How many calories do you need to keep weight. How many calories should you eat per day to lose weight

As a coach, I can say that calorie counting is the most effective method of losing weight, which, if followed correctly, will give you 100% results.

Today I will tell you how many calories you need per day to lose weight, which formula for calculating the daily calorie intake is the most accurate. And how to properly compose a menu so that, while adhering to a low-calorie diet, continue to eat varied and even allow yourself sweets.

How many calories are on the diet?

The number of calories you need to consume to lose weight depends on your parameters and lifestyle. This means that in order to lose weight, you need to slightly undereat calories, relative to your own daily allowance. For example: spend 1800 kcal during the day, and consume only 1500 kcal with food.

It was not by chance that I reduced the quantity by this figure. Professional nutritionists today agree that for comfortable, healthy and long-term weight loss, you need to follow a diet that cuts daily calories by 10-20%.

Let's say a person consumes 2000 kcal per day, therefore, in order to lose weight, he needs to eat 10-20% less, that is, 1600-1800 kcal.

Therefore, the procedure is as follows:

  • Calculate your daily calorie intake
  • Take away 10-20%
  • Do not exceed the received number
  • losing weight

How to calculate calories per day

One of the most popular for many years remains the Harris-Benedict formula. Since its inception, it has undergone several revisions, because progress, changes in living and working conditions of people have greatly affected energy costs. We will take the 1984 version of the Harris-Benedict formula.

For women:

447.593 + (9.247 × weight in kg) + (3.098 × height in cm) – (4.330 × age)

For men

88.362 + (13.397 × weight in kg) + (4.799 × height in cm) – (5.677 × age)

With this formula, you will get your basal metabolism, that is, the number of kilocalories your body needs for a day spent on the couch at rest. To this number you need to add the energy that you spend on household chores, work and training. This is done using the activity coefficient:

low, sedentary lifestyle (1.2)
average activity, 1-3 workouts (1.375)
high, 3-4 workouts per week (1.55)
very high, hard work or 5-7 workouts (1.7)
level of professional athletes and miners (1.9)

basal metabolic rate × activity factor = your daily calorie requirement

The norm is the number of calories that you can consume in order not to gain weight.

You need to subtract 10-20% from the norm and find out how many calories you need to eat on a diet in order to lose weight.

How many calories should a woman eat to lose weight?

Let's say we have a woman named Ekaterina, weight 71 kg, height 170 cm, age 45 years old - an office worker without training, therefore, we will take a coefficient of 1.2 - low activity.

447.593 + (9.247 × 71 kg) + (3.098 × 170 cm) - (4.330 × 45) = basal metabolism, multiply it by activity 1.2 and subtract 20% = 1380 kcal

The 1380 kcal received is the number of calories this woman needs to stay within in order to lose weight.
If, while following a diet of 1380 kcal, the weight does not decrease, then perhaps the number was chosen incorrectly, but this is rather an exception.

Most often, the lack of progress is due to the fact that those who are losing weight bias their activity coefficient, or violate the diet, do not know how to count calories correctly, or write down not everything that was eaten (cottage cheese is considered, but gingerbread is not considered).

An example of a low-calorie menu

Let's go back to our woman. For weight loss, she needs 1380 kcal. The menu for the day might look like this.

Breakfast:

⦁ Oatmeal 50g - 185 kcal
⦁ Coffee with milk, 1 tsp sugar - 40 kcal

⦁ Black tea without sugar - 2 kcal
⦁ Cottage cheese (5%) 100 gr - 120 kcal

⦁ Vegetable salad with butter - 130 kcal

⦁ Buckwheat with chicken breast - 300 kcal
⦁ Tea with sugar 30 kcal
⦁ Cheesecake 1 slice - 260 kcal

Snack:
⦁ Apple average 1 piece - 70 kcal

⦁ Vegetable salad without oil - 50 kcal
⦁ Rye bread 2 pcs. - 37 kcal
⦁ Tea without sugar - 2 kcal

Daily calorie intake for a woman with a child

Let's try to calculate how many kcal a woman needs to consume by name, for example, Nadia. She is a young mother, does not work, dances 3-4 times a week, and at home she is busy with household chores, cooking, cleaning, etc. That is, household activities that consume a lot of calories. Nadia often walks with her child, makes purchases and generally does not sit still. Weight - 60 kg, height - 168, age - 29 years. Activity factor 1.55 - high

Calculate the calorie deficit for the Nadia woman using a formula or calculator: 1733 kcal

Please note that Nadia is 10 kg less than Katya, but at the same time there are more calories for weight loss. Why? Because the woman Nadia goes to dances, walks, takes care of the house and spends more energy. That is, the more a person moves, and the more actively he leads his life, the more kilocalories he needs to eat per day, even on a diet.

The calorie deficit menu for a woman with a child is as follows:

Breakfast:

⦁ Fried eggs with vegetables in oil - 200 kcal
⦁ Rye bread 1 piece - 55 kcal
⦁ Banana - 101 kcal
⦁ Half a snickers (regular) - 124 kcal
⦁ A mug of coffee without creamer and sugar - 8 kcal

⦁ Apple average 1 piece - 70 kcal

⦁ Finnish ear - 300 kcal
⦁ Caesar salad 75g - 182 kcal
⦁ Half a snickers (regular) - 124 kcal
⦁ Green tea - 0 kcal

⦁ Yogurt - 134 kcal

Dinner:
⦁ Salad with squid - 250 kcal
⦁ Chocolate wafers 35g - 184 kcal
⦁ Green tea - 0 kcal

As you can see, it is quite a busy day in terms of food, there are even sweets. The main part of the calories comes from lunch, but this is not necessary - the distribution of calories and the choice of products can be anything. However, eating 234 kcal sneakers per 1 pc, you will not be able to get rid of the feeling of hunger and will simply break loose.

