Calculating calories

This article will help you calculate the number of calories you consume daily in four simple steps; in this way you will be able to calibrate your diet in a more correct and scientific way.

A precise calorie calculation must take into account various parameters such as gender, height, weight, body size, age and level of physical activity.

1) IMMEDIATE METHOD (inaccurate)

FOR SEDENTARY PEOPLE: weight (kg) x 31 = daily calorie requirement

FOR MODERATELY ACTIVE PEOPLE: weight (kg) x 38 = daily calorie requirement

FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE: weight (kg) x 44 = daily calorie requirement

LEGEND: moderately active at least three or four aerobic training sessions per week; active at least five aerobic training sessions

2) AUTOMATIC CALCULATION OF CALORIES IN 30 SECONDS

3) ACCURATE METHOD

- Calculation of the basal metabolic rate following the instructions given in the table

BASAL METABOLISM Age WOMAN MAN 18 - 29 14.7 x P + 496 15.3 x P + 679 30- 59 8.7 x P + 829 11.6 x P + 879 60-74 9.2 x P + 688 11.9 x P + 700 >74 9.8 x P + 624 8.4 x P + 819 P = body loss expressed in kg

- Once the basal metabolic rate (MB) has been estimated for the calculation of the daily energy need, it is necessary to evaluate the activity carried out in the 24 hours. It is possible to calculate this value with fast methods and with an acceptable degree of approximation:

1) define your level of physical activity (light, moderate, heavy) by referring to the following table

LIGHT MODERATE INTENSE employees
administrative and managerial staff
freelancers, technicians or similar housewives
domestic collaborators
sales staff
tertiary workers workers in agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing
unskilled workers
production and transport equipment operators

2) physical activity desirable. Some people, in addition to the main activities, devote part of their time to optional motor activity, which is important to take into account when calculating calories.
We therefore introduce the concept of desirable physical activity understood as:

... the recommended activities for sedentary or non-sedentary subjects, for maintaining muscle and cardiovascular tone ....
a healthy adult engages in desirable physical activity if four or five times a week devotes at least 20 minutes to physical exercise of sufficient intensity to cause noticeable sweating

Woman Age THE F YES desirable activity NO desirable activity
18÷59
light 1,56 1,42 moderate 1,64 1,56 heavy 1,82 1,73 60÷74
1,56 1,44 ≥ 75
1,56 1,37
Man Age THE F YES desirable activity NO desirable activity
18÷59
light 1,55 1,41 moderate 1,78 1,70 heavy 2,10 2.01 60÷74
1,51 1,40 ≥ 75
1,51 1,33

- The basal metabolic rate multiplied by the LAF (taking into account any desirable activity) expresses the amount of daily calories needed to cope with energy expenditure. It is expressed in kcal / day: