Daily calorie intake for a woman with online calculators

To function properly, the body needs to consume a certain amount of calories. A woman’s individual daily calorie intake will be radically different from a man’s energy needs. What factors influence the calculations and how can you lose weight quickly while maintaining women's health? Today we will look at this topic in detail together.

Any type of physical activity, be it household chores or training in the gym, helps burn a certain amount of calories. If the energy intake from food is insufficient, this will lead to a deterioration in well-being and mood, and excessive food consumption is fraught with a set of extra pounds.

Complete material for men - Daily calorie intake for men and the correct ratio for better results

The recommended calorie intake for a woman differs from that for men and children. Also, the calculation of the daily calorie intake will vary in accordance with the goal: the desire to lose weight, gain muscle mass or maintain weight.

In this article we will talk about such important things as:

• why and how to count calories correctly, minimizing the risks to the body;
• why women's energy needs are different from men's;
• popular methods for making calculations and a calorie calculator;
• Is the quality of calories consumed really important?
• pitfalls in the calculation process: where do the extra calories come from and how to fit into the standards;
• general recommendations for creating and following a new diet.

Features of calculating daily calorie intake

A calorie is a unit of energy that provides a person with vital functions. If energy is supplied in excess, it will be deposited as a reserve of fat cells. When there is not enough energy, the body spends it from adipose tissue, which leads to weight loss.

Physical or mental activity wastes energy, and in this regard, to correctly calculate the calorie content of any person’s diet, it is necessary to take into account his lifestyle:

• specific type of activity;
• Are there any trainings, what kind?
• gender and age.

Agree that the physical load coefficient of an office worker and a courier will be different. Likewise, a young and growing body requires much more energy than in adulthood. High-intensity physical activity also requires high calorie expenditure.

So, the basic principles to remember when calculating calorie intake:

• in old age, calorie consumption is significantly less;
• A woman's caloric intake level is lower than a man's energy intake;
• an active lifestyle and a high level of physical activity require consuming more calories;
• young mothers and pregnant girls should not forget that they must provide the necessary amount of energy not only for themselves, but also for their baby.

For men

The daily calorie intake for men aged 18 to 30 years is 2500–2800 kcal. Men over 30 years old need to reduce caloric intake by 5–10%. To maintain a constant weight in the future, it is important to maintain a level of 2000–2200 kcal per day.

A man's physical activity matters. When it increases, you need to increase the amount of calories consumed by 10–15%. Each organism has its own characteristics of metabolic processes and it is important to monitor its condition, taking into account the symptoms.

If you don't have enough calories, you may experience:

• Drowsiness;
• Weakness during physical activity;
• Low mental activity;
• Feeling hungry and irritable;
• Low sexual activity.

With an excess of calories, the following are observed:

• Dyspnea;
• Bone pain;
• Heaviness in the stomach;
• Problems with bowel function;
• Depression;
• Increased sweating;
• Difficulty erection.

Is the quality of calories consumed important?

If everything gradually becomes clear about the amount of energy required, then the situation with the quality of nutrients is somewhat more complicated.

A balanced diet should be structured as follows:

• proteins – 22-35%;
• fats – 22-35%;
• carbohydrates – 30-50%.

By giving preference mainly to fatty foods and reducing the level of protein and carbohydrate foods, you can expect a good gain on the scale in the near future.

If you get energy mainly from carbohydrates, then there will be a lot of it. If there is not enough protein and fat in the diet, you may notice unpleasant symptoms:

• anemia:
• weakness and drowsiness;
• degradation of the level of immunity, etc.

It is important to get balanced energy from all types of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) to properly support your body.

Why do you need to calculate calories?

All food has a certain energy value. In accordance with age characteristics, gender and load level, the daily norm will vary from 1500 to 3000 kcal. The indicators will be different for women and men; children need energy not only for studying and playing, but also for growth. Further, with age, the need for calories decreases.

The number of calories for a woman is calculated according to her activity level, health status and goal, whether it is weight loss or weight gain. For those who play sports, it is possible to allow themselves to eat a little more, and if you tend to be overweight, it is recommended to take into account everything you eat.

Very often, women, due to their maximalism and strong desire to lose weight, go on a strict diet, severely limiting themselves in everything and starving. The body does not receive important macroelements, vitamins and minerals and begins to lose ground: the state of health becomes systematically poor and is accompanied by dizziness, and there is no mood. All this can negatively affect hormonal levels, the nervous and digestive systems.

I would especially like to note that the reproductive system also suffers.

Every female representative is very familiar with the phenomenon of PMS: at this moment the body desperately needs the hormone of happiness (serotonin), so whole bars of chocolate are used, which are snacked on chocolate candies and eaten with flour products. Such monthly momentary weakness, of course, will help to lift your mood for a short time, and will also be a “life preserver” on your sides and stomach, which you will then have to fight with renewed vigor.

