculations.

Determination of calorie content:

• Women:
  • young (19–29)= (0.062 × mass in kg + 2.036) × 240 × CFA;
  • middle aged (30–59)= (0.034 × mass in kg + 3.538) × 240 × CFA;
  • older (60 or more)= (0.038 × mass in kg + 2.755) × 240 × CFA.

Let's calculate the caloric intake for a 32-year-old woman, weighing 66 kg and having an activity level of low = (0.034 × 66+ 3.538) × 240 × 1 = 1387 cal.

• Men:
  • young (19–29)= (0.063 × body weight in kg + 2.896) × 240 × CFA;
  • middle aged (30–59)= (0.484 × body weight in kg + 3.653) × 240 × CFA;
  • older (60 and older)= (0.491 × body weight in kg + 2.459) × 240 × CFA.

Let's calculate the caloric intake for a 44-year-old man with a body weight of 82 kg and an average activity level: (0.034 × 82+ 3.538) × 240 × 1.3 = 1973 cal.

To calculate calorie content using the Ketch-McArdle method, you need to know the amount of fat layer. Without taking into account height, gender and other parameters, you can achieve incorrect results.

Minimum calorie size = 370 + 21.6 × x (body weight excluding fat layer).

Let's try to determine the calorie content for a 24-year-old girl with a body weight of 55 kg = 370 + 21.6 × 55 = 1558 cal per day.

Tom Venuto's method allows you to determine calorie content in the following way:

• Men:

66 + (13.7 x body weight) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years).

Let's calculate the calorie content for a 25-year-old man, weighing 88 kg and height 190 cm: 66 + (13.7 x 88) + (5 x 190) – (6.8 x 25) ≈ 2051.

• Women:

665 + (9.6 x body weight) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years).

Mifflin-St. Geor Formula

There is a formula that can be used to determine a woman’s calorie needs.

When determining the minimum amount of calories you need:

For example, let’s determine the minimum calorie requirement for a 20-year-old woman, weighing 48 kg and height 160 cm: 48*10+160*6.25-20*5-161 = 1219.

Thus, this woman's minimum caloric requirement is 1219.

To calculate the minimum calorie intake for males, you need to:

• Weight (kg) multiplied by 10.
• To the resulting number add the number that will be obtained after growth transformations.
• Height in centimeters multiplied by 6.25.
• Age multiplied by 5.
• The resulting number must be subtracted and 5 added to it.

For example, let’s determine the minimum caloric requirement of a 23-year-old man, weighing 83 kg and height 190 cm: 83*10+190*6.25-23*5+5=1907.

So this man needs to consume a minimum of 1,907 calories daily.

It is important to understand that this is the amount of calories that the body needs for normal functioning and the functioning of internal organs. Therefore, consuming calories below the minimum level has a negative impact on health.

Harris Benedict Formula

Calorie counting using this method is intended for people who meet two main criteria:

• desire to maintain current weight;
• lack of periodic training.

Determining the minimum amount of energy for women

All you need to do is plug your data into the formula: 655.1 + (9.6 × body weight in kg) + (1.85 × height in cm) – (4.68 × age in years).

Let's calculate the caloric intake of a 34-year-old woman, weighing 55 kg and height 167 cm: 655.1 + (9.6 ×55) + (1.85 ×167) – (4.68 ×34) ≈ 1332 cal.

So this woman needs to consume about 1,300 calories.

Determination of the basal metabolic rate of men

You need to substitute your data into the formula: 66.47 + (13.75 × body weight in kg) + (5 × height in cm) – (6.74 × age in years).

Let's determine the calorie content of a 42-year-old man, weighing 78 kg and height 182 cm: 66.47 + (13.75 ×78) + (5 ×182) – (6.74 ×42) ≈ 1765 cal.

Thus, a man of this build needs to consume about 1700-1800 cal per day.

What is the daily calorie intake for weight loss?

A person who wants to lose weight thinks that they need to significantly reduce their daily caloric intake. Experts consider this approach to be incorrect, since these actions can lead to deterioration in well-being and health.

It is important to understand that if you lose weight dramatically, the extra pounds will return again. When losing weight, calorie content is determined using a special formula.

Calorie content varies from person to person, but the general rule is to consume more 1250–1400 cal.

When calculating calories for weight loss, use:

• Mifflin's formula - St. George.
• Rule: “Calorie norm minus 500 cal.”

Online calculator for calculating calories

Nowadays there are online calculators. They help determine the amount of vital energy needed. These calculators take into account all the individual characteristics of a person.

Online calculation allows you to find out your basal metabolic rate, taking into account the goal you want to achieve (reducing or increasing body weight). The program can even create a rough schedule that you need to adhere to to achieve your goal.

Calculate calorie intake for weight gain

People who decide to gain muscle mass or gain weight need to understand that calorie intake must exceed basal metabolism.

A rule of thumb is to eat 400 to 500 calories more than your minimum caloric intake. This rule is not entirely correct, since all people are individual, which is why this approach is not suitable for everyone.

There are also two main ways in which you can calculate calorie content:

• Harris-Benedict formula.
• Multiplying body weight by 30 (there is a version where weight is multiplied by 33).

Calorie content for a 72 kg man who wants to gain weight by increasing muscle volume is: Weight (in kg) × 30 = 72 × 30 = 2160.

Regardless of the method chosen for calculating calories, you need to periodically recalculate calories as your body weight increases.

Conclusion

To calculate calorie content you need:

• Measure your height and weight.
• Determine the goal you want to achieve.
• Select a method for calculating calories.
• Stick to your meal plan.

To achieve your goal and maintain excellent health, regardless of how you calculate calories, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• To drink a lot of water.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables, about 400 g per day.
• Walk for at least half an hour a day.
• Eat as little sugar and junk food as possible (fast food, crackers, chips).
• Exercise.
• Sleep at least 8 hours.

By following these simple rules and all the information in the article, you will notice changes in your body after a short time.

The daily calorie intake for women, men and children per day is radically different. Not only age, metabolism and lifestyle play a big role, but also the goal you want to achieve. Do you have a desire to lose weight? The daily calorie intake per day should be “poor” 🙁. Have you decided to get better? The daily calorie intake needs to be increased 😉 . How to correctly calculate the daily calorie intake for a person so as not to harm the body? Use tables and examples to determine your daily intake.

The course of metabolic processes in women and men differs, therefore, on average, the daily calorie intake for a woman is 2000 cal, and for a man - 2500 cal - average values. Using formulas, examples and tables from the article, you can make the calculation more accurately. You can correlate the results with your lifestyle.

Daily calorie intake for humans

First of all, let's look at what a calorie is - a unit of energy thanks to which a person lives. When there is too much of this energy, it is stored in fat masses 😡 . It happens that the energy received is not enough for life support; in this case, the body takes energy from adipose tissue. This is how you lose weight.

Any physical or mental activity requires energy, so the calculation of the daily calorie intake per day for a woman or man should be based on lifestyle.

For example:

• What activity does the person engage in?
• Is physical activity included in his life?
• Gender and age also affect daily calorie intake.

For example, a young body requires more calories per day. Consumption is due to the fact that a lot of energy is spent on the development of the body. In adulthood there are no such needs. Right?

Another example: one person works in an office and has a sedentary job, while another works hard in the workshop. The first one needs fewer calories per day than the second one. And if a person is engaged in intense training, then the calorie consumption in this case is very large, therefore, he needs to eat more.

Main points:

1. the closer a person gets to old age, the fewer calories he needs;
2. a woman's daily calorie intake is lower than a man's;
3. pregnant girls and young mothers must provide energy not only for themselves, but also for the baby;
4. People involved in intense exercise should consume 2 times more calories per day.

Is the quality of calories consumed important?

Basically, everyone understands the quantity of calories, but many are confused with the quality. How much does the quality of calories consumed affect? Food should be balanced:

• 30% fat;
• 50% carbohydrates;
• 20% proteins.

By severely violating these proportions, for example, by eating a large amount of fatty foods that do not have enough proteins and carbohydrates, you will get excess fat deposits 😯.

In most cases, your daily menu should contain a large amount of fresh vegetables and fruits - in this case, you are not afraid of excess weight.