And with a competent diet, you will always be full, even on a scarce 1733 kcal. That is why for weight loss it is advised to choose little high-calorie foods- salads, curds, soups, fish. So that, with a small calorie intake, you have a feeling of satiety. Diet food is simply a way to make your diet comfortable and keep you healthy while in a calorie deficit.

  • Calorie formulas and the number of calories per day are rather inaccurate values, because it is impossible to thoroughly calculate all your costs.

    Stress, mental activity, there was nowhere to park the car, I had to walk long and far, and so on. The resulting number of kcal is just an approximate guideline. However, this is the first and very important step towards losing weight. You should start with this number, and then observe how your body behaves.

  • Many people believe that the greater the calorie deficit, the faster the weight loss - this is not entirely true. You will indeed lose weight faster, but it will be muscle tissue, not fat mass.

    Losing weight with muscles - you will lose proportions, and everything will sag. The rate of fat loss is fixed, so the deficit should be minimal.

Opinion of a nutritionist

“In fact, in order to lose weight, you do not need to reduce your daily calorie intake to less than 1300-1500 kcal per day,” says Anastasia Pavlovna Pirogova, weight correction specialist at the MEDI on Nevsky family medicine clinic,

1500 calories a day is not enough for the excess weight to start to go away; considering, of course, that you work, do intellectual work and go to the gym.

Three full meals fit into this figure, and you can even afford sweets - ice cream or a piece of chocolate. “However, - adds Anastasia Pavlovna, I advise you to eat desserts only in the morning, so that during the day the body has time to process and use up sweets.

Breakfast

For breakfast, it is better to cook yourself porridge or another cereal dish. Cereals consist of slow carbohydrates, which will gradually supply us with energy over several hours, so that we can work quietly for 2-4 hours without feeling hungry. I recommend cooking for breakfast oatmeal, buckwheat or a mixture of four cereals. You can add fruits, dried fruits, berries to it.

It is better to cook porridge with water, not with milk, as we were taught by caring housewives. When cooked, milk protein breaks down, and no longer brings any benefit, moreover, the combination of cereals and milk is not always well digested in the stomach. To make the porridge tastier, add 10-11% cream or low-fat yogurt to it before serving.

Dinner

One meal a day should be full, satisfying, so that there is something to chew, and it will be lunch or dinner - it depends on the person's lifestyle. For lunch, you can eat soup and the second - meat, fish with a side dish, for example, from vegetables.

It is important to get both protein and carbohydrates at lunch. Proteins give a feeling of fullness: the feeling that you really ate. Carbohydrates are essential for normal life. If you consume less than 70 grams of carbohydrates per day, as advised in protein diets, this can result in fainting, increased fatigue, nervous breakdowns etc.

Carbohydrates are necessary for the body, the only thing is to change their quality.

Good carbs for you are those that have glycemic index less than 50 is most of the cereals, vegetables. Look at the glycemic index table. Fats are minimally necessary, at least 30g. per day.

Fats make any dish tastier. And enjoying food is very important. People who enjoy all the flavors of a dish, chew their food for a long, slow time rather than swallowing chunks, and end up eating less and getting fewer calories.

After six...

Many nutritionists advise. “I completely agree with them,” continues Anastasia Pavlovna, “according to biorhythms, according to the way a person’s hormonal background is arranged, it is desirable that the last meal be at 18:00 no later than 19:00. Then the food will be digested and well assimilated.

After 6 pm, i.e. from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the body’s ability to “disassemble” food decreases, and after nine in the evening the body is already preparing for bed and cannot properly digest food and use up the incoming fats. And unused fats go to the depot - they are deposited in the subcutaneous fat. Therefore, I advise you to have dinner no later than seven in the evening. But if, due to circumstances, a person is forced to go to bed late, then the last meal should be 3 hours before bedtime.

Dinner

For dinner, you can eat a carbohydrate dish (with a glycemic index below 50), such as a vegetable salad. You can with chicken breast, you can with seafood - any, but not very fatty. The main thing is that you enjoy eating, chew for a long time and feel all the shades of taste. And there is no need to deprive yourself of pleasure and starve.



For the normal functioning of the body, each person must consume a certain amount of calories. Naturally, the question arises: how many calories do you need per day? In order to calculate what is a necessity and what is already an excess, certain factors should be taken into account - gender, age and level of vital activity. For example, usually the daily caloric norm of men exceeds the female norm. But if you include the age factor, then you get a different picture, because, for a young organism,

development and growth will require more calories. In addition, as a rule, they have a more active lifestyle, but in the process of growing up, as well as aging, people become calmer and more diligent. Including the factor of the level of vital activity, it turns out that an athlete needs more calories for strenuous training than an office worker who sits all day in the office. How much water a person should drink is also very important. Therefore, in order to more accurately determine how many calories you need per day, three factors should be taken into account at once.

How many calories per day for men and women

With a sedentary lifestyle. If his age is 19-30 years old, then the daily allowance is about 2400 calories. Reaching a return in 31-50 years, this level is reduced to approximately 2200 calories. But from the age of 51, 2000 calories per day is enough. With a moderate lifestyle. The age category of 19-30 years old can consume 2600-2800 calories, from 31-50 years old the norm is reduced to 2400-2600 calories. But, for older men, from 51 years old, it is recommended to consume no more than 2200-2400 calories. With an active lifestyle, the recommended norm for such a man at the age of 19-30 is usually 3000 calories, from 31-50 years old it becomes less - 2800-3000, from 51 years old - 2800-2400 kcal.

