What is a calorie budget. What are calories

Technically, one calorie is the amount of energy needed to heat one gram of water at 1 ºC. In one kilocalorie (kcal) - 1,000 calories, and in this case we are talking not about a gram, but about a kilogram.

What does the food have to do with it? The proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that make up it contain energy. Just this energy is measured in calories.

2. Calories allow us to survive, create new tissues and provide energy for movement

Each time you eat, your body parses incoming energy for a variety of purposes. It is primarily used to maintain vital functions, such as regulating breathing and pumping blood.

The necessary minimum energy for survival is called an indicator of basal metabolism. Its value for adult women with a normal weight is about 1,330 kcal, for adult men with a normal weight - about 1,680 kcal Human energy requirements.

The remaining calories and nutrients go to the construction and restoration of tissues. That is why a high-calorie diet is prescribed for burns. To create, energy is also required: the new tissue will not build itself.

Any extra calories consumed during physical activity. Moreover, any movement is considered. But if you do not burn the remainder, it will be stored as fat.

Finally, there is also digestion: 10-15% of incoming calories are spent on this particular process.

3. Your body may not need at all 2,000 kcal per day.

4. The number and quality of calories is equally important

You can also lose weight on sweets if there are few of them, as one American professor did Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds. But the number of calories is only one side of the coin. Nutrients contained in food are also important.

Let's say you decide to have a bite. Fat-free cookies, in which only 100 kcal, are not the best choice, because it has few nutrients and a lot of sugar. Peanut butter with 190 kcal will bring more benefits: it has less sugar, more protein and vitamins.

5. No negative calorie foods exist

It is believed that some fruits and vegetables are so low in calories that their digestion requires more energy than they can give. False. As already mentioned, the body spends 10-15% of incoming calories for food processing. So all the rest, albeit in a negligible amount, remain with you.

6. Calories from carbohydrates are not universal evil

Some diets are based on a limited intake of carbohydrates. But weight does not increase because of them, but because of an excess of calories. So that extra pounds can be gained on a chicken breast, if you absorb it without measure.

In general, carbohydrates are different for carbohydrates. Harmful things like sweets and soda are lacking in nutrients. Healthy foods like whole grains and fruits, on the other hand, are rich in nutrients and fiber.

7. Rule 3,500 kcal is not true

It is widely believed in dietetics that 3,500 kcal is equal to 0.5 kg (that is, if you consume 500 kcal less during the week, you will lose half a kilo). These numbers first appeared in 1958, but now they are already outdated. Farewell to the 3,500-Calorie Rule.

The bottom line is that weight loss is individual and depends on metabolism and other factors. So 3,500 kcal, like the consumption rate, can only be considered an approximate average.

8. Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work for Everyone

Calorie obsession can harm your health. Say, if you prefer to take pretzels instead of almonds, just because of their lower calorie content.

On the other hand, it really helps to maintain a normal weight. True, not everyone.

In general, the advice is simple: if you live easier and better with the calculator, continue; if not, then stop harassing yourself.

On each packaging of food and drinks you can find not only the composition, but also an indicator of calorie content, number of calories. How is the caloric value of a factory and home-made product determined, what these numbers mean, whether you need to pay attention to them and who cares about counting calories, MedAboutMe says.

Calories

Calorie is a unit of heat when a certain amount of substance is burned. The term "calorie" was proposed by the Swedish physicist Johann Wilke in the mid-18th century. The word itself comes from the Latin calor, heat. Until recently, the definitions used were “high calorie”, “low calorie”, later they were replaced by kilocalories, kcal, and just calories.

Johann Wilke initially used the unit of calorie content exclusively for calculating the heat generated during the combustion of fuel: firewood, sawdust, coal. Thus, the energy efficiency of various materials used for space heating and used in moving mechanisms was investigated. Until now, the term “fuel calorie content” can be found in specialized literature, and gigacalories (Gcal), meaning 109 calories, are most often used as a unit of measurement.

If we ignore the wood and coal theme, the caloric content of food for living beings determines everything the same as was implied by the Swedish scientist when burning logs. The calorie content of food is determined by their energy value that the body receives when digesting food. To maintain vital activity, our organisms need a temperature of about 37 ° C. Burned "fuel", that is, digestible food, allows the body to produce energy for temperature balance, the implementation of metabolic processes. The amount of energy redistributed from the product to the body is determined by the number of calories in the eaten product or dish.