By consuming mainly carbohydrates, there is plenty of energy for the body to function, but there is little protein. You will immediately notice a painful condition:

• anemia 😳;
• weakness and lethargy;
• decreased immune function;
• etc…

Each element: protein, carbohydrate, mineral, vitamin is important for our body to stay healthy. If a person begins to consume one thing in large quantities, then by definition he lacks something else - simple logic.

Judge for yourself, it’s impossible to eat only sweets, isn’t it? It is also impossible to eat only meat! The correct combination must be observed.

To increase the quality level of your health, try to remove all animal fats, confectionery products, and sugar from your daily diet :) This is enough to start the body’s processes of self-healing and weight loss. The painful condition will pass and good spirits will appear!

How to calculate the daily calorie intake for a person

Every hour the body burns 1 calorie to maintain each kilogram of body weight. Let's say your weight is 55 kg, multiply it by 24 hours a day and get your daily calorie intake:

55 * 24 = 1320 cal

Please note! 💡 This amount of energy is only enough to keep the body in working condition.

Don't forget also about:

• Digestion of food (about 200 calories required);
• Very active or athletic activity (a lot of energy goes into this, look at children, they are constantly on the move);
• Mental work also requires a large amount of energy;
• and so on…

On the table you can see calculations and examples of the daily calorie intake per day for women, men and children:

General rules for counting calories.

The daily calorie intake per day can be set more accurately than shown in the table above. There are general counting rules:

1. Every 10 years, the amount of energy consumed decreases by 2%;
2. A short person needs fewer calories than a tall person;
3. On average, it takes 24 calories every hour to maintain 1 kg of body weight.

This is some simple math! The older and shorter you are, the fewer daily calories you need. And the higher and younger you are, the more calories you should eat per day. Over the years, consumption becomes less intense compared to childhood.

Daily calorie intake per day for a woman.

Let us repeat, a woman needs less daily calories than a man. What does this depend on? 😮
From such factors:

• age,
• occupation,
• conditions,
• even the climate.

Women gain weight faster - physiology decides. It is obvious that the female body is trying to store fat reserves in case of childbirth, so the fat layer grows by leaps and bounds. Such a feeling! 🙁 This doesn’t happen to all women, but they have to be careful with sweet and flour products.

It all depends on the purposes for which you are doing the calculation. When you are faced with the task of maintaining the body in its current state, without any weight loss, we will offer you to choose one of the options below. If you want to lose weight, read on.

Sedentary life.

• Girls between 18 and 25 years of age should absorb about 2000 calories per day;
• Girls and women aged 26 - 50 years old need 1800 calories per day;
• For women over 50, the daily calorie intake is 1600 Kcal.

Average activity.

• Girls 18 - 25 can safely consume 2200 calories;
• Girls and women 26-50 years old can eat 2000 calories per day;
• Women over 50 need 1800 calories per day.

High activity.

• The norm of calories per day for a girl aged 18 - 30 years old, on average, should eat 2400 calories;
• 31 – 60 years – 2200 calories;
• For a woman over 60, 2000 calories per day is enough.

Try to look at these norms relatively. Do you think you should lose weight? Reduce your daily calorie intake slightly. After a while you will see the result. Write down your calories consumed and your weight every day :) After a while you will see the result, although it may not exist. Depending on the results, adjust your daily calorie intake up or down.

Daily calorie intake for a woman when losing weight.

Consider all the recommendations and advice we have given you above. After choosing the daily calorie intake that best suits you, subtract 500 calories from it. This approach will allow you to lose 0.5 kg of body weight every week 😆.

The process of losing weight at this pace will help the body maintain your skin in an elastic state, eliminating sagging skin from sudden weight loss.

Try to use gentle weight loss and do not drop your daily calorie intake below 1200, because the body may experience stress and at a certain stage weight loss may stop. It’s simple, the body will switch to an “economical mode” of life support.

Now let's look at the formulas for determining the daily calorie intake for a woman when losing weight.

Mifflin-San Geore formula for women.

