How to calculate your calorie consumption: basic and additional

An online daily calorie and dietary calculator will help you understand what amount is needed to stay in shape, gain weight or lose weight. Specify your parameters, choose your lifestyle and goal. The system will do the calculation automatically!

Don't have time to count the calories of each dish? Nutrition delivery services are gaining popularity; they prepare delicious and varied food with the right calorie content for the whole day, week and even month and deliver it to your home. Rating of the best (according to customers) deliveries of proper healthy food in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Murmansk.

Proteins, fats, carbohydrates are the most important components of our food. When planning a diet for weight loss, it is necessary to accurately calculate the daily calorie intake to meet the body's needs and the ratio of BJU. Properly selected nutrition will allow those losing weight to:

• do not feel hungry, lethargic and weak;
• provide yourself with enough nutrients;
• effectively lose weight and maintain weight at a certain level, which is especially important for women;
• for men - choose a diet to gain muscle mass or lose weight, prepare the body for drying;
• get the correct ratio and balance of nutrients in the body.

Online calculator for calculating BZHU and daily calorie intake

An online calculator will help you determine and calculate the need for each component separately. After all, for weight loss it is very important to know the calorie content of the finished dish. It's easy to use:

• indicate your parameters;
• choose a lifestyle and goal;
• the system will do the calculation automatically.

Why do you need to know this?

The counter will allow you to get answers to the questions:

• How many calories do we need to lose weight?
• Should the nutritional value of food be increased/decreased?
• Are we eating enough BJU?

Keep life easy

Please don't become obsessed with counting calories. It's just a way to control nutrition. If you can’t weigh something, buy the product already weighed and with information on the label about KZHBU. If you can’t count something, for example, at a barbecue picnic or a party with friends, eat by eye.

The main thing is not to create a cult of life out of calorie counting. Calorie counting needs to serve for a happy life and be conveniently integrated into your lifestyle.

Over time, you can stop counting calories, because you will become a mega-professional in assessing your diet and will be able to stay on the maintenance calorie level by eye)))

How to correctly calculate calorie consumption for weight loss

If you decide to lose weight, you need to know your acceptable intake and the optimal amount of calories per day. To calculate calorie consumption and understand the calorie content of a particular dish, use an online calculator.

To calculate your calorie intake per day, you need to determine how much you consume in one day.

There is a specially developed formula for calculating Mifflin-San Geor :

• daily calorie intake for men: (10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (g) + 5) x A
  ;
• for women, the daily calorie intake is calculated using the same formula, the difference from the men’s formula is in the last coefficient: +5 change to -161.

After performing this simple computational operation, we obtain data to keep ourselves in shape. In order to calculate calorie content for weight loss, multiply the result by the physical activity indicator (A):

• low (sedentary work in the office + rare walks around the city) =1.2;
• small (the above + exercises in the gym + swimming several times a week) = 1.4;
• average (workouts 3-5 times a week) =1.6;
• high (daily physical activity) =1.7.

Harris-Benedict formula.

BMR (basal metabolic rate) * AMR (active metabolic rate).

BMR for women: 447.593 + (9.247 * weight in kg) + (3.098 * height in cm) – (4.330 * age in years).

BMR for men: odds 88.362; 13.397; 4.799; 5.677 respectively.

AMR:

• Sedentary lifestyle – 1.2;
• Moderate activity – 1.375;
• Average (classes 3-5 times a week) – 1.55;
• Active people (intense loads) – 1.725;
• Athletes (6-7 times a week) – 1.9.

For gaining muscle mass AMR=1.2; for losing weight women and men – 0.8.

Consumption per kilogram depends only on weight and lifestyle:

• sedentary. 1 kg from x26 to x30;
• light activity. 1 kg from x31 to x37;
• average. 1 kg from x38 to x40;
• high. 1 kg from x41 to x50;
• extreme. 1 kg from x50 to x55.

Energy production

People have long learned to use energy to solve labor-intensive tasks with the help of technology. Potential and kinetic energy are used to do work, such as moving objects. For example, the energy of river water flow has long been used to produce flour in water mills. As more people use technology, such as cars and computers, in their daily lives, the need for energy increases. Today, most energy is generated from non-renewable sources. That is, energy is obtained from fuel extracted from the depths of the Earth, and it is quickly used, but not renewed with the same speed. Such fuels include, for example, coal, oil and uranium, which is used in nuclear power plants. In recent years, the governments of many countries, as well as many international organizations, such as the UN, have made it a priority to study the possibilities of obtaining renewable energy from inexhaustible sources using new technologies. Many scientific studies are aimed at obtaining such types of energy at the lowest cost. Currently, sources such as solar, wind and waves are used to generate renewable energy.