How many calories do you need per day for women? With a sedentary lifestyle. If you belong to this category, you are 19-25 years old, then the norm should not exceed 2000 calories, from 26-50 years old - 1800 calories, and from 51 years old - 1600 calories per day. With a moderate lifestyle. Girls 19-25 years old are recommended to consume about 2200 calories, and women from 26 to 51 years old should stick to a daily intake of 1800 calories. With an active lifestyle, the norm is slightly higher, if you are 19-30 years old - 2400 calories, from 31-60 years old - 2200, but from 61 years old it is recommended to switch to 2000 calories per day. Daily intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

The consumption of proteins, carbohydrates and fats for any organism is mandatory. These are the three fundamentals that are able to support the body's biochemical function, providing it with the necessary energy and strength to deal with daily issues. So how many calories do you need per day? Let's start with carbohydrates - they supply the body with the necessary energy. When they are consumed, they break down into glucose, which is the fuel for the normal functioning of cells. The body will not be able to perform its duties normally if you do not supply it with enough carbohydrates. Therefore, carbohydrates should make up about 60% of the total calorie intake. It is recommended to include carbohydrates in the daily diet, focusing on their glycemic index. It should not be more than 50, if this rate is higher, then such products should not be abused. Of the "usefulness" it is worth highlighting: whole grains, vegetables and fruits. As for protein, for the body it is a kind of building material and plays not the last "violin" for the normal functioning of the immune system.

Usually, most protein is found in animal products. The recommended daily dose of protein intake is 10-15%, i.e. if your norm is 2000 calories per day, then proteins should be 200 (approximately 50 grams). Now moving on to fats, how many calories do you need per day? Do not underestimate its importance, it is fats that can provide unbearable assistance to metabolic processes, activate protective functions, save reserves, using them when necessary or in a calorie deficit. But in everything you need to know the measure, a glut of trans fats can lead to cardiovascular and other diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to consume only "healthy" fats, which are found in olive oil, dairy products, nuts, fish, etc. Daily calorie content should be about 25-30% of the total, of which 7% is saturated fat.

How many calories do you need per day to lose weight

Among other things, you must determine the caloric intake depending on your current weight. When it becomes necessary to lose a couple of kilograms, you will need to expend more energy and consume fewer calories. At the same time, the daily caloric content to the normal daily allowance should be reduced gradually, focusing on your age and lifestyle. This is necessary so that the body does not switch to an energy-saving mode, but is engaged in burning fat. So, how many calories do you need per day to lose weight? First you need from the total amount of calories in your food (per this moment) take away 200-500 kcal, or rather reduce it by 10-20%. At the same time, it is important not

“cutting calories” below the basic (required) caloric intake for basal metabolism, as this can lead to health problems, discomfort and loss of not weight, but muscle mass. Simply put, in order for weight loss to be as comfortable as possible for the body as a whole, it is not recommended to drop below 1300-1500 kcal per day. It is better to add physical exercises, jogging, intellectual work and more walks in the fresh air to your schedule. Of course, it is difficult to refuse dessert, a piece of chocolate or ice cream, so sometimes you can afford it. But in moderation and preferably in the morning, so that the body has time to process them, and calories are used up during your active day.

When losing weight, counting calories is one of the important processes. How many calories do you need per day to get rid of extra pounds or just maintain existing weight and not gain weight? You need to know how much energy a person spends per day (and this indicator is individual for each) and, depending on this, make calculations. That is, a special formula will help. Together with Medaboutme we will learn more about how to calculate required number calories per day.

What are calories? A calorie is a unit of energy, it is contained in any product. Of course, in one product it will be more, and in the other less. One gram of protein and carbohydrates contains four calories, and one gram of fat contains nine calories. Naturally, when eating fatty foods, weight will be gained faster.

How many calories does the body burn per day? It all depends on the activity, the higher it is, the more energy is spent. For example, with a weight of 60 kg, a person spends only 190 kcal when walking at a calm pace, but when doing housework, he can spend up to 240 kcal. When swimming, you can lose up to 400 kcal, and when walking fast - 300.

To calculate the required number of calories at complete rest, it is important to know the height, weight, age and costs of the body. The formula by which you can calculate the required number of calories per day is as follows: multiply weight by 10, then add height x 6.25, subtract age x 5, and subtract the number 161. This formula applies to women. And men need to add the number 5 at the end.

That is, if a woman working in an office weighs 70 kg with a height of 160 cm and the age of 30 years, the formula will be as follows: 10 * 70 kg + 6.25 * 160 cm - 5 * 30 years - 161 \u003d 1389 kcal. Such a number is necessary for the life of a person in complete peace. But every person moves. Therefore, to find out how many calories you can eat, you need to multiply the resulting number by a certain coefficient.

If there is no sport at all, and the work is sedentary, the coefficient will be 1.2. If there are classes at least twice a week, then 1,375. Sports about four times a week? Hence, the coefficient will be 1.55. If the sport is present every day, the indicator will be 1.725, and if twice a day - 1.9.

If the woman from the example does not play sports at all, then 1389 * 1.2 is needed and 1667 kcal will be obtained. So much can be consumed during the day. If the sport is present at least once, then it should be calculated differently: 1389 * 1.375 and 1909 kcal will come out. These calories are needed to maintain weight. If you need to lose weight, the calculation must be done differently.


How to get slimmer by counting calories? Everything is pretty simple. Eat fewer calories than you need to maintain weight. For weight loss to be safe, you should reduce daily calories by 20%, no more. That is, the daily calorie content must be multiplied by 0.8. A woman from the example can lose weight with a calorie content of 1333 kcal (0.8 * 1667).

There is always a desire to accelerate weight loss. But doing this by reducing calories too much is not worth it. The fact is that the metabolism will slow down, so it will become more difficult to lose weight. In addition, in this case, malaise will occur. The head will be spinning and aching, the mood will deteriorate, weakness will arise.

It must be remembered that you can safely lose weight at 1200 kcal for women and 1800 kcal for men. If there is a desire to lower this limit, you need to consult a specialist, you should not reduce calories on your own, this can lead to health problems.

Losing weight with calorie counting is very effective. But once a week you need to increase your diet. Such a zigzag will prevent a slowdown in metabolism. So, after that it will be possible to lose weight again.