The formula was developed by San Geor several years ago. This formula is the most accurate calculation of the daily calorie intake. The daily calorie intake for a woman is calculated as follows:

10 x body weight (kg) + 6.25 x your height (cm) – 5 x your age (in years) – 161

• 1.2 – very little or no physical activity;
• 1.375 – do sports 3 workouts per week;
• 1.4625 – do sports every day, except weekends;
• 1.550 – intensive training except weekends;
• 1.6375 – do sports every day, seven days a week;
• 1.725 – daily intense exercise or 2 times a day;
• 1.9 – intense training every day, plus hard physical work.

Harris-Benedict formula: calculation for women.

This formula was derived by Harris-Benedict in 1919, so for modern life this daily calorie requirement for a person is inaccurate, but we give it as an example. The daily calorie intake for a woman is calculated as follows:

655.1 + 9.563 x body weight (kg) + 1.85 x your height (cm) - 4.676 x age (years)

We multiply the resulting number by your activity coefficient from the list above.

Do you see? 😮 There are many ways to determine the most accurate daily calorie intake for a woman, both for weight loss and for a normal lifestyle. Try to calculate your daily norm right now. If something doesn’t work out, write in the comments, we will help.

Daily calorie intake per day for a man.

The daily calorie intake per day for a man differs from the women's intake. Men require more protein to build muscle mass. Of course, if a man leads an active life. Protein is the building block for building muscle mass.

A man’s fat is deposited not on his hips, but on his stomach, so it’s easier and faster for a man to lose weight. It is enough to increase physical activity, eat less bread and sugar, and within a week you will feel the result. They say that men have a harder time tolerating varied diets. We don't think so! 😀

For women, the maximum weight loss rate is 2 kg per month or 0.5 kg per week. It is quite possible for a man to lose 4 kg per month or 1 kg per week. In our personal example, a man lost 30 kg in less than a month. Now a year has passed since then, and the weight remains at the reference level.

Let's find out how many calories are best for a man to consume in order for the body to function without interruption, in order to maintain weight at the desired level? And also, how many calories should you consume daily to lose weight? Choose the option that suits you.

Sedentary lifestyle.

• Men 18 to 30 can consume 2,400 calories per day;
• At the age of 31 to 50 years, the daily intake will be 2200 calories;
• For men over 50, 2000 calories per day is enough.

Moderate activity.

• For men from 18 – 30, 2600 – 2800 calories are enough;
• At 31 - 50 years of age, the norm is already less - 2400 - 2600 calories per day;
• Those over 50 can enjoy 2200 – 2400 calories.

High activity.

• At 18-30 years old it is better to eat 3000 calories per day;
• For men aged 31–50 years, 2800–3000 calories will be enough;
• Men over 50: 2400 – 2800 calories per day is enough.

Mifflin Formula - St. George for men.

10 x body weight (kg) + 6.25 x human height (cm) – 5 x (number of years) + 5

The resulting figure must be multiplied by the indicator of your physical activity from the table:

• 1.2 – no physical activity or it is minimal;
• 1.375 – three workouts for the whole week;
• 1.4625 – do sports 5 times a week;
• 1.550 – intensive training all week, except weekends;
• 1.6375 – regular workouts every day;
• 1.725 – intensive training every day or more than 1 rub. in a day;
• 1.9 – daily training combined with hard physical work.

Harris-Benedict formula for men.

As for the Harris formula, the norm is calculated as follows (do not forget that this calculation has a small 5% error):

66.5 + 13.75 x body weight (kg) + 5.003 x human height (cm) – 6.775 x (how old)

As in the Saint-Geor formula, the result obtained must be multiplied by your physical activity indicator.

Calorie intake per day for weight loss.

It is easy to calculate the daily calorie intake per day for weight loss, given that you have already chosen the appropriate option for yourself from the lists above. To lose excess fat, remove 20% of the calories from the resulting option.

For example, you determined that your calorie intake = 2000 cal, which means we subtract 20% from this value and get:

2000 cal – 20% = 1600 cal

Do you want to lose weight very quickly? Remove 40% from your norm:

2000 cal – 40% = 1200 cal

See, it's simple! 🙂 Try to maintain the number of calories consumed at least 1200 (the minimum value to provide the body with energy). Believe me, consuming 1200 calories a day will help you lose weight very quickly.