Energy for domestic and industrial use is usually converted into electricity using batteries and generators. The first power plants in history generated electricity by burning coal or using the energy of water in rivers. Later they learned to use oil, gas, sun and wind to generate energy. Some large enterprises maintain their power plants on site, but most of the energy is produced not where it will be used, but in the power plants. Therefore, the main task of energy engineers is to convert the energy produced into a form that allows the energy to be easily delivered to the consumer. This is especially important when expensive or hazardous energy production technologies are used that require constant supervision by specialists, such as hydro and nuclear power. That is why electricity was chosen for domestic and industrial use, since it is easy to transmit with low losses over long distances via power lines.

Transmission pylons near the Sir Adam Beck hydroelectric power station. Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Electricity is converted from mechanical, thermal and other types of energy. To do this, water, steam, heated gas or air drive turbines, which rotate generators, where mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy. Steam is produced by heating water using heat produced by nuclear reactions or by burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are extracted from the depths of the Earth. These are gas, oil, coal and other combustible materials formed underground. Since their quantity is limited, they are classified as non-renewable fuels. Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, biomass, ocean energy, and geothermal energy.

In remote areas where there are no power lines, or where economic or political problems regularly cause power outages, portable generators and solar panels are used. Generators running on fossil fuels are especially often used both in everyday life and in organizations where electricity is absolutely necessary, for example, in hospitals. Typically, generators operate on piston engines, in which fuel energy is converted into mechanical energy. Also popular are uninterruptible power supply devices with powerful batteries that charge when electricity is supplied and release energy during outages.

Florida Power and Light power plant. Port Everglade, Florida, USA. This power plant consists of four blocks and runs on gas and oil.

Energy produced by burning fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are formed in the earth's crust at high pressure and temperature from organic matter, that is, the remains of plants and animals. Basically, such fuel contains a large amount of carbon. When it burns, it releases energy as well as carbon dioxide (CO₂), one of the greenhouse gases. Fossil fuels are the main source of energy at the moment. However, the greenhouse gases released during its use pose a serious threat to the environment and aggravate global warming. Also, the use of this fuel leads to its rapid consumption, and humanity may be left without fuel if it is completely dependent only on fossil raw materials.

Nuclear power plant cooling towers. Photo from the archives of the site 123RF.com.

Atomic Energy

Nuclear energy is one of the alternative types of energy. It is released during a controlled nuclear fission reaction, during which the nucleus of an atom is divided into smaller parts. The energy released during this reaction heats the water and turns it into steam, which drives turbines.

Nuclear power is not safe. The most famous accidents in recent years occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) in Ukraine, at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in the United States, and at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan. After the Fukushima tragedy, many countries began to reconsider their domestic nuclear energy policies, and some, such as Germany, decided to abandon them. Germany is currently developing a program for the transition to other types of energy supply and the safe closure of existing power plants.

In addition to accidents, there is also the problem of storing spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Some of the spent nuclear fuel is used in weapons production, medicine, and other industries. However, most radioactive waste cannot be used and therefore it is necessary to ensure its safe disposal. Each country that has nuclear power plants stores this waste differently, and many countries have laws prohibiting its import into the country. Radioactive waste is treated so that it does not enter the environment, does not decompose, and is convenient for storage, for example, by making it more compact. After this, they are sent for burial in long-term storage facilities at the bottom of seas and oceans, in geological structures, or in pools and special containers. Storage is associated with problems such as the high cost of processing and disposal, leakage of radioactive elements into the environment, lack of storage space, and the possibility of terrorist attacks at radioactive waste disposal sites.

Nuclear power plant in Pickering, Ontario, Canada

A much safer alternative is to produce nuclear energy through fusion. During this reaction, several nuclei collide at high speed and form a new atom. This happens because the forces that repel nuclei from each other are weaker at a short distance than the forces that attract them. A thermonuclear reaction also produces radioactive waste, but it ceases to be radioactive after about a hundred years, while the waste from a fission reaction does not decay for several thousand years. The fuel required for fusion reactions is less expensive than for fission reactions. The energy costs of thermonuclear reactions currently do not justify their use in the energy sector, but scientists hope that in the near future this will change and nuclear power plants around the world will be able to produce nuclear energy in this way.

Norm for men and women per day for weight loss

When losing weight, the daily calorie intake for a woman and a girl should be at least 1100-1300 kcal. This amount of consumption can provide the female body with everything it needs.

But the daily calorie intake for a man’s weight loss is slightly higher - 1300-1600 kcal. It is extremely important to calculate the calorie content of the food you eat so that it contains not only proteins, but also complex carbohydrates. Under no circumstances should you give up entire food groups. This may have a negative impact on your well-being.

