Calories. A common term that is heard regularly right? Well, how much do you really know about this term? In this article we would explain the details required to know about the term Calories and how affects your body.
A calorie is a unit of energy. When it comes to nutrition, calories are the amount of energy that comes from food / drinks and the amount energy spent when doing a physical exercise.
With that being said, I’m very sure that a lot of people have mentioned that in order to lose weight, one must cut the amount of caloric intake. That statement is true but majority of people who hear this take it to the extreme and drastically cut their caloric intake. Calories are important. We cannot stress this enough! The trick is to consume the right amount.
Everyone requires different amounts of energy each day, depending on age, sex, size, and activity level.
Among all the factors mentioned above, a person’s Basal Metabolic Rate is the most important when it comes to caloric expenditure. So what is Basal Metabolic Rate? Well it’s simple. When we are rest, our body naturally uses up a certain amount of calories to accomplish basic body functions such as circulation, breathing and nutrient processing. With this in mind, let’s calculate how much calories you actually need.
How to calculate your daily calorie needs
Step 1: Find your body weight in kilograms
Step 2: Multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.9 if you are a woman or 1.0 if you are a man.
Step 3: Multiply by 24
Step 4: Multiply by your “Lean Factor” from the table below (Easiest to find body fat percentage by using a pair of calipers)
(Example using my stats: 91 kg (134.5 lbs.) x 1.0 (male) x 24 x 0.90 (20% body fat) = 1965.6 (1965)
The number you get here is your BMR value. If you want to find out how much calories you actually require in a day, you would need to multiply with your “Activity Modifier” from the table below.
Step 5: Multiply by Activity Modifier
My daily calorie need would be: 1965 (my BMR) x 1.3 (Very Light Activity) = 2554.5 calories/day
Now with this in mind, it all depends on you. If you want to gain weight or lose weight. If you want to lose weight, then you would need to have a caloric intake which is lower than your Daily Caloric Requirement to create a Caloric Deficit whereas if you want to gain weight, and I mean Muscle Mass, you would have to have a high caloric intake. That means your caloric intake should be higher than your Daily Caloric Requirement.
When it comes to weight loss it’s actually pretty easy, it’s cardio training, having a healthy diet and strength training.
The tricky part is when one is trying to gain muscle mass (bulking). So this goes out to all you Ectomorphs and some Mesomorphs out there. Just because you need to have a high caloric diet does not mean that you can eat anything under the sun. There’s a term known as Empty Calories. This term means food / drinks that provide you with little to no nutritional values. So with this built up in your body, the excess empty calories will build up to become fats. So what you need to do is build up your caloric value with nutritional foods which contain high protein, fiber and adequate amounts of carbohydrates and essential fats.
Examples of these foods are as follows :
- Fresh Fruits : Apples, Oranges, Berries, Bananas, Melons
- Lean Protein : Eggs, Beans, Fish, Chicken Breast, Beef, Almonds
- Whole Grain : Whole Wheat Bread, Brown Rice, Whole Grain Pastas
- Dairy : Low-Fat Milk, Cheeses, Yogurt
- Vegetables : Carrots, Leafy Greens, Broccoli, Beets
Well, you’re equipped with the basics when it comes to Calories and what it does to your body. We at Fitnacle wish you all the best in your journey to create the best version of yourself!