Track your weight loss results, take daily measurements in your workbook:

1. How many calories did you eat;
2. What is your body weight.

If you buy food products that do not indicate calories (Cal), but kilojoules (J), use this comparison: 1 Cal = 4.184 J.

Daily calorie intake for children.

We have figured out the daily calorie intake per day for women and men. Let's talk about the daily calorie intake for children.

Based on age, the daily norm is as follows:

1. From 6 months to 1 year – 800 calories per day;
2. If the child is 1–3 years old, 1300–1500 calories are enough for the body to function properly;
3. 3 – 6 years 1800 – 2000 calories will be considered the norm for children;
4. When children are 6 to 10, they will need 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day;
5. And at 10–13 years of age, the daily norm increases to 2900 calories per day.

In the following age intervals, the norm for children is equal to the norm for young men and girls.
It is worth paying attention to the quality of the food you give your child. The diet must include fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals. But there should be less sweets and baked goods. Flour products, sugar, confectionery sweets from the store are real POISON 👿 for a child’s body. Nowadays there is so much stuff in the store: chips, lollipops, various sweet drinks. We need to protect our children from this poison.

Some children are very active, and their bodies are growing, so the need for energy is increased. Others behave calmly, and the daily calorie intake may be lower. Parents must themselves determine the daily intake of a little person. It's quite easy to do!

See how much energy is spent on various activities:

• calm video games - consumption of 22 calories per hour;
• active video games - consumption of 150 calories per hour;
• bicycle racing - 118-172 calories/hour;
• skateboarding – 74-108 calories/hour;
• slow dancing lessons – 100 calories/hour;
• even sleeping takes 13-19 calories/hour;
• inactive TV viewing consumes 15-22 calories/hour;
• doing homework requires 20 calories for every 15 minutes of work;
• regular laughter consumes 10-40 calories every 15 minutes.

Table for calculating daily caloric intake.

For convenience, we have provided a table for daily calculation of calorie intake per day for women, men and children.

The daily calorie intake per day for women, men and children will differ dramatically. However, creating the right diet for yourself is quite simple:

• Determine your current weight. To lose weight, the daily amount of calories should be less than if you need to gain weight;
• select the desired norm from the above tables based on the number of calories consumed and adjust it as necessary;
• measure and record your calorie intake and body weight daily;
• After a while, look at the result and, if necessary, adjust the daily calorie intake per day.
• Be sure to monitor the quality of the food you eat;
• Remember the proportions of proteins, fats, carbohydrates.

Do you want to have a healthy and strong body, never get sick and be slim? Follow three simple rules:

1. Carry out a comprehensive cleansing of the body, starting with the intestines;
2. Switch to eating raw plant foods without heat treatment and without mixing;
3. Once a week, do fasting fasting days.

Aibolit's opinion

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The only correct and effective way to lose weight is sports and a balanced diet. The rate of weight loss depends on the physiological characteristics of each person, the level of physical activity (training), existing diseases, etc. If a woman wants to lose weight, she needs to correctly calculate her daily calorie intake for more effective and rapid weight loss and subcutaneous fat loss.

Why do you need to calculate calories?

Calorie is the energy weight of a product that is released by the body when digesting food. The balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and calorie content of a dish are associated with performance and activity, and health status.

If there is insufficient energy entering the body, weakness, apathy, and deterioration in the condition of the skin, teeth, and hair are observed.

When there is an excess of calorie intake, fat accumulates in the body and increases body weight.

For healthy and safe weight loss, it is important to gradually reduce your calorie intake to the required level. To do this, you need to calculate the rate of individual calorie consumption by the body, keep a food diary, which reflects all the foods and dishes eaten during the day.

How to calculate daily calorie intake

The World Health Organization has recognized universal calorie standards: for women, daily caloric intake is 2000 kcal, for men 2500 kcal. However, these data do not take into account a number of factors on which the daily calorie intake directly depends, for example, gender, age, lifestyle, level of physical activity, etc.

The daily calorie intake for a woman when losing weight is calculated using special formulas.

The calculation consists of several stages:

The result obtained is the metabolic rate (metabolic rate).

By multiplying this indicator by the coefficient of the corresponding activity level, we obtain the required calorie intake per day to maintain weight at a stable level.