Such a diet is quite comfortable. After all, you can compose your menu so that it includes all the products that you like (within reason, of course). In addition, the secret of this diet is that during its observance you will not have to starve. You can eat different foods, but naturally, low-calorie foods can be eaten more, and high-calorie foods less.

The former include: any vegetables except potatoes, kefir and yoghurts (with a low percentage of fat content), fish, mushrooms, heart, liver, fruits, except bananas and grapes, kidneys, meat (rabbit, chicken, turkey). And the latter include: sweets, confectionery, cereals, nuts, sausages. That is, you can eat a piece of cake, and a handful of nuts, and a slice of sausage. But only in small quantities. But you can eat a lot of vegetable salad.

To count calories, you will have to purchase a kitchen scale, install a special program. However, the calorie content of products is easy to calculate, but it is more difficult to find out the indicator of the finished dish. Therefore, we offer several well-known options.

100 kcal is found in:

  • a bowl of vegetable soup;
  • 50 g boiled chicken;
  • one banana;
  • four tablespoons of oatmeal;
  • portions of stewed vegetables without oil;
  • one cheesecake without sugar.

200 kcal is found in:

  • one sausage;
  • a bowl of soup with pasta;
  • scrambled eggs from two eggs;
  • 100 g low-fat cottage cheese and a spoonful of honey.

300 kcal is found in:

  • two cutlets;
  • a couple of cottage cheese pancakes;
  • two doves.

How to make a menu for such a diet? Nutrition should be balanced and varied, because dishes can be changed every day. You should eat five times in small portions.

  • breakfast: a plate of oatmeal, vegetable salad, a slice of bread with cheese, green tea;
  • snack: two apples;
  • lunch: a plate of vegetable soup, one cutlet, salad, compote;
  • afternoon snack: low-fat cottage cheese with berries (100 g);
  • dinner: fish, salad and kefir.

The calorie content of this menu is approximately 1200 kcal. It is this indicator that helps to lose weight safely and gradually.

So, the number of calories you need per day depends on many factors. All of them must be taken into account, and then the indicator should be calculated using a special formula. And then it will be possible to lose weight without starving and without suffering from a monotonous menu.

Not all girls who monitor their weight know about such a method of losing weight as counting calories. We can say that this is weight loss without a diet. You can eat absolutely all foods, but be sure to count their calorie content. Many may think that this is too hard and this way of losing weight is definitely not for them. At first, of course, it is unusual. After all, you need to know the weight of each serving of food, take into account the calories of each piece of bread eaten, constantly keep a food diary. But then this way of eating will become a habit and you can easily tell how many calories are in a bowl of borscht. To help beginners, there are many different programs for mobile phone, which will be able to calculate the calorie content of a particular dish and will count how much you ate in a day. In this article, we will answer the most exciting questions: “How many calories should I eat per day?”, “How many calories do I need per day to lose weight?”, “How to lose weight without dieting?”.

How to count calories to lose weight. What are calories

What is a calorie? This word modern man hears everywhere. Any product in the store has on the label information about the calories it contains. Despite the fact that most people use this word in relation to food, calories have a much greater meaning.

  • a calorie is a unit of energy that needs to be expended to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree;
  • the amount of energy in food is the number of calories in it;
  • 1000 calories equals 1 kilocalorie;
  • the word "calorie" is used not only in relation to food, but also to everything that contains energy.

How many calories per day should a person consume

Each person, performing any action during the day, spends energy. This energy is calories. But depending on how much energy each individual person spends, the daily number of calories that he should consume is calculated. Therefore, there is such a division in the norm of calories for different categories of people. For example, young people tend to expend much more energy than older people. And, accordingly, they need to consume more calories. There are also differences in daily calorie intake between men and women. Below we consider in more detail the daily calorie intake for men and women with different degrees of activity. But we must not forget that these figures are applicable only to those people who have no complaints about their weight. If you want to lose weight, then the calculation of calories will be different for you.

Calories per day for women

Depending on the nature of life activity, the following groups are distinguished among women:

  • sedentary women. It is recommended to consume 2000 calories for women aged 19 to 25, 1800 calories - from 26 to 50 years, 1600 calories - for women over 50;
  • women with a moderately active lifestyle. It is recommended to consume 2200 calories for women aged 19 to 25, 2200 calories - from 25 to 50 years, 1800 calories - for women over 50;
  • women with an active lifestyle. It is recommended to consume 2400 calories for women aged 19 to 30, 2200 calories for women aged 31 to 60, 2000 for women over 60.

Calories per day for men

  • Men with a sedentary lifestyle. It is recommended to consume 2400 calories for men aged 19 to 30 years, 2200 calories - from 31 to 50 years old, 2000 calories - for men over 50 years old.
  • Men with a moderately active lifestyle. It is recommended to consume 2600-2800 calories for men aged 19 to 30, 2400-2600 for 31 to 50 years, 2200-2400 calories for men over 51.
  • A man with an active lifestyle. It is recommended to consume 3000 calories for men aged 19 to 30 years, 2800-3000 - from 31 to 50 years old, 2400-2800 - for men over 50 years old.

How to count calories to lose weight

Losing weight using the daily calorie counting method is the only scientifically based method of losing weight. In order to lose weight by 1 kg, you need to burn 7700 calories. In order to lose weight it is impractical just to cut down on the diet. You should certainly increase your physical activity. So, you will accelerate your metabolism faster, and kilograms will start to go away faster. How to calculate how many calories you need to eat in order to lose weight? Modern nutritionists give the following recommendations:

  • if you are slightly overweight and, moreover, at least 3 times a week you devote time to training, then it is enough for you to "minus" 10% of calories from the daily allowance for healthy person. This will be an ideal option in order to systematically lose extra pounds and not stress the body;
  • if you are slightly overweight and do not exercise, then you should “minus” 20% of the calories from the daily allowance for a healthy person. Those. you will have to eat 20% less per day than you would be supposed to if you did not want to lose excess;
  • if you are obese, then you need to cut back daily allowance calories by 40%. As a rule, people with such a large overweight cannot engage in sports training due to medical contraindications. But for yb[ walking and light gymnastics are always available.