How to calculate the daily calorie intake for weight loss?

An online daily calorie calculator will help you understand what calorie intake you need to stay in shape, and will also make a calculation and help you understand how many calories per day you need to lose weight. In addition, you can calculate the norm yourself using calorie consumption tables and formulas.

For a person, the recommended daily calorie intake for weight loss is 20% less than the result you obtained from the above calculations (1200-1400 kcal). For a child (up to 10 years old), the average daily intake, when losing weight, fluctuates around 1800-2000 kcal, and for a teenager the recommended daily intake is 2300-2500 kcal.

What is needed for counting

People are divided into two types:

- Those who count calories

— And those who don’t count calories.

#1 – You can’t do without a kitchen scale

It is very difficult to judge by eye the weight of, for example, two pieces of meat of approximately the same size. A lean piece will weigh more than a sinewy piece with a bone. The difference can be twofold.

Let's not deceive ourselves or try to guess the weight. The accuracy of the kitchen scale weighing method will be the best way to determine the weight of food.

If you don’t have kitchen scales, you can order them on wildberries, amazon, aliexpress, mvideo, eldorado and other online stores. Read reviews and buy the model you like. This will be a good investment in your own health.

#2 – Calorie counting apps will make your life easier

Of course, you can write everything down in a notebook or constantly look at calorie tables, but apps will make the process easier and more interesting. More on this below.

#3 - Patience

Patience will also come in handy at first. Don't be discouraged if you find it difficult at first or if the counting takes a long time. At first we don’t like any unfamiliar task, then we get involved and begin to find our own thrill in it.

The ratio of BZHU in the diet

For a long time, doctors, nutritionists, scientists and physiologists tried to derive the proportional ratio of BZHU so that the human body could function fully, and also so that diseases associated with poor or unhealthy nutrition would not arise. As a result, they established the following relationship, which is important to remember:

• 1 g B = 4 kcal;
• 1 g F = 9;
• 1 g U = 4.

A person should consume food per day containing 40% proteins and carbohydrates and 20% fat. But nutritionists have come to a general consensus that when losing weight, this ratio should look like this: proteins - 30%, fats - 20%, carbohydrates - 50%. For example, the formulas for calculating the norm of BZHU with a daily calorie content of 1200 kcal are as follows:

• B: (1200*0.3)/4;
• F: (1200*0.2)/9;
• U: (1200*0.5)/4.

The results obtained are the required norm for you for each substance separately.

How many calories are burned when doing exercise?

The number of calories burned in 20 minutes of exercise in people with different body weights:

Tips for those who want to calculate the daily calorie content of their diet as accurately as possible

• Keep a food diary where you write down all your meals, including snacks. Don't rely on your excellent memory, it often fails. All calories consumed must be recorded and accounted for. Only then will you get the most accurate result at the end of the day.
• Buy a kitchen scale; do not determine the weight of food by eye. Small errors result in a noticeable difference in the final calorie content of the daily diet.
• Weigh food before cooking.
• Consider the calorie content of butter, sauce, sugar and other auxiliary products in the dish.
• Place on the scale only that part of the product that will be directly consumed as food (boneless meat, pulp of fruits and vegetables without peels and seeds, eggs without shells).
• Don’t look for the calorie content of a multi-ingredient dish on the Internet and mobile apps, calculate it yourself. Before cooking, weigh the ingredients, calculate their energy value and add up the results. The final data will be more accurate.
• Try to avoid eating at food establishments. The calorie content of the dishes on the menu is very approximate. Only you can calculate the KBZHU for yourself as accurately as possible.

Where to look for KBJU products

In order to correctly calculate the calorie content of your diet, it is important to know where you can find information about the calories and nutritional value of the foods you consume.

• Please read the product packaging carefully. The manufacturer always indicates accurate information on it.
• If the product does not have packaging, data on calorie content and nutrient content can be easily found on the Internet: there are a great many tables. By entering a query about the product you are interested in in the search bar, you will receive comprehensive information. For maximum reliability, compare results from several sources.
• Numerous mobile applications used for calorie counting already contain a wide list of products with calculated calorie values. Enjoy it for your health!

Example of a calorie table

Counting calories is a matter of habit. The troublesome and tedious process becomes easy and understandable over time. Start counting with simple products, gradually add complex recipes with many ingredients. One day you will bring your actions to automaticity. You no longer have to go on diets, giving up delicious food. You will receive aesthetic pleasure when looking at yourself in the mirror. And the body will thank you for your care with the smooth functioning of all vital organs.