A calorie is a unit of heat energy required to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. So the more calories a food contains, the more energy it provides. Therefore, the amount of calories is decisive for the daily energy intake. But how do I know how many calories I need every day?
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The composition of calorie consumption
In order to know how many calories you should consume every day, it is advisable to know how consumption is made up.
The RMR is the energy that you expend if you do not move at all for a day, sober and at room temperature. This energy is important for maintaining the basic functions of the body, e.g. B. brain function, respiration or immune system . Consumption depends on age, gender, size, muscle (lean mass) and genetics.
- Fat: 0-3%
- Carbohydrates: 5-10%
- Protein: 20-30%
- Alcohol: 10-30%
This refers to the energy that is generated during sports and conscious movement, e.g. B. walking, is consumed. Depending on the type of sport and intensity, the consumption is made up of this.
The NEAT describes the consumption of unconscious movements in everyday life. This can be fidgeting with your feet, typing on the computer or queuing at the cash register. The NEAT makes up the largest part of the daily calorie consumption.
Determine calorie needs using the Harris-Benedict formula
The calorie requirement can be determined using formulas, calorie counting and apps. The most well-known and simplest formula for calculating the basal and performance metabolic rate is the Harris-Benedict formula :
Basal metabolic rate for women = 655.1 + (9.6 x body weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)
Basal metabolic rate for men = 66.47 + (13.7 x body weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
For a woman who is 1.65 m tall, weighs 60 kg and is 35 years old, the basal metabolic rate is around 1364 kcal.
In order to calculate the total calorie requirement, the basic turnover must be multiplied by the so-called PAL value.
| Physical activity | PAL value |
| seated/lying down activities only | 1,2 |
| Sedentary activity only (office job), with little leisure time physical activity | 1,4 – 1,5 |
| Predominantly sedentary activity, some walking or standing activity with a moderate amount of sport | 1,6 – 1,7 |
| Mainly walking/standing activity with a moderate amount of sport | 1,8 – 1,9 |
| Physically demanding job with lots of leisure activities | 2,0 – 2,4 |
People who exercise 5-6 times a week can add 0.2 to the PAL value.
For the woman calculated above, with a PAL value of e.g. B. 1.4 – 1.5 a total turnover of 1909 to 2046 kcal per day.
Determine calorie needs with calorie counting
Determining calorie consumption by counting calories is a bit more complex than the formula.
- Track your daily calorie intake for two to four weeks and weigh yourself at the same time each day. Record the results, e.g. B. in an app like MyFitnessPal.
- Calculate all calorie values, e.g. B. 28,000 kcal, for the period and divide by the number of days. Two weeks is 14 days. That would result in a daily consumption of 2000 kcal daily.
- Now add all the weight values from one week to calculate the average weight for the week, e.g. B. 490 kg. In this case that is 70 kg. Also calculate the second week. In this case it is a total of 495 kg. Divided by 7 days, that gives an average of 70.7 kg per day.
- Since 1 kg of fat is about 7000 kcal, we can say that in two weeks there was a calorie surplus of 4900 kcal (0.7 kg x 7000 kcal). This corresponds to a daily surplus of 350 kcal. In order not to gain weight, but to maintain the weight, one would have had to eat 350 kcal less per day instead of 2000 kcal, i.e. 1650 kcal.