As applied to food products, the use of the term “calories”, “calorie content” began in the 1900s, when food began to be evaluated as a “fuel” for living organisms. But the term became widespread only at the end of the last century, with the adoption of legislative guidelines on the mandatory indication of the energy value of food on packaging.

To accurately determine the calorie content of food or any other substance, a calorimeter is used. In this device, a certain amount of the investigated product is burned and it is determined how much heat is released when it is burned into the environment, how much the temperature rises.

In modern conditions, food in a calorimeter is burned for scientific purposes, and the calorie content of food and drinks is determined in accordance with the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the composition per 100 g of mass. So, 1 gram of carbohydrates or proteins during burning emits about 4 kcal, and 1 g of fat - 9 kilocalories.

There is an inverse process that allows you to determine the physiological energy value of a product and the amount of energy a person needs for various activities. To determine, for example, the number of calories spent on running, the test volunteer is closed in a sealed chamber of the calorimeter and the amount of heat generated by him during this physical exercise is estimated, calculating based on this indicator how many calories are burned.

Calorie intake

The norm of the average daily calorie content of food for people varies depending on many factors. If we examine two people of different weight categories in a calorimeter, then even with the same running time and the applied efforts, the heat generated will be different. The energy costs of the body are affected by gender, physical parameters, age, features of the metabolic process and, of course, the amount and type of physical activity.

The calorie norm obtained by a person with food also depends on the ratio of muscle mass and body fat. Different organs and tissues in the body use a different amount of energy. Muscle fibers are able to use significantly more calories than adipose tissue.

Thus, speaking of the average calorie norm in the set of foods consumed during the day, we can only call very approximate figures that do not reflect the real picture. The individual calorie norm, if necessary, should take into account all of the above factors. Only a complete medical examination of the body can provide reliable figures on the degree of assimilation of food and the amount of energy expended.

But even after the examination, these values \u200b\u200bcan change. Thus, according to studies of the last decade, the ambient temperature during a person’s sleep affects metabolic processes: in people who prefer to spend night hours in a bedroom with an air temperature of 18 ° C or lower, metabolic processes are accelerated with a constant level of physical activity and diet nutrition, which means they burn more calories than those who sleep in a warm room. Changing the temperature in the bedroom by 3 degrees upwards reduces the metabolic rate to an average level.

At the same time, such a satellite of modern man as stress can have an effect directly opposite a lower air temperature on a person. According to one study, daily stress exposure increases triglycerides in the blood, and also helps reduce the calorie intake from food, at least, according to researchers, in the female population.

Even such aspects of life, which would seem to be not directly related to physiology, affect the calculation of the calorie norm of consumed products.

If you burn 1 liter of vegetable oil in a calorimeter, then the devices record the release of up to nine million calories, or 9,000 kilocalories, kcal. A person on average per day, depending on physiological parameters and activity level, consumes 2,000-3,000 kcal. Thus, a liter of vegetable oil, it would seem, is quite enough for a person to get enough energy to maintain body temperature at 36.6 ° C, which is necessary for full life, and the metabolic and metabolic processes in the body take place at the proper level.

Approximately such a theory existed until 1920, when it was believed that the calorie content of food determines its value for a living organism and prevails over the content and balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. However, after a series of scientific studies in which volunteers ate butter and white rice, it became clear that the calorie content of food is not the only important indicator for the body.

However, calorie calculation is constantly used to determine the general, basic focus of the average daily human diet. Focusing on the calculation of calories in accordance with indicators, we can talk about the norm of calories during the day for a particular person, for example, in the amount of 2,000 kcal. Based on this indicator, they already compose a diet, taking into account also the needs of the body for proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Without the second stage, based on the composition of the products, for example, 400 g of chocolate per day or several liters of soda could enter the diet of this conditional person, covering the need for calorie content, but harming health. That is why calorie calculation is the basis from which they are based on in the preparation of diets and diets, but it is impossible to perceive it as the only important indicator.

How many calories you need per day: the influence of physiological factors

When calculating how many calories are needed per day, the following main factors must be considered:

height;
body mass;
gender, energy consumption in men is on average higher than in women;
age, as with age, metabolic processes in the body slow down;
percentage of muscle and adipose tissue;
level of physical activity.

These are the main indicators that affect the energy costs of the body. Most formulas designed for self-calculation of how many calories a body needs per day do not take into account the amount of muscle tissue and the amount of fat, which reduces the accuracy of the calculations.