Such a "diet" is very easily tolerated by a person, because. there are no strict restrictions in the products. You can vary your calorie intake slightly throughout the week. For example, on one of the days, increase the number of calories per day by 10-20%. But then you should arrange a fasting day during the week, reducing the number of calories by 40%. There is also a more accurate formula for calculating calories for weight loss. This formula is based on height, weight, age, lifestyle. Based on this method of counting calories for a single person, individual weight loss programs are compiled by modern nutritionists. This is the Mifflin-San Geor formula.

  1. In the process of calculating the ideal number of calories for your weight loss according to the formula above, it is important to adequately assess the nature of your physical activity. According to statistics, many people overestimate their "sports success" during the week. Someone does really intense workouts 5 times a week and sets himself a factor of 1.55, and someone lifts 2 kg dumbbells and does a short run and also sets himself a factor of 1.55. Remember that it is better to slightly underestimate the nature of your training than to overestimate.
  2. Be sure to weigh your portions. Some people correctly counted the number of calories in a 100 g serving, but relying on their “eye”, they put themselves a much larger portion, and then complain that the calorie counting weight loss system does not work.
  3. Counting calories throughout the day is painstaking and meticulous work. Don't forget to add the calories from mayonnaise, sugared juice, sugared coffee, etc. to your total calories for the day. Some people forget to take into account such “little things” and also do not see any shift in losing weight. Absolutely everything that you put in your mouth should be strictly counted.

How many calories to eat per day to lose weight. How to distribute calories throughout the day

In the modern recommendations of nutritionists for weight loss, very great attention given to the distribution of calories throughout the day. After how many hours should meals be arranged? How much to eat per day to lose weight? Or is it all unimportant that you can eat all of your 1,700 calories in one meal? Here's what nutritionists advise:

  • it is recommended to arrange about 5-6 meals per day;
  • the interval between meals should be at least 2-3 hours;
  • if, due to your busyness, you cannot eat fractional and frequent portions, then you can very well make a meal schedule that is convenient for you. The main thing is that the number of calories does not exceed the norm set for you;
  • it is better that the most high-calorie foods of the day be consumed in the 1st half of the day;
  • in the evening, give preference to the “lightest” calorie foods from your daily diet.

How many calories to eat per day to lose weight. Life hacks for weight loss using the calorie counting method

Many people who are just about to start losing weight using the calorie counting method are intimidated by the complexity of this whole process. Perhaps endless tables of calories pop up before your eyes. To lose weight at the present time, there is no need for such tables, there is no need to constantly check with it, count calories in a column, look for the product you need in the list for a long time. Today everything is much easier. Among the most popular life hacks in the calorie counting method are:

How to count calories in a complex dish to lose weight

To accurately calculate the calories in a dish, you need to take into account the calorie content of each ingredient in this dish. Of course, the fewer ingredients in a dish, the easier the calorie counting process becomes. But what if the dish is complex? During the cooking process, you need to weigh each product that you put in the pan, for example, and sum it up with the rest of the products. In such a simple way, you can easily calculate the calorie content of pasties, cutlets, pickles, etc. Don't forget to consider the oil you're going to fry something in. Spices, tea, coffee do not affect the total caloric content of the diet.

Eating calories to lose weight. Is it possible to achieve a reduction in daily calorie intake without counting them?

If you still doubt that you can constantly keep such a detailed calculation of calories, then you can try to lose weight without counting them. And it's quite possible:

  • reduce to the very minimum the consumption of fatty foods, sugar, flour products. Due to this, the calorie content of your daily diet can be reduced by 20%;
  • make your meals fractional. Eat little but often. So, you will achieve a reduction in daily calorie intake by another 5-10%

How to eat calories to lose weight. Variants of a daily diet with different calorie content

Menu option for 1800 kcal

  1. Breakfast. Lean boiled meat 90 gr, green peas 250 gr, 1 boiled egg, coffee with milk.
  2. Lunch. An Apple.
  3. Dinner. Vegetable soup 200 gr, steam cutlets from 120 gr of raw lean meat, stewed beetroot salad 150 gr, jelly with sugar substitute 50 gr.
  4. afternoon tea. Fat-free cottage cheese 100 gr, unsweetened compote 200-250 gr.
  5. Dinner. Boiled fish 100 gr, fresh vegetable salad 150 gr.
  6. Before bedtime. low-fat kefir 200-250 gr.

Menu option for 1200 kcal

  1. Breakfast. Boiled fish 100 gr, fresh vegetable salad 200 gr, coffee with milk.
  2. Lunch. An Apple.
  3. Dinner. Vegetable soup 200 gr, chicken meat 100 gr, fresh vegetable salad 40 gr, unsweetened compote.
  4. afternoon tea. Non-fat milk 250 gr.
  5. Dinner. Lean boiled meat 90 gr, stewed vegetables 200 gr.
  6. Before bedtime. A glass of low-fat kefir.

Menu option for 800 kcal

  1. Breakfast. Fat-free cottage cheese 100 gr, coffee without sugar.
  2. Lunch. An Apple.
  3. Dinner. Soup on vegetable broth 200 gr, boiled lean meat 90 gr, compote without sugar 200 gr.
  4. afternoon tea. Compote without sugar 200 gr.
  5. Dinner. Boiled chicken breast 90 gr, green peas 50 gr.
  6. Before bedtime. Fat-free kefir 200 gr.

