Daily calorie intake for women and men: features, norm calculation and recommendations

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Every day the human body uses a certain amount of calories for functions that ensure normal life, such as breathing, sleeping, digestion. The consumption and consumption of the calories received depend on the age of the person, his physical form and lifestyle. Therefore, it is always worth remembering that the calculation of the daily calorie intake is made for each person individually, where all physical features are taken into account separately.

General concept of calories

Before talking about how to correctly calculate the daily calorie intake, you should dwell on the basic concepts. A calorie is a generally accepted unit of measurement of energy, which the body spends on various processes in the course of its life. A person receives calories in the process of assimilation of food by the gastric tract.

As noted above, the amount of energy costs for each person is different and directly depends on the degree of daily physical and intellectual stress, the amount of food consumed, weight and he alth status.

If the body, along with food, received a large number of calories and could not spend them during the day, then the excess settles in the body in the form of body fat. Thus, an increased daily calorie intake leads to weight gain. But in the case when the body does not receive the portion of calories it needs during the day, fat reserves are burned. Thus, weight loss is observed. However, it is worth remembering that if there is no stock of body fat and a person is in good physical shape, a lack of calories leads to severe depletion of the body, which is fraught with a deterioration in the general physical condition and the development of various pathologies, such as dysfunction of the vascular, nervous and digestive systems.

The effect of age on calorie intake

It is extremely important to remember that one of the key points for calculating the daily calorie intake is age. This fact is due to the fact that the rate of energy consumption at different ages will also be different. Young people, especially teenagers, need more energy as various physiological changes take place in the body. Older people need significantly less energy, as physical activity decreases significantly with age.

Knowing and knowing how to properly use calories, a person is able to regulate and adjust his he alth and weight. For example, calculating the daily calorie intake for weight loss will allow you to get rid of extra pounds even without unnecessary sports training. And also, on the contrary, to gain weight in case of exhaustion.

Normal calories for women

As a rule, the fair sex is more sensitive to the issue of their appearance and body weight. The calorie norm for girls, as well as for men, is determined based on the lifestyle of everyday life and the age indicator. Conditional indicators of the daily calorie intake for women are the data that are shown in the table below.

Age of women	With a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle	With a moderately active lifestyle	With an active lifestyle
18 to 25 years old	2000 kcal	2200-2300 kcal	2400-2500 kcal
26 to 50 years old	1800 kcal	2200 kcal	2200-2300 kcal
After 50 years	1500-1600 kcal	1800 kcal	2000 kcal

Using the given data, you can determine the daily calorie intake for women, but it is worth remembering that it is best to do the calculations yourself using special formulas. How to do it correctly will be discussed a little below.

Calorie norm for men

The male body spends energy somewhat more intensively than the female body, therefore, the number of calories received by the representatives of the strong half of humanity shouldbe more. The average daily calorie intake for men is the data shown in the table below.

Age of men	With a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle	With a moderately active lifestyle	With an active lifestyle
18 to 25 years old	2400-2500 kcal	2800 kcal	2900-3000 kcal
26 to 50 years old	2000 kcal	2500-2600 kcal	2900 kcal
After 50 years	1700-1800 kcal	2100-2300 kcal	2400-2700 kcal

However, it is worth remembering that the daily calorie intake data for men are averages, and in order to properly coordinate your diet, it is best to use only individual calculations.

Normal calories for pregnant women

A girl who is preparing to become a mother, it is imperative to monitor her diet and the quality of products. The rate of calories per day for girls in position depends on the duration of pregnancy.

It is extremely important to discuss nutrition with a gynecologist who monitors the course of pregnancy. However, the average number of calories consumed in the early stages should be approximately 2500 to 3200 calories per day.late terms - within 3100-3200 kcal, and already during lactation - up to 3500 kcal.

Normal calories for weight loss

Nutritionists strongly recommend lowering the number of calories when losing weight gradually. If the body does not receive its usual norm of food, it will be in a stressful state, which is fraught with disorders of the stomach and nervous system. It is also worth remembering that if, in the fight against excess weight, a person begins to lead an active lifestyle and is fond of sports, it is strictly forbidden to sharply lower his calorie intake. Keep in mind that physical activity also requires a lot of energy.