To lose weight, a woman needs to reduce the resulting figure by 500 kcal. That is, if in the calculations the required daily calorie content turned out to be 1800 kcal, then to lose weight you need to limit yourself to 1300 kcal.

To speed up weight loss, you can increase the number of workouts.

Calculation of ideal weight and minimum calorie intake for weight loss

Then multiply the result by:

For example:

A 28-year-old woman, 170 cm tall, normosthenic build, with moderate physical activity. Ideal weight: 170 * 360 = 61,200 kg.

Calorie norm to maintain weight at a normal level: 61 * 33 = 2013, i.e. 2000 kcal.

Mifflin–St. Jeort method

This calculation is the most optimal way when preparing a diet.

The disadvantage of the method is the lack of taking into account the ratio of muscle and fat tissue in the body, because the level of muscle mass affects the speed of metabolic processes.

For example:

Daily calorie intake for a woman 35 years old, 160 cm tall and weighing 78 kg with moderately intense CFA: 78 * 10 + (6.25 * height in cm) – 5 * age (full years) – 161 = 1444 kcal

1444 * 1,550 = 2238 kcal – daily requirement.

To lose weight, a woman needs to receive energy in the amount of 2238 kcal from food, but gradually reduce the norm to 2000 kcal.

Harris-Benedict method

This method was developed in 1919. At this time, the method is somewhat incorrect and has a calculation error of +/- 5%.

Daily calorie intake for men and women using this method is calculated as follows:

For example:

A 33-year-old woman, weighing 65 kg and height 173 cm, to maintain normal weight will need:

655.1 + (9.563 * 65) + (1.85 * 173) – (4.676 * 33) = 1442.43 kcal.

World Health Organization (WHO) method

Using this method, the daily calorie intake is calculated taking into account the CFA:

For example:

A 25-year-old girl weighing 55 kg with intensive CFA requires: (0.062 * 55 + 2.036) * 240 * 1.5 = 1960.56 kcal per day.

Ketch–McArdle method

Calculations using this method allow you to take into account the ratio of fat and muscle tissue in the body. The disadvantage of the method is that it does not take into account gender, age and height when calculating, which increases the likelihood of errors in the calculations.

According to the Ketch-McArdle method, daily requirement = 370 + (21.6 * weight in kg excluding fat tissue).

For example:

A woman weighing 60 kg per day requires: 370 + (21.6 * 56) = 1579.6 kcal.

By adhering to the rules of a healthy, balanced diet, taking into account the required calorie content, a woman can maintain her weight at a normal level. If a woman wants to lose weight, then 500 should be subtracted from the resulting calorie norm, but the CFA level should be taken into account. A sharp decrease in caloric intake for rapid weight loss and an increase in physical activity contribute to the development of serious complications and diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine, and reproductive systems, a slowdown in metabolism, and a decrease in immunity.

Features of calculating daily calorie intake

The daily intake of calories into the body is different for men and women. Men require more energy. For an accurate and most indicative result, the following individual characteristics should be taken into account when calculating:

• age,
• height,
• body type,
• lifestyle, level of physical activity,
• type of employment (mental work, heavy physical work).

When taking into account the level of physical activity, one should take into account the performance of household work (washing floors, dishes, washing, ironing), walking up stairs or riding an elevator, the degree of movement in everyday life, and the level of stress tolerance.

Thus, a woman with heavy physical work needs more calories to maintain strength than a woman with the same parameters, but working in an office.

Calorie intake during pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman is strictly forbidden to go on diets or lose weight. Overeating “for two” is also not recommended. Given the interesting situation, a woman needs to calculate the daily calorie intake to maintain the natural processes of the body for the development of the unborn child.

Experts recommend gradually increasing the calorie intake as pregnancy progresses from 2500 kcal in the first trimester to 3500 kcal in the third trimester. You should gain the required caloric intake from plant foods, lean beef and chicken, fatty sea fish, nuts, fruits, whole grain cereals and bread.

The importance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates when counting calories

When calculating calories, it is important to consider what the calories come from. The state of the body, the process of losing weight or gaining weight directly depends on the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in food.

