In this article we will talk about calories, what they are, how to count them and how to make better decisions. I will try to explan as simple as possible and to make many diagrams to help you understand better.
What are calories?
Calories can be defined as the amount of energy in an item of food or drink. While eating we are puting energy into our bodies, which is used by everyday activities. Our bodies need that energy to help us function properly and to keep us alive.
When we consistently eat and drink more calories than we use up, our bodies store the excess as body fat. If this continues, over time we may put on weight. If we take in too little energy, we will lose weight, fat, and eventually muscle mass.
To maintain a stable weight, the energy we put into our bodies must be the same as the energy we use through physical activity. More known as calories in, calories out
If you eat too many calories on one day do not worry. As I said, it takes constantly eating bad to gain weight.
Calories in food
Certain foods consist more calories then others and some foods have more nutrition value than others. On every food there is a label that says how many calories there are.
You can use the calorie information to assess how a particular food fits into your daily calorie intake.
Carbs have 4 calories per gram. Protein has also 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram.
There is no bad food, just because something has a lot of calories, doesn’t mean you can eat it. Everything in moderation.
Liquid calories
Most of the drinks contain calories, except for water, coffee and tea. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram.
Big misconception is that you can not drink calories, which is obviesly false information.
Drinks that woulde be best to avoid consuming everyday are:
- Alcohol
- Soda
- Fruit juice
- Anything with sugar in it
- Milkshakes
- Sport drinks
Counting calories
Counting calories, at least for me, is the best method for gaining, losing or maintaining weight. If you do it correctly you will know exactly how many calories are you consuming. Plus you will know your macros, what to eat less and what to eat more.
A great calorie counting app that I use is My Fitness Pal.
Now on to calculating how many calories you should be consuming every day.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight.
For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day.
These values can vary depending on age, size and levels of physical activity, among other factors.
Men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5
Women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) – 161
●Sedentary lifestyle: If you do very little or no exercise at all, your daily calorie requirement is BMR x 1.2.
●Slightly active lifestyle: If you do light exercise between one and three times a week, your daily calorie requirement is BMR x 1.375.
●Moderately active lifestyle: If you do moderate exercise three to five times a week, your daily calorie requirement is BMR x 1.55.
●Active lifestyle: If you do intensive exercise six to seven times per week, your daily calorie requirement is BMR x 1.725.
●Very active lifestyle: If you do very intense exercise twice a day, with extra heavy workouts, your daily calorie requirement is BMR x 1.9.
Here you have an example how to calculate your calories. Hope this helps
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