Calories Your Body Needs

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Your Calorie Needs, Explained

A calorie is defined as the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1°C (1.8°F). However, you’re more likely to think of calories as the unit of measurement for the amount of energy your body gets from the foods and beverages you consume.
Your body requires calories to function and uses them to sustain three main processes:
  1. Basal metabolic rate (BMR): This refers to the number of calories needed to cover your basic functions, including the proper functioning of your brain, kidneys, heart, lungs and nervous system.
  2. Digestion: Your body uses a certain number of calories to digest and metabolize the foods you eat. This is also known as the thermic effect of food (TEF).
  3. Physical activity: This refers to the number of calories needed to fuel your everyday tasks and workouts.

How to Eat the Right Number of Calories

Calorie needs vary from person to person because they depend on factors such as age, sex, height, current weight and physical activity level.
There are various ways to estimate your own calorie needs. The easiest method consists of three simple steps:

  1. Determine your BMR: Use this online calculator to estimate the minimum number of calories your body requires per day. Aim to never consume fewer calories than this.

  2. Estimate your daily requirement: Use this online calculator to estimate the number of calories you need to maintain your current body weight.

  3. Determine your calorie needs for weight loss: If weight loss is your goal, aim for a daily calorie intake falling between the amount required to sustain your BMR and the amount needed to maintain your current body weight.
In addition, keeping an online food journal like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer, can be helpful to better track your food intake. Tracking your diet will help you ensure that you continue to reach your daily recommended nutrient intakes.

The Bottom Line

Patience and persistence are your keys to success. It’s best to steer clear of diets that require you to severely restrict your calories. Instead, opt for diets that are focused on diet quality and encourage you to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 5, 2018 at 12:26 PM

    BMR is a great thing to remind our self on

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linda in VermontFebruary 10, 2018 at 9:22 AM

    The BMR calculator says I need 600 calories MORE than the Daily Requirement calculator. I typically eat smack dab in the middle.

    ReplyDelete

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