So, for example, the 2000 kcal necessary for the body, obtained from “heavy” food, will not benefit the body. But the same 2000 kcal, obtained from fresh vegetables, whole grain cereals, protein products, nuts, will help maintain balance in the body and, if necessary, lose weight.

Experts use a universal formula for the ratio in the diet: B (1): F (1): U (4). However, when losing weight, you should increase the amount of protein and complex carbohydrates, and fats should be vegetable, polyunsaturated. It is also recommended to take foods high in potassium, magnesium, iron, iodine, and calcium.

Carbohydrates are a source of energy and strength in the body. When losing weight, you need to consume complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest by the body and give you a feeling of fullness.

Carbohydrate intake should come from the following sources:

• oatmeal, pearl barley, wheat, corn grits, bulgur, couscous,
• legumes: lentils, beans, peas, corn,
• whole wheat bread.

When losing weight, it is important for a woman to consider the amount of complex carbohydrates, protein foods and fats in her daily calorie intake.

Possible errors when calculating calories

Main mistakes when calculating daily caloric intake:

1. Physiological features.
2. Hormonal changes and disorders. Thus, hypothyroidism contributes to a slowdown in metabolism and causes a disturbance in the water-salt balance in the body (which is reflected in the form of swelling).
3. Fluid retention in the body. Due to the consumption of large amounts of salt, smoked meats, and spicy seasonings, water retention occurs and swelling of the body appears. When losing weight, weighing will be incorrect, since due to excess fluid in the body, body weight will be greater than it actually is.
4. CFAs in calculations are approximate. It is impossible to determine the exact number of calories burned when playing sports.

To avoid possible errors in calculations, it is recommended to keep a food diary, which will reflect all the foods eaten during the day. So, by monitoring your diet for 3-4 weeks, you can identify unnecessary and high-calorie foods that interfere with weight loss.

A qualified specialist (nutritionist, trainer) will help you correctly calculate your daily calorie intake. Taking into account individual characteristics, gender, age, height and CFA level, a specialist will be able to more accurately calculate how many calories the body needs to consume and perform physiological functions.

Calculating and applying calorie intake per day is a useful practice that allows you to lead a normal lifestyle and at the same time noticeably lose weight. Knowing how many calories are in each specific product, you can calculate the rate of consumption of BJU.

The article was checked and approved by Elizaveta Anatolyevna Krizhanovskaya, a practicing family doctor - see.

Kilocalories (more often called “calories”) are energy obtained from food and consumed for life. Even when a person just sits or lies quietly, calories are spent to ensure the productive functioning of the organs. We need to know the number of calories suitable for activity during the day. To calculate this amount, you need to take into account lifestyle, age, gender, weight and other conditions.

Example of calculation using the Muffin–Jeor method
When determining the daily calorie requirement, it is advisable to take into account all the features of a person’s life, because energy consumption is very different for an adult and a child, a housewife and an athlete, a man and a woman. In addition, as a person ages, his metabolism slows down, energy consumption also decreases, which means he needs fewer calories.

To make a fairly accurate calculation of calories per day, it is best to use universal formulas. To begin with, let's use Muffin–Geor formula(Muffin – Jeor equation, sometimes called Mifflin–Saint-Geor equation). It has options for men and women.

1. First of all, let's determine the basal metabolism. This is the name for the number of calories to maintain body functions, provided that you are at rest (no physical activity).
   • Basal metabolic rate - men: (9.99 times weight) + (6.25 times height) – (4.92 times age) + 5
     
   • Basal exchange – women: (9.99 multiplied by weight) + (6.25 multiplied by height) – (4.92 multiplied by age) – 161
     
2. Now let’s calculate the daily amount of calories taking into account physical activity - this will require increasing coefficients, each of which indicates the degree of physical activity. We multiply the basal metabolic rate by one of the coefficients corresponding to your load:
   • inactive lifestyle: 1.2;
     
   • minor physical activity (per week - up to 3 days): 1.375;
     
   • moderate intensity activity (sports activities no more than 3-5 days): 1.55;
     
   • significant activity (sports activity daily): 1.725;
     
   • very intense load (daily physical work, constant active training, competitions): 1.9.
     