First of all, counting calories is necessary to form proper eating habits. If you eat right and follow a regimen, monitor portion sizes and the balance of macronutrients, then you can stay slim all year long, maintaining your health and nerves.

For different ages

As a person ages, he spends less energy and consumes fewer calories. And young people, especially in adolescence, need more of them.

• For men at the age of 3 years, the norm corresponds to 1300 kcal and grows to 3000 kcal by the age of 18.
• For ages 65 and older, the rate decreases to 1900.
• For women, the maximum amount of calories needed is at age 18 (2500 kcal) and decreases to 1700 kcal at age 65 and older.

How to count calories in foods

At first glance, the counting procedure may look very time-consuming and tedious, but soon it will become a habit and become an integral part of the daily menu.

To do this, you will need two main tools - a kitchen scale and tables with calorie content of foods. The device can be found in any hardware store, and the necessary tables are always located on the website. However, this is not enough to achieve the goal.

To build a high-quality form, the composition of the food consumed is extremely important. You can get your entire calorie intake from sweets, but everyone understands perfectly well that the quality of the body will not be the best. In this regard, the body must be provided with the required amount of calories, maintaining a balance in nutrients, namely: proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Harris-Benedict formula

The Harris-Benedict equation has been very popular for many decades and has earned approval from experts. It was founded in 1919. Due to its simplicity, the formula is able to determine the individual calorie requirement.

The equation calculates the required caloric volume for metabolism (BOO). After which it becomes obvious how much fewer calories you need to eat to start losing weight.

SBI according to the Harris-Benedict theory (age - full years, height - centimeters, weight - kilograms):

• female gender: BOO = 655.2 + 9.61 * weight + 1.851 * height – 4.69 * age;
• male gender: BOO = 66.48 + 13.76 * weight + 5.01 * height – 6.75 * age.

In 1984, the equation was revised and adjusted due to innovations in medicine and people's lifestyles:

• female: BOO = 447.594 + (9.248 * weight) + (3.099 * height) – (4.331 * age);
• male gender: BOO = 88.363 + (13.398 * weight) + (4.798 * height) – (5.678 * age).

The importance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates when counting calories

When creating a balanced diet, you need to remember that it is extremely important to consume sufficient amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates every day. Food also supplies a large amount of vitamins and minerals, which directly affects the condition of the skin, hair, nails, as well as the condition of the body as a whole and the process of losing weight or gaining weight.

As we said above, normally, i.e. during maintenance, the BZHU ratio formula will look like this:

• proteins – 22-35%;
• fats – 22-35%;
• carbohydrates – 30-50%.

At the stage of losing weight, the amount of protein should be increased, preference should be given to complex carbohydrates, and fats should be obtained from plant sources. Thus, the percentage of BZHU changes when losing weight.

When gaining muscle mass, despite the increase in the percentage of carbohydrates, it is better to give preference to slow-acting macronutrients. Otherwise, there is a risk of gaining fat rather than working on improving the quality and quantity of muscle fibers, forming the desired shape.

Ketch-McArdle formula

The Ketch-McArdle equation is based on calculating lean body mass, which makes it possible to more accurately determine calorie needs per day. The calculation is carried out taking into account muscle mass (MMT), so it is equally suitable for both male and female representatives.

Basal metabolic rate = 370 + 21.6 * muscle mass.

For example, for a person weighing 53 kg, with a fat percentage of 20% (10.6 kg of fat), which means that body weight without fat will be 53 - 10.6 = 42.4 kg, the calorie requirement per day will be:

370 + (21.61 * 42.4) = 1286 calories

In this case, activity should be taken into account, for example, it will be equal to 1.55 (training or physical work more than 2 times a week). Calorie requirement per day = 1.55 * 1286 = 1993 calories.

Calorie intake during pregnancy

Expectant mothers should strictly remember that they should not lose weight while pregnant. The daily diet of a pregnant woman is directly related to the term: the longer it is, the higher the need for energy obtained from food.

The menu of a nursing woman should also be rich and varied and, as a rule, keep around 3500 kcal. Due to the fact that breast milk consists of 87% water, you should not forget about maintaining water balance (2-3 liters per day).

Within 6 weeks after giving birth, it is not recommended to start fighting the gained kilograms. This is due to the need for restoration and rest of the body, as well as to provide the child with all the substances necessary for development that come with breast milk. As soon as the baby is weaned, you can begin to strictly observe the required caloric intake.

For women

It is generally accepted that women require fewer calories per day than men. Yes it is. But if we compare a woman who does manual labor and a man who works in an office and has no physical activity, the values ​​are close.

It is correct to calculate the required calorie content of food consumed for each woman, but nutritionists recommend focusing on the average calorie intake per day for a woman:

• 2000 kcal (18–30 years);
• 1800 kcal (30–50 years);
• 1600 kcal (50 years and above).

Pregnant women should consume 2900 kcal per day, and while breastfeeding this norm increases to 3500 kcal.