Benefits of losing weight with calorie counting

Perhaps, after reading the main advantages of such a weight loss method as counting calories, you will discard all your doubts. If you still have doubts, then read about the advantages of this method, which were confirmed by most nutritionists and a huge number of women who have lost weight in this way:

  • Firstly, you do not need to give up any products. There are no restrictions on dietary diversity. You can eat everything that you ate before, just "fit" into your daily calorie intake. Of course, the consumption of "harmful" products will decrease, but no one forces you to exclude them altogether. Love chocolate? Amazing. Just enter the calories from 2 cubes into your diet;
  • secondly, you can continue to visit your favorite cafes as before. Almost all establishments prescribe the composition of the dish and its calorie content in the menu. This is a huge psychological plus in losing weight;
  • thirdly, once having mastered the skill of counting calories, you will bring it to such automaticity that you will subconsciously continue to count calories “in your mind”, even when the weight loss is over. And this means that you will not gain weight after a diet, proper nutrition within a certain daily calorie content of meals will become your way of life. You will know how to eat right every day to lose weight.

Cons of losing weight using the calorie counting method

  • Opponents of the calorie counting method put forward a theory of weight loss based not on calorie reduction, but on the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Some nutritionists believe that extra pounds come to us not because of overeating, but because of the wrong ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And it would be more logical not to reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed, for example, but to completely exclude them from the diet or bring them to an acceptable minimum.
  • Another opponent of calorie counting suggests learning to distinguish between feelings of hunger and appetite. Accordingly, you need to eat only when you actually feel hungry. And the feeling of appetite must be learned to control and suppress. The main disadvantage of the weight loss system using the calorie counting method is that you do not "listen" to your body.
  • Some nutritionists offer another alternative to counting calories - a reference not to the calorie content of the dish, but to its volume. Most often, they suggest comparing the portion size with some kind of reference point: a fist, a palm, a glass, a dessert plate, etc. In their opinion, you can avoid constant mathematical calculations, but keep a low caloric content of the daily diet and fractional nutrition.

A weight loss system based on daily calorie counting is not a novelty in nutrition. The method was invented back in the 20s of the last century. Adhering to this method or not is only your decision. But it’s definitely worth a try if you want to achieve a lasting result in losing weight, relieving your body of stress. Smooth and natural proper weight loss with the normalization of the daily calorie content of dishes has long been proven and tested by many people. Success in losing weight!

Not all body shaping methods are suitable for everyone who wants to lose weight, because it can be difficult to give up your favorite foods and start regular physical training.

suitable way to reduce excess weight is a method for calculating the calorie content of consumed foods. To do this, you need to figure out how many calories you need to eat per day and how to calculate them correctly in order to lose weight. Below are the main advantages and disadvantages of a diet based on weighing food and counting calories.

For those who are focused on results, it is important to know that calories are understood as the energy nature of the product. Energy is accumulated in proteins, fats and carbohydrates, on this basis, calories and kilocalories are subdivided.

Those who want to get their body in shape regularly resort to the method of calculating the calorie content contained in products. This helps to remove extra pounds and centimeters in body volume. With this method, you can not only reduce the weight category, but also gain the missing kilograms in muscle mass. This method is usually practiced professional athletes.

If you consume more calories than they manage to be used up, then the body begins to think about the "reserve". There is a deposition in adipose tissue, which is then difficult to "melt".

Therefore, in order to correct the figure or maintain a constant weight, it is recommended to observe the daily proportions of calories consumed with food. The main enemy for losing weight people is glucose, which is present daily in human food. It is impossible to completely remove its use, so it is worth adjusting calories.

Good and bad calories

It is known that in order to get as much energy as possible, a person needs to resort to eating carbohydrate foods.

Carbohydrates are usually divided into:

  • fast digestible;
  • slowly digestible.

Fast carbohydrates include fruits, chocolates, nuts, various sweets. When they are broken down, the body receives a lot of energy resources at one time, but they are enough for a maximum of 2 hours. Such carbohydrates are useful for people involved in sports, mental work, or in moments of breakdown.

How many calories you need to eat per day to lose weight - everyone who monitors their health and weight needs to know. If there is no physical activity in the regimen, for which the received energy will be spent, then fast carbohydrates turn into potentially dangerous ones.

With a passive lifestyle, the body will not spend them, but simply put them in reserve in the form of body fat. Fast carbohydrates are not meant to be full for a long time. After eating them, a person will want to eat after 1.5 hours.

Slow carbohydrates include potatoes, legumes, vegetables, cereals and various cereals. Due to them, you can get long-term saturation with minimal losses.

Such kilocalories should be consumed by everyone without exception, because the body needs it. Breaking down slow carbohydrates, the body spends much more energy, not allowing the formation of fat in unnecessary places.

Calories found in fats are not good for the body. It is difficult for him to digest fats and often there is an increase in adipose tissue. Fats are not only harmful, but also beneficial. Fats are beneficial plant origin and fish oil.

Benefits of eating with calorie counting

How many calories should be consumed per day by people on a diet in order to lose weight without causing harm to health, is discussed in detail below. Calculating the energy content of foods is an easy and effective method that helps bring the body into the desired shape.

Advantages:

  • excludes starvation, which is often practiced by losing weight people;
  • there are no restrictions on the types of products used, you can make a different menu;
  • quick adaptation of the body to a new diet without disruption and constant feelings of hunger;
  • improvement of metabolic processes throughout the body;
  • the ability to adjust the calorie value of products to reduce or gain a weight category;
  • gradual transition to a healthy diet.

Disadvantages of the method

Reducing the weight category by calculating calories, in addition to the advantages, has negative aspects:


For the female body

How many calories a woman should consume per day is an important issue in order to lose weight. Scientists in the course of their research came to the conclusion that for 1 hour the body spends 1 calorie to maintain its functions. In order for full-fledged chemical processes to occur, you need to consume 24 calories per day, provided that the body is not subjected to physical exertion.

  1. If a girl does not move much, the calorie content per day should be at least 1800 kcal.
  2. For a moderately active woman, it is suggested to consume 2000 kcal.
  3. For actively entertaining, you need 2200 kcal.

During pregnancy

How many calories should be consumed per day in order to lose weight for a woman carrying a child is usually of interest to those who have gained excessive weight. Maintaining the shape is the main component for the successful course of pregnancy and childbirth.

