How Many Calories Do I Need To Not Gain Weight?

The amount of calories our body needs and should consume with our food depends on a number of factors, including age, gender, height, lifestyle, general health. It is normal for a 22-year-old and active man with a height of 180 cm to need much more food than a 70-year-old woman with a height of 160 cm. The

recommended daily amount of calories by experts varies around the world, taking in each country given the main characteristics of the population - from growth to lifestyle.

However, the recommendations everywhere are that instead of calculating calories consumed, efforts should be focused more on creating healthy habits.in nutrition, maintaining a balanced diet, physical activity and balance between the amount of calories consumed and those consumed for the day. According to the UN FAO, the average person needs 1,800 calories a day .

However, the problem of the population in industrialized countries is that they consume many more calories than the body needs. Compared to two decades ago, portion sizes have increased many times over. Twenty years ago, for example, a sandwich in the United States contained just over 300 calories, while now it counts 600.

In order to support the human body, no doubt, it needs energy and food. One-fifth of the energy we expend daily is to maintain brain metabolism. Most of the rest goes to maintain metabolic processes in the body related to its functioning - such as respiration, blood circulation, etc.

If environmental conditions are more unfavorable for the body, for example, it is cold, due to heat exchange and maintenance of body temperature is constant, he needs more energy and calories.

It is clear that we need energy even without doing any physical activity, let alone if we play sports or do physical work.

In order not to gain weight, we must be awarewhat is the amount of calories that cover the maintenance of physiological processes in the body .

To obtain this number, the product of the personal basal metabolic rate (BMR) and the degree of physical activity are calculated . Naturally, this number is not the perfect option, as it does not take into account other important information such as muscle, fat and water. in the body, but is a good example on the basis of which a normal diet can be built. The basal metabolic rate takes into account gender, height, age and actual weight.

Here are the formulas for calculating BMR:

BMR for men = 66.47 + (13.7 * weight in kg) + (5 * height in cm) - (6.8 * age in years)
BMR for women = 655.1 + (9.6 * weight in kg) + (1.8 * height in cm) - (4.7 * age in years)

Number according to the degree of physical activity

In a sedentary lifestyle, when physical activity is limited and no time is spent on sports, BMR is multiplied by 1.2.

When exercised two to three times a week , the BMR is multiplied by 1,375;

between 3 - 5 times a week - 1.55;

at 6 - 7 times a week - 1,725 ​​and

for training twice a day or intense physical work - 1.9.

Despite these calculations, however, we should not miss another important detail - it does not matter what calories we offer our body. When building a diet, it is important to strive to maintain a stable blood sugar level, to consume more complex carbohydrates from fats and proteins. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided as they are absorbed quickly and raise blood sugar quickly. Before the chocolate dessert it is always preferable to eat two spoons of oatmeal in a glass of milk. More foods such as fish, vegetables, fruits and olive oil should be consumed for flavoring.

We must not forget that in addition to the calories consumed daily, the weight also depends on the ideal weightfor the body, depending on a number of factors such as age, sex, bone density, muscle-fat ratio and height, which is why it is really important that dietary advice is given by a specialist nutritionist.