Now let's look at an example.
How many calories does a 35-year-old man, weighing 77 kg, height 175 cm, need, provided that he is an assistant to the director of a company (the job involves not very active movement) and goes to the gym three days a week?

Basic metabolism according to these parameters: (9.99 * 77) + (6.25 * 175) – (4.92 * 35) + 5

We get: 769.23 + 1093.75 – 172.2 + 5 = 1695.78

Let's multiply the basic metabolism by the corresponding increasing factor: 1695.78 * 1.55 = 2628.459.

This is the amount of calories a man will need during the day to maintain weight. If he decides to lose weight, he will need a calorie deficit, which is about 400 kcal less than the calculated norm. Accordingly, consuming more calories than normal will lead to weight gain.

Example of calculation using the Harris–Benedict method
This method works approximately the same as the previous one. But the formula is only suitable for people of average weight (not for those who are overweight, and not for athletes with significant muscle mass).

The calculation is based on the basal metabolic rate, that is, the energy reserve for 24 hours without physical activity.

• Men: 88.36 + (13.4 times weight) + (4.8 times height) – (5.7 times age)
  
• Women: 447.6 + (9.2 times weight) + (3.1 times height) – (4.3 times age)
  

The activity level by which you need to multiply the result:

• minimum level of activity (without physical activity) – 1.2;
  
• low (load from 1 to 3 days within one week) – 1.375;
  
• moderate (load no more than 3-5 days) – 1.55;
  
• significant (6 or 7 days) – 1.725;
  
• very high – 1.9.
  

For the man in the example above: basal metabolic rate 88.36 + 1031.8 + 840 - 199.5 = 1760.66. Now let's take into account physical activity (in our case, moderate): 1760.66 * 1.55 = 2729.023. As you can see, the difference in the result compared to the first formula is insignificant - about 100 calories.

Average daily values
For those who would not like to use formulas, there are certain normative indicators for people of different genders and different ages. These indicators are averages and are not individually accurate, but can serve as guidelines.

When determining these values, experts take into account gender, age, and physical activity.

For children and teenagers. For babies under 1 year of age, 800 kcal is enough; up to 3 years – up to 1500 kcal. Preschoolers under 6 years old – no more than 1990 kcal. For children under 10 years old, 2400 kcal per day is enough.

At puberty, girls 14-18 years old need approximately 2800 kcal per day, boys of the same age - approximately 3200 kcal.

For adults from 18 to 40 years old. An adult man can consume up to 3000 kcal per day and increase this number by another 1000 if his activity involves physical activity. An adult woman can consume up to 2600 kcal and about 3300 kcal during physical activity. For a pregnant woman, at least 3200 kcal per day is recommended, for a nursing mother - 3500 kcal.

For the older age group from 40 years old. For men, 2800 calories are enough, for women – 2400. If there is physical activity, both can add about 200 calories. It is better for men over 60 years old to consume no more than 2500 calories, for women – no more than 2200. Up to 2200 calories per day is the norm for people over 70 years old.

Calories for good health
If you want to limit yourself in food in order to lose weight, it is better to “subtract” no more than 400 kcal from your diet. It is not recommended to reduce the daily intake to less than 1200 kcal.

What happens when very few calories enter the body - for example, during an “extreme” diet or a conscious fast, undertaken to quickly lose weight?

• The basal metabolism decreases, the body saves energy - this negatively affects both activity (including sexual activity) and well-being.
  
• Catabolic processes begin, that is, the body processes its own muscle fibers, trying to turn them into energy.
  
• Digestion of food and metabolism deteriorate, and the body experiences a lack of nutrients and vitamins.
  
• When a person decides to return to his usual diet, the body, experiencing shock from a recent hunger strike, spends energy sparingly for some time, and “stores” what is not spent for future use. That is why all the lost kilograms come back again, and often the weight turns out to be more than before.
  

There are sites on the Internet with nutritional information where you can find special online calculators for daily calorie intake. If you think that the entered parameters are not enough for an accurate calculation, you can always make an individual calculation using the given formulas. A correctly determined calorie intake ensures that you maintain optimal weight, lose weight, or gain normal weight, depending on your desire.