Do You Need To Count Calories?

How accurate is the daily calorie formula and information on the calorie content of products on the label? Do you need to keep a calorie diary?

How accurate is the daily calorie formula and information on the calorie content of products on the label? Do you need to keep a calorie diary?

 

Daily calorie formula

Let's start with the fact that the existing formula for determining the daily rate of calories has been around for more than a hundred years - and since then the concept of metabolism has changed somewhat. Also, don't forget that it only calculates your basal metabolic rate.

After calculating it, you need to apply a factor from 1.3 to 1.75, depending on your activity level. Considering the fact that there are no clear recommendations for this coefficient, the accuracy of the formula is practically destroyed by the method of choosing the coefficient.

How many calories do you need per day?

The only thing you can be guided by is that, on average, one kilogram of body weight (excluding fat) requires approximately 35 calories per day. It turns out that with a weight of 77 kg and a fat level of 10%, you need 2450 calories per day. But, again, this is a tentative number.

Studies show that the actual needs for daily calories differ significantly even in people of the same sex, age, weight, percentage of fat and muscle tissue - moreover, the differences can reach the order of 20%. The reasons for this have not been fully explored.

How to improve metabolism?

There is a myth that aerobic training (running and others) accelerates metabolism. In fact, this is not the case, and only in some cases has an increase in daily calorie consumption by 10% been found, and then for a short period of time, no more than a day.

In addition, it was previously believed that the more muscles, the more energy is needed to support them. But it turned out that 1 kg of muscle requires about 15 kcal per day - which is very little. Of course, strength training can speed up metabolism, but the mechanism is not clear.

What affects the metabolism?

It is necessary to understand that the human body is a very complex mechanism, and it is impossible to come up with a universal formula for everyone. It is known that about 70% of daily energy is used to support vital activities, the remaining 30% is distributed very individually.

Metabolism is influenced not only by the internal processes of the body and the emotional state, but also by the temperature of the environment and a number of other external factors. In other words, you will never be able to get a number with an error of even a hundred calories.

The percentage of digestibility of food

The number of calories that you see on the product packaging is actually far from the amount of energy that the body will receive after digesting this product. Not to mention that the figure is for 100 years, and in most cases the exact weight cannot be known.

Animal protein (meat, fish, eggs), as well as protein shakes, are absorbed by approximately 95-97%, vegetable protein is absorbed by approximately 60% (5), fiber, although it takes part in the calculation of the calorie content of products, is not absorbed at all .

Why count calories then?

Despite all assumptions, counting calories is the most effective method of weight control. If you consume more energy than you need, you will gain weight - there is no arguing with that. At the same time, what exactly you will be at the same time is not so important.

200 calories from a potato or 200 calories from a chocolate bar are the same 200 calories. Theoretically, receiving 2000 calories a day, you will be able to live regardless of what these calories actually contained - therefore, the issue of composition is secondary.

Determination of calorie content "by eye"

It has been proven that caloric intake determined "by eye" and daily calorie consumption can differ significantly from the real figure - people tend to lie to themselves and make assumptions. Therefore, it is still worth counting calories, but without excessive pettiness.

Do not try to check the number to the nearest ten - you simply will not succeed. Set yourself a calorie intake limit, and listen to your body's response - whether you are full or not. After all, listening to your body is the most important thing.

 

Counting calories and keeping a calorie diary is the easiest and fastest way to monitor your weight, regardless of whether you want to lose weight (you will need 20% fewer calories than usual) or work on muscle mass (20% more) .