Possible errors when calculating calories

• Inaccurate calorizer data

As mentioned earlier, many programs contain recipes where the number of ingredients is written in pieces. Based on these indicators, it is impossible to know exactly the exact number of calories due to the uneven weight or fat content of the products in the finished recipe and in your version. Therefore, it is better to ignore such information and enter only your own numbers in the program or nutrition diary.

• Sample collection

It is not recommended to try the dish during the cooking process and, in principle, before the final weighing. Otherwise, it will simply not be possible to make an accurate calculation. You can add salt to the dish in a separate plate, right?

Rate of weight loss and gain

Excess weight is dangerous for a person, but its sharp reduction is also undesirable. Modern nutritionists believe that losing one kilogram of weight in the first week of dieting will not harm the body. But weight loss should occur not only through dietary nutrition, but also through exercise and an active lifestyle.

In the first 2 weeks, water is lost, not fat reserves. Further, it is recommended to lose weight no more than 600 g per week. To lose weight faster, you need to consume more complex carbohydrates, and your calorie intake should be greater than your intake.

A sharp weight loss does not allow the body to adapt to new conditions. There is a decrease in metabolic rate and a negative effect on the liver and kidneys. A rapid loss of fluid leads to sagging skin and convulsive processes in the muscles and heart.

If you want to gain weight, doctors recommend sticking to the figure of 3 kg per month. A large increase negatively affects the functioning of the entire body and a person’s well-being.

Tricks to “fit into the norm”

To get your daily calorie intake for weight loss, you can, of course, eat a piece of cake and a couple of chocolate bars, and suffer from hunger the rest of the day. But there is another option: eat foods with medium or low calorie content in order to feel full for a long time and provide the body with all the necessary nutrients.

This will also help make the weight loss process as comfortable as possible. In order not to go on a diet and always stay slim, experts recommend following a number of rules:

• Remove fatty foods from your diet. To do this, simply find an alternative. For example, instead of pork, eat lean beef or steam the cutlets not in oil, but in steam. Your satiety level will remain the same, but the number of calories consumed will decrease significantly.
• No sugar. Cravings for sweets can be muffled with a reasonable amount of honey, dried fruits and dark chocolate.

• Chewing food thoroughly. Slowing down the process of food entering the digestive tract can fill the body faster and, as a result, reduce portions. Fractional meals. Dividing portions into 5-6 meals will help reduce stomach volume, which will reduce the risk of overeating.
• Visual deception. If you put portions on small plates and use dessert spoons, the brain will think that since the plate is completely full, then the stomach will eventually be full.
• Including fiber in your diet. It quickly saturates and is not absorbed by the body. Present in vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. Learn the beneficial properties of fiber and write down a list of foods high in fiber.

Formula based on body area

The formula is based on knowledge of a person's height and weight. Tall and thin people will have a higher base metabolic rate. If people with the same weight but different heights (short and tall) consume the same amount of calories every day, then after a certain time a short person will gain weight. In this case, a tall person will remain at the same weight.

Calorie consumption per 1 sq. m body area per hour:

Recommendations for calculating energy values

• keep a food diary where data on the consumption of calories, protein, fats and complex carbohydrates will be recorded in order to control incoming energy;
• download mobile applications to record how many kcal were consumed during the day;
• purchase kitchen scales;
• weigh any product before cooking;
• Calculate the calorie content of ready-made dishes yourself, rather than relying on approximate calculations on the Internet.

Before starting a diet, the daily calorie intake for a woman when losing weight must be determined in order to take into account all the necessary nutrients and reduce all possible risks for fragile health. Don't forget that being slim means choosing the right foods, a balanced diet and an active lifestyle! Always take care of yourself and be healthy!

For different professions

In relation to calorie intake, a profession is considered from the point of view of its physical activity; the higher it is, the higher the calorie consumption.

• The physical activity ratio (PAI) of manual workers ranges from 1.6 to 2.5.
• For mental work - 1.4.
• Energy consumption per day for people engaged in physical labor is 2500-4200 kcal, and for mental workers - 2100-2450 kcal.

Making a menu

What foods should be included in your daily diet to help your body burn fat and at the same time save energy for work?

1. Squirrels. This includes meat, poultry, eggs, fermented milk products (with the exception of sweet yoghurts or curds), and seafood.
2. Fats. It is best if your diet contains a lot of nuts, avocados, and vegetable oils. Additionally, products containing omega-3, such as Herbalifeline Max from Herbalife Nutrition*, will help saturate cells with polyunsaturated fatty acids.
3. Carbohydrates. Whole grain bread, cereals, vegetables and fruits with an average glycemic index, dark chocolate. Fast carbohydrates include honey, bananas, mashed potatoes and white rice (provided there is no insulin resistance or diabetes).
4. Vitamins. They can be obtained both from fresh vegetables and fruits, and in a complex of nutritional supplements. This way you can be sure that you are consuming the daily amount of essential substances and that they are being absorbed by the body.