The best option is when the amount of calories consumed is gradually reduced by 15-20%. So, for example, if the daily norm for a girl was 2000 kcal with a sedentary, measured lifestyle, then the daily calorie intake for a woman for weight loss will be 1700-1600 kcal. In the future, when the body is rebuilt, you can reduce the amount of calories consumed up to 30 or 40%. But be sure to remember that it is best to use individual calculations.

If a person decided to lose weight and bring his figure back to normal, without building proper nutrition, this goal will not be achieved quickly and extremely difficult. Even the most exhausting workout will not bring the desired results if the body's energy supply in the form of body fat exceeds the daily calorie expenditure.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that the process of losing weight withbalancing the balance of calories will not be able to give the body the desired shape without a minimum of exercise. If the body stops receiving the usual portion of calories, it will gradually begin to process muscle mass, which will negatively affect the figure and he alth. Thus, the process of getting rid of excess weight has two key factors - proper nutrition and moderate exercise.

How to calculate your calorie intake?

For the correct calculation of the daily calorie intake, specialists in the field of nutrition have developed special formulas. However, using different calculation methods, you can get different numbers, which often causes incorrect power supply. If a person has seriously decided to approach the issue of calculating the calorie norm, then it is best for him to contact a specialist who will help calculate the individual norm.

If you can’t get an appointment with a doctor for some reason, then you can calculate the rate yourself. To date, practicing dietitians recommend using the daily calorie formulas of Mifflin-San Geor and Harris-Benedict scientists. The indicators of the above methods for calculating the daily calorie intake may differ from each other and have an error ranging from 100 to 300 kcal.

When should you not calculate your own calories?

It is worth noting that all calculations are applicable for people who have already reached puberty, but, asit is generally accepted that this moment comes at the age of 18.

People with diseases of the digestive, vascular or nervous system will not fit the average calculations. In order for them to understand how many calories they need to consume, they should contact dietitians, since only a specialist can correctly coordinate the daily calorie intake.

How to quickly count calories in food?

In order to put your diet in order, it is not enough to know your calorie intake, you also need to be able to correctly count the calories in the food you eat. The simplest and most effective way today is calorie calculators, which can be found on the Internet, installed on a personal computer or downloaded as an application to your smartphone.

The algorithm of these programs is very simple - based on the official data on the calorie content of products, the calculation is made and indicators of a serving of a product or a finished dish are given. Thus, you can calculate and compose your diet without much difficulty, as well as without unnecessary time and financial costs.

Best calorie calculator apps

With the modern rhythm of life, it is often extremely difficult for people to independently calculate the calorie content of each portion of food eaten. As already noted, phone applications are the most affordable, optimal and fastest way to find out how many calories are in food. And also the advantage of many of these applications is that they canfind out how many calories were burned during the day, and help create a suitable list of foods and dishes.

The best calorie calculator apps for smartphones are:

1. YAZIO. The information base of this application contains data on a huge number of products and ready meals. The convenience and uniqueness of the program also lies in the fact that in YAZIO you can find recipes by which you can cook a dish with the desired calorie content.
2. "Calorie". The application will help anyone not only control the daily calorie intake, but also tell you how many calories have been spent.
3. Lifesum. This application will help not only to find out information about the calorie content of food, but also to make the right diet for a specific purpose. This program is a good helper, especially for those people who have decided to lose weight.
4. FatSecret. In this application, any user will be able to find all the necessary information about food, from calories to nutritional value.

How to calculate calories manually?

If it is not possible to calculate the number of calories in food consumed using modern technology, this can be done manually, knowing the calorie content of the product itself or the finished dish.

To do this, you need to multiply the weight of the product by its calorie content. For example, knowing that 1 gram of Caesar salad prepared according to the classic recipe contains 1.9 kcal, then in a serving weighing 250 gramswill be 475 kcal.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that nutrition is the basis of human life. It is extremely important to listen to your own body and pay due attention to the calculation of calories consumed, since their excess or, conversely, a lack of them can cause negative consequences, such as diseases of the digestive system or diseases of the nervous system.