How many calories do you have to consume one day?

Could you start the car engine without filling it with fuel? Impossible! The relationship between the human body and the calories is the same. They are essential for our body, we could not live without them. However, the word «calories» is often the source of different prejudices, fears and confusion! Guided to cause weight gain, they are actually our only energy source. But then, we ask ourselves the question very often: «How many calories do you have to consume one day?».

The answer cannot be generalized and must be controlled according to the case. There are many factors that must be considered, which is why calorie needs are unique for everyone.

Here is an article that will help you estimate your daily caloric needs and better understand how and why the body uses these calories.

What is a caloric?

Definition

Caloria is an ancient unit of energy. It was used in physics and corresponded to the amount of energy necessary to heat one gram of liquid water from 14.5 to 15.5 ° C.

Now, calories are no longer part of the international unitary system. They are used only in the diet to express the energy value of a food. Caloria can be converted into joules, where 1 calories = 4,184 joists.

Then 1000 calories = 1 chiocalories, which is abbreviated as Kcal. This is the last term most commonly used in the field of nutrition.

It is not so important how much calories consumption daily because most of the quality of the food is important.

The energy value of food: how many calories you have to consume per day

• 1 g of lipids offer 9 kcal
• 1 g of carbohydrates offer 4 kcal
• 1 g of protein provides 4 kcal

Note also that 1 g of alcohol offers 7 kcal, almost as fat. However, alcohol does not contain nutrients that can be used by the body, they are called empty calories.

To calculate the total energy value of a food, it is necessary to calculate the amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins with their respective foods. Convert them into calories and then see how many calories consumption.

When do we use energy?

If there is one thing to remember is that while the body is active, it burns energy! This is because the body uses energy for any physiological activity:

• movements (daily, physical activity);
• brain activity;
• breathing;
• digestion;
• heartbeat and cardiac frequency adaptation;
• adjust the body temperature;
• the renewal of the cell

It is believed that the body does not need energy at night because we sleep. This is still false! The body needs constant energy to ensure the functioning of its physiological processes. In addition to maintaining its vital functions: your heart continues to beat, breathing does not stop, digestion is in progress, body temperature should be maintained at 37.5 ° C, etc.

Of course, we consume less energy at night than during physical effort, but we still consume it.

You will understand: the human body constantly consumes energy! This is the reason why calories in foods are essential for the body and too many caloric restrictions can slow down the basal metabolism, thus influencing health.

How many calories you have to consume one day?

Calculate the daily need for energy.

The daily energy requirement is the amount of energy necessary to function normally and to compensate for its energy expenses. This energy can only be provided by food through the calories contained.

Each person has a specific need, because it depends on more specific data for each: sex, age, weight, height, physical activity and possible presence of pathology.

To determine how many calories you need to consume daily to lose weight, here is the calculation to use:

Daily energy needs = basal metabolism x level of physical activity

How many calories do you need to consume one day to lose weight, earn or maintain weight?

When you want to lose weight you always try to understand how many calories you need to lose weight. This is a very appropriate approach, because the total number of calories ingested is linked to weight. In fact, energy intake will impact it.

Let’s start with weight loss. This is possible due to a simple caloric deficit, gradually implemented. To determine how many calories you can consume to lose weight, you must first calculate the need for daily energy and then drop from 200 to 300 kcal.

The reduction can be performed in 50 phases of Kcal per week so as not to shock the body.

The importance of nutritional quality

While the calories are truly transformed into energy by the body, not all calories are created equal and are not of the same quality. To work, the body and its organs also need specific nutrients found in different categories of food.

Regardless of the needs and the assumption of calories, Your diet must always be as varied and balanced as possible. But also to practice regular sports!

Read also the article: Exercises to weaken the thighs without equipment

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