Overweight, first of all, affects the well-being of a pregnant woman. Shortness of breath and swelling appear, making it difficult for a woman to act. To normalize the weight category, you can count calories and find out for yourself how many of them are optimal.

To lose weight during pregnancy, it is necessary not only to count the calories consumed per day, but also to abandon harmful products at all

According to dietary standards, pregnant women in the first trimester are recommended to consume 2200 kcal. Women who have crossed the border of the second trimester are supposed to consume 2500 kcal.

If the indicator exceeds the norm, the body will begin to form a fatty layer. The most important rule is to eat food containing many vitamin and mineral components.

For a nursing woman

calculation energy value food for nursing mothers will help the body to return to its usual form soon and without harm. It is necessary to calculate the optimal indicator individually. The following combination is recommended:

For low activity, 24 is indicated, for extraordinary mobility, 30 is prescribed, for exercise, 44 should be indicated. The result is a numerical value indicating the recommended calorie intake.

Daily value for men

The diet, which is based on the calculation of calories, is suitable for both men and women. female body, but has distinctive features in their number. For the stronger sex involved in active sports, it is necessary to consume as much protein food as possible, since proteins affect the recruitment of muscle mass.

Men who want to lose weight do not particularly need to take additional measures to burn fat, because it is based only in the abdomen. As statistics show, in men faster than in women, adipose tissue is converted into muscle.

For men in young age on the advice of nutritionists, it is better to get 2600 kcal from food. From 35 to 50 years old, you need to stop consuming 2200 kcal. In old age, it is better to limit yourself to 2000 kcal.

An accurate calculation can be made by taking the weight value and multiplying it by 20. Based on the result, it will be known how many calories a particular type of man needs.

Daily allowance for a teenager

Men from birth require a large number of calories. This is especially true for guys in their teens, they need to consume as many calories as possible.

An increase in the calorie content of foods consumed by a teenager should be carried out every 6 months. This is necessary so that the growing child receives as much as possible nutrients.

The teenage age period lasts up to 14 years and is considered the most active. Nutritionists recommend consuming at least 2800 kcal per day. A teenager, who often leads a calm lifestyle, needs to consume 2500 kcal, no more. If the child is engaged in professional sports training, it is necessary that 3000 kcal be present in the diet.

Calorie formula for weight loss

Each of the presented combinations has special counting techniques. An accurate result can be obtained by taking all the necessary numerical data. All combinations are divided into 2 varieties, which are focused on the male and female population. The result obtained from the calculations must be multiplied by the numerical value of the activity.

Name "F" "M"
Calculation of kcal ("Mifflin") (10) x (weight category, kg) + (6.25) x height (cm) - (5) x (exact age limit, years) - (161) (10) x (weight category, kg) + (6.25) x (height, cm) - 5 x (age limit, years) - 5

Calculation of kcal ("Benedict")

655.1 + 9.563 x (weight, kg) + 1.85 x (height, cm) - (4.676) x (age, years) (66.5) + (13.75) x weight (kg) + (5.003) x height (cm) - 6.775 x age (years)

Calculation of kcal ("BMR")

BMR \u003d (447.6) + (9.2) x (weight category, kg) + (3.1) x (height, cm) - (4.3) x (age value, years) BMR \u003d (88.36) + (13.4) x (weight category, kg) + (4.8) x (height, cm) - (5.7) x (age value, years)

Numerical designation of activity:

  • "2" - minor physical activity, for example, a calm type of work;
  • "375" - visits to the training hall, which occur 3/7 days;
  • "4625" - regular training sessions 5/7 days;
  • "550" - increased pace of training sessions 5/7 days;
  • "6375" - attending training sessions every day;
  • "725" - attending training sessions at an intensive pace;
  • "9" - hard work, intense training sessions in the gym.

Complex Meal Calorie Calculator

How many calories you need to eat per day to lose weight - control over the calories consumed is expressed in the constant calculation of the weight of the products. This approach forms the basis a large number diets.

For example, you can easily calculate the calorie content of morning porridge by weighing a portion on a food scale and subtracting the weight of the bowl. But it is more difficult to count calories from a ready-made complexly cooked dish, such as stew, soup, pilaf. Currently created recipes with detailed description and calculation of the calorie content of each ingredient. But it happens that you want to cook a completely different dish.

To count calories in complex cooked dishes, there are several important rules that must be observed:

  1. You do not need to take into account the calorie content of water, tea, coffee and natural spices, as they do not contain them.
  2. 20% of its kcal is added to a cooked dish using oil. First of all, this is due to frying, because most of it remains in the pan. 100% oily calories are added to the gravy. Vegetables or mushrooms fried in oily composition also provide for the addition of their full calorie content. This is due to the fact that vegetables tend to absorb the full amount of added oil.
  3. If you cook meat or fish, then in the thermal process they can lose 20% of their calories. The rest goes into the broth. This must be taken into account if the meat broth will be used separately.
  4. In boiled vegetables, 20% of their calories are taken away, since the rest goes into the water. Such a calculation is necessary for the preparation of vegetable salads.
  5. If you plan to cook the dish in the oven, then you need to take into account that during the cooking process, the products in full retain their original calorie content.
  6. When preparing cereals and pasta, it must be taken into account that the information on the pack refers to the dry type of the product. During the cooking process, the product acquires big sizes, which means that kcal after cooking will be less. Semolina should be excluded from the list of cereals, as it increases up to 10 times.
  7. Meat and fish cooked on an open fire has a 20% higher calorie content.
  8. If a complex dish is being prepared, then initially it is necessary to calculate the calorie content of the products. Then weigh the bowl of water in which the dish will be prepared. If the broth is cooked on meat, then its kcal should also be taken into account. The weight value of food and water is added up, and calories are summed up in the same way.

Soup counting example: weight (5050) g, the sum of kcal ingredients (2045), we calculate the calorie content per 100g. (100) x (2045/50500) = 40.5 kcal per 100 g of cooked dish.

