The calories needed per day depend on many factors, including metabolism, age, height, lifestyle, degree of physical fitness and the type and amount of food you eat.
The average recommended daily calories for men and women are 2,000 and 2,500/day, respectively.
What are calories?
Calorie refers to a unit of energy that you get from the food and drinks you consume and the amount of energy you use to perform various physical activities.
The more calories a food product contains, the more power/energy you can get from consuming it. And when your calorie intake exceeds your body's calorie limit, your body stores those extra calories as fat.
Different foods have different calorie counts. This means that the three macronutrients your body needs, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, do not have the same number of calories. Here's a breakdown of calories:
Calories Per Gram in Macronutrients
Carbohydrates: 4 calories/gram
Protein: 4 calories/gram
Fat: 9 calories/gram
For example, you can get 150 calories by chewing on a candy bar or 30 cups of lettuce. The bottom line is to understand that not all calories are created equal. This will help you make better dietary choices.
How many calories should you be eating on average?
The answer to this question will vary from person to person depending on various factors such as height, weight, age, metabolism, overall health and physical fitness. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work here. An example will help you understand this.
If you want to lose weight, then you should keep your calorie consumption 500 calories less than your body needs. This exercise will help you maintain your current body weight in the long run. The number of calories you should consume in a day varies from person to person.
Woman
Moderately active women ages 26-50 need about 2,000 calories per day.
Active women (those who walk about 5 kilometers per day) would need 2,200 calories per day.
Women in their early 20s need more calories, about 2,200 calories/day or more, to manage their weight.
Women over age 50 need fewer calories, about 1,800 calories/day.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, the above chart may not be suitable for you. Discuss your options with your doctor.
Male
Moderately active men between the ages of 26-45 need 2,600 calories/day.
Active men (those who walk about 5 kilometers a day) require about 2,800 to 3,000 calories per day.
Men between the ages of 19 and 25 need about 2,800 calories per day.
Men between the ages of 46-65 need 2,400 calories/day.
Men over the age of 66 would need 2,200/day.
Children
Children's calorie needs vary widely.
While an average child may need 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day, a moderately active teen will need 2,000 to 2,800 calories a day.
Calories Required Per Day: Calorie Amount
Whether you want to gain, lose or maintain your current body weight, counting calories is important. The pointers below will help you figure out your caloric needs as per your specific needs.
Weight loss: In general, dietary recommendations state that you need to reduce your total calorie intake by 500 calories per day if you want to lose one pound a week. This means that if you need 2,000 calories/day, you should cut it down to 1,500 calories/day to lose 1 pound per week. However, since losing weight is a slow process, it is advised to be patient and work with your dietician to find a suitable diet plan for you.
Weight gain: If you want to gain weight, try not to do it on your own and seek professional help. An expert dietitian can design a weight gain diet plan as per the needs of your body to help you gain weight in a healthy way.
Maintaining a healthy weight: Your daily calorie intake for maintaining a healthy weight depends on various factors. This includes the following:
What is your age?
How physically active are you?
What is your BMI or Body Mass Index (ideally, BMI for women is 21.5 and men is 22.5)?
Check your calories :
https://www.fittofitter.com/2020/08/calories-burned-calculator.html
Check your BMI:
https://www.fittofitter.com/2020/08/body-mass-index-bmi-calculator.html
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