It seems that the old-fashioned calorie calculation has been restored.
For years, diets like keto, pareos, and “clean meals” have reigned supremely, with a focus on limiting specific foods rather than overall food consumption. However, according to the 2021 Food Health Survey published by the International Food Information Council, counting calories seems to be once again the most popular dieting method.
Now, do men need to count all the calories to be healthy or to reach their fitness goals? Absolutely not.
But is it helpful to have a basic understanding of how your body uses the energy it gets from food? You bet
No doubt, you have some understanding of what calories are. After all, calorie counts are listed on packaged foods and fast food menus, and it’s hard to talk about nutrition and fitness, at least without mentioning calories. You may have tried popular calorie trackers like MyFitnessPal and Noom.
But do you really know what calories are and why they are so important? And do you have any thoughts on how many calories you actually need in a day? (This means real numbers and is not a general recommendation that weight loss apps may spit out.)
This section describes the true definition of calories, the factors that influence energy demand (also known as metabolism), and how to estimate the appropriate number of calories.
What are calories?
Technically speaking, when we talk about calories, we’re actually talking about kilocalories. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), one kilocalorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.
Therefore, calories are a measure of energy. All three major nutrients are set to calories per gram. Carbohydrates and proteins have 4 calories per gram, and fats have 9 calories per gram. (Non-nutrient alcohol, not the main nutrient, contains 7 calories per gram.)
In addition to the unique function of each major nutrient, their calories provide the energy our body uses to function. You need calories to move around, but all the basic physical functions that occur at rest, from DNA synthesis to hormone production to sending chemicals throughout your body, are also needed to keep things running smoothly.
How many calories do men need to eat?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average American man under the age of 40 is 5 feet 9 and weighs 197 pounds. At moderate activity levels (3-5 times a week, moderate exercise), you need about 2,822 calories per day to maintain your weight.
To lose weight
If weight loss is the goal, USDA states that reducing calorie intake by 500-1000 calories per day can lead to a safe weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week. For our average American, it’s 1,822-2,322 calories per day. That said, significantly reducing calories can be counterproductive because you can get hungry and eat too much.
It is also important to take exercise into account. If you burn 500 calories per day through physical activity, reducing 1000 calories actually leads to a shortage of 1,500 calories. This is too much.
gain weight
If you’re trying to gain weight, Cleveland Clinic recommends increasing your daily calorie intake by 300-500 calories. For the average man, assuming the same activity level, it is 3,122-3,322 calories per day.
“The main factors that determine how many calories someone needs are birth gender, age, genetics, body size, daily activity level, etc.,” said a New York-based dietitian. Anya Rosen, MS, RD states. Roles such as body composition, dietary behavior, injury and illness. “
In general, men are generally larger and therefore burn more calories than females. Men also tend to have more muscle and less fat that affect calorie burning, explains Future exercise scientist and performance coach Kyle Gonzalez, MS, and CSCS.
Injuries and illnesses can also temporarily increase the amount of calories needed. Healing from large burns and other large open wounds requires extra energy and protein. Cancer can dramatically increase your calorie burning. If you have a fever, you need extra calories to supplement your higher body temperature. Even fighting a cold requires energy.
How to Calculate Your Calorie Needs
It is possible to estimate the number of calories you need per day, but there is one big caveat. “There are various formulas that can be used to determine the calories you need, but there are too many variables influential to control, so there is a big error in all of them,” says Rosen.
Scientists use a method called indirect calorimetry to accurately measure the number of calories a person burns in a day, but for most people it is expensive, time consuming, and inaccessible.
If you want to know about your exact calorie needs, here’s how to decide it for yourself.
Track your food intake
“The best way to determine your calorie needs (assuming you’re outside the research environment) starts with making sure you’re currently maintaining your weight,” Rosen says.
“Once your weight is stable, you can track your dietary intake for a week or two without changing your normal diet. The average calorie for the entire time frame can be a good estimate of your maintenance calorie needs. Can be adjusted according to your goals. “
In other words, if your weight doesn’t change, you’re eating the right number of calories.
Metabolism calculator
You can also use formulas to estimate the calories you need. This can easily be done using an online calorie calculator from a reliable source. This is due to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), which determines calorie requirements, from sedentary to highly active, taking into account age, weight, gender, height, and activity level.
How Does Muscle Mass Affect Calorie Burning?
Muscle burns more calories by weight than body fat, but the difference is not as great as it is sometimes seen. “The claim that” muscle burns more calories than fat “is true, but it can be misleading,” says Rosen.
The best estimate we have is that a pound of muscle burns 6 to 7 calories a day. “That’s about one slice of cucumber,” says Rosen. Fat, on the other hand, burns about 2 calories in the same period. Therefore, gaining muscle burns more calories — to a lesser extent, just like gaining fat — but not significantly. An extra £ 10 of muscle can add only 60 calories per day to your overall calorie expenditure.
In fact, the size of other body parts probably plays a more important role in your daily calorie needs. A 2011 study found that more than 40% of the differences in total calorie burning between people could be explained by differences in the size of internal organs.
How Does Exercise Affect Calorie Burning?
Of course, your level of activity plays a big role in your energy needs. Burning calories isn’t just about training, it’s about how much you move around at work or at home. Physically demanding work burns far more calories than sitting at a desk all day long. Also, commuting daily by bicycle or on foot instead of by car can make a big difference. It is important to take all of these into consideration when determining the level of physical activity.
And yes, you will also need to consider your training. “With cardio training, you not only burn calories faster, but you also tend to burn more total calories per session,” says Gonzales. “On the other hand, strength training is usually anaerobic (no oxygen) in nature and helps build muscle and increase metabolism.” Each session consumes less calories, but the rate of metabolism (consumption). The number of calories) will remain elevated for a long time thereafter. In addition, increasing muscle mass can slightly increase calorie consumption and support overall health.
“A healthy combination of strength, frequency, duration, and type of both strength and aerobic training is always the best way to build an exercise program,” says Gonzales.
Do I need to count calories?
Ultimately, you don’t need to count calories to be healthy. If you feel good and your energy levels are constant throughout the day, you may have reached your goal and you don’t have to worry about calculating the calories you need.
However, if you are worried about eating too few or too many calories, understanding the causes of calorie burning can help you understand your body’s needs.
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