How to distribute calories throughout the day

According to the advice of nutritionists, the optimal formula for calorie distribution is the following proportion:

It is stipulated that a quarter of the calories consumed should come from breakfast. Two-fourths of the food is consumed during the lunch hours of the day. The rest of the calories come from dinner. Some adjustment should be made to this proportionality.

The largest part of the calories consumed should be consumed in the morning. This is due to the fact that it is at this time that the maximum activity of the body occurs. In the evening, you should reduce the calories consumed, as the body is preparing for a night's rest and it does not need to be fueled with energy.

Carbohydrate and fat-containing foods are best introduced into the diet before lunch time. Protein food is broken down for at least 2 hours, eaten fats are digested within a 5-hour time interval.

As for carbohydrates, the situation is slightly different. If carbohydrates were consumed in complex form, then the digestion time increases significantly. Fast carbohydrates have instant digestion.

There are foods that have a long digestion time. These include legumes, mushrooms, meat. By eating such products, you can get heaviness in the stomach and long satiety.

At night, all food is digested longer than in the daytime, so if you feel hungry before going to bed, you need to have a snack with fast carbohydrates (kefir, baked fruits and vegetables).

An important factor that supports the distribution of calories is exercise. If during the day it is planned to actively engage in sports activities, then the menu should be planned with a slight excess of the calorie content of the products.

If a person who is losing weight does not engage in regular exercise, then it is necessary to adjust the diet in such a way as to exclude high-calorie foods.

To reduce the weighting cost energy resource should exceed the calories consumed during the day.

Calorie consumption tables

How many calories should be consumed per day to lose weight if it is not possible to attend sports classes in the gym - frequently asked question busy people.

It is important to understand that energy consumption occurs daily during the usual activities. The ideal option for body shaping would be to increase daily exercise in order to increase calorie expenditure.

Name of activity wasting calories
Running up the stairs (up) 770
speed skating 665
Running (16 km/h) 670
ballet lessons 645
Build a snowman 600
Cross running 508
Fast crawl (swimming) 480
Cycling (25 km/h) 460
Jumping rope 463
Aerobics on the water 450
Training using the simulator 447
Hockey 400
badminton game 415
Running (8 km/h) 400
Handball 450
Gymnastics 380
Swimming 390
Sawing wood 410
ski walking 416
Dancing in normal mode 415
Mountaineering 380
Intensive dance classes 420
Football game 385
Pole dancing 380
Yoga 360
Walking (sports) 355
Basketball 320
Active games with a child 320
Skiing on the water 300
Cycling (15 km/h) 270
digging beds 270
Harvesting 275
Tennis (table) 265
Walk 270
Roller skating 260
wood splitting 256
Weeding beds 250
Morning work-out 256
Provision of massage services 250
Window washing 230
Cleaning 200
Buying products 180
dog walking 170
stroller 130

All data given is approximate, because the weight category mainly affects the burning of calories. The higher the weight, the more calories are spent.

How many calories to burn to lose 5 kg

To lose weight by 1 kg, you need to spend at least 7000 kcal. If you plan to lose weight by 5 kg in two months, then you need to burn at least 900 kcal per day.

Proper nutrition will help to adjust the weight in conjunction with intense training. It is impossible to completely refuse meals, otherwise, when you enter a normal diet, the body will get stressed and begin to store the calories received in adipose tissue.

How many calories to burn to lose 10 kg

Losing weight sharply is not recommended by nutritionists, so in order to burn 10 kg, you need to spend at least 2-2.5 months. 7000 calories equals 1 kg. For a quick result, you need to spend 1500 kcal per day with enhanced training. It is important not to deviate from the goal and not to break, otherwise you can get a big increase in weight.

Daily diet options: menu for 1800 kcal

A calorie-based diet allows you to eat a variety of foods. Thanks to imagination, you can cook a lot of delicious and favorite dishes. You can change the menu according to taste preferences, but it is important to observe the daily calorie content.

1 morning meal

Boiled buckwheat - 150g;

Boiled beef tongue - 100g;

Boiled beets in olive oil - 200g;

Tea (green) - 200 ml.

2 morning meal 60 g cottage cheese (with or without minimum fat content);

150 g apples (green);

1 pc - bread.

Lunch meal

250 ml - cabbage soup;

280 g salad (Greek);

150 g - boiled pasta;

100 g - for steamed tuna;

100 g - cauliflower;

50 g of grain bread;

200 ml - freshly prepared compote.

afternoon tea 250 ml - low-fat kefir;

150 g - raspberries.

Evening meal 350 g - cabbage (stewed);

200 g - salad (from fruits);

30 g - bran bread.

Daily diet options: menu for 1200 kcal

When following a diet based on calorie counting, you should not reduce their value to the minimum mark, otherwise the body will perceive the changes taking place as stress, and even a small amount of calories consumed will be processed into adipose tissue.

Daily diet options: menu for 800 kcal

The products included in the menu can be packaged as you wish to lose weight. The main rule is not to reduce or exceed the recommended value of 800 kcal. But on the advice of nutritionists, you need to distribute calories correctly.

1 breakfast

2 pcs. - eggs (hard boiled);

1 PC. - grapefruit;

250 ml - tea (without adding sugar with milk).

2 breakfast 100 gr. - cottage cheese seasoned with sour cream (minimum fat content)

250 ml - tea (no added sugar).

300 g - lettuce (cucumber, tomato, pepper, sour cream);

2 pcs. - eggs (hard boiled);

250 ml - tea or coffee (no added sugar).

afternoon tea 250 ml - kefir;

1 PC. - apple (green).

100 g - beef (lean);

150 g - raw vegetables;

250 ml - milk (low fat);

Following a diet based on calculating the number of calories you need to consume per day in order to lose weight is useful for every person, no matter how old he is.

Article formatting: Vladimir the Great

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