In any case, even if the result of the formula looks like “your daily calorie intake is 2,439 kcal”, it should be taken approximately without calculating daily grams of meat, vegetables, sugar. The norm in this case is about 2.5 thousand kilocalories per day, and if the basis of the food is combined ready meals (soups, complex side dishes, meat with sauce, semi-finished products, finished products), then you should be aware that the calculation of the caloric content of such dishes is based on a rough understanding of the composition.

Calorie calculation for diets and sports is based on the ratio of calories consumed and energy expended. The following figures are taken as the main energy exchange: in a state of absolute rest, without movement, a person spends from about 0.9 to 1 kcal per 1 kilogram of body weight per hour (women and men, respectively). That is, a woman with a body weight of 70 kg spends during a quiet sleep or lying in bed in the morning before breakfast at a comfortable air temperature of 63 kilocalories per hour, a man with the same weight - 70 kcal.

If such a person continues to remain in a supine position without eating for a day, then his energy consumption will be 1512 kcal for a woman and 1680 for a man.

The main exchange is the average value. As shown above, it depends on the speed of metabolic processes, metabolic rate, age, amount of muscle mass, air temperature and other factors.

The total energy consumption during the day consists of several numbers:

energy consumption for the main metabolism in the body;
energy spent on the assimilation of food;
energy consumption during work and leisure, any activity other than a state of rest.

A change in body weight is thus based on two main changes: a decrease or increase in the energy value of food and an increase or decrease in physical activity.

How many calories are burned in various activities

When calculating how many calories are burned at different activities, units of kilocalories, kcal are used. The approximate calorie consumption figures for a person with a stable metabolism that meets the standards are as follows:

sleep, 8 hours - 350 kcal;
rest lying down, 2 hours - 120 kcal;
walking (road to work, home, shopping), 1 hour - 206 kcal;
sedentary work in the office, 8 hours - 810 kcal;
cooking, 1 hour - 171 kcal;
watching TV, 2 hours - 240 kcal.

To this figure is added the energy spent by the body on the assimilation of food. Carbohydrates and fats are the easiest to digest, protein digestion requires almost 10 times more energy from the body. With an average balanced diet and metabolism, the cost of absorption is 6.5% of the main metabolism, so a person with a body weight of 70 kg spends another 110 kcal during the day.

Total a man with a body weight of 70 kg, an inactive lifestyle and sedentary work spends 2,217 kcal per day. If it is necessary to maintain body weight at this level, he needs to eat food with this level of energy value.

Any additional action causes the consumption of calories. Telephone conversations while sitting or lying down, reading aloud, a bath with a hydromassage, climbing and descending stairs - everything that differs from lying at rest requires additional energy from the body.

In order not to constantly focus on counters and calorie calculators and not to look every time in calorie tables, use calculation formulas.

There are two well-known and confirmed formulas that allow you to calculate how many calories a person burns: Harris-Benedict and Muffin-Geor (according to experts, more accurate).

In accordance with the basic formula, it is possible to calculate the individual main volume of energy consumption by the following parameters:

for women: body weight, kg * 10 + height (cm) * 6.25 - age (years) * 5 - 161;
for men: body weight, kg * 10 + height (cm) * 6.25 - age (years) * 5 + 5.

Based on the main amount of calorie costs, the following calculations are built:

with a sedentary lifestyle - the main volume * 1.2;
for small physical activity, moderate sports 1-3 times / week, the coefficient is 1, 375;
in sports 3-5 times / week - 1.55;
with high activity - an increase in calorie consumption of 1.725;
with increased activity, increased loads, training twice a day, the main cost is multiplied by a factor of 1.9.

For example, a woman aged 30 years, leading a sedentary lifestyle (office work) with a body weight of 30 kg and a height of 160 cm:

70 kg * 10 + 160 * 6.25 - 30 * 5 - 161 \u003d 1,389 kcal of the main cost

Inactive lifestyle coefficient 1.2 * 1389 \u003d 1667 kcal / day.

Conclusions: in order to maintain the existing body weight, this woman needs to eat food with an energy value of no more and no less than 1,667 kilocalories per day.

It is worth remembering that the calculation results will change annually, and take into account various additional factors that affect the change in calorie consumption and metabolic rate.

Calorie Counting Slimming

Based on the total calorie needs of the body, calculated according to tables or formulas, you can determine the upper limit of calorie intake of food and start eating less or exercise more. How much do you need to change the diet or increase activity?

When physical activity is included in daily life in a small amount (1-3 times a week), the hypothetical woman from the example above increases calorie consumption up to 1900. Remaining on the same diet, she creates a calorie deficit, and the body begins to process fat cells into energy, contributing to weight loss.

An alternative is to reduce the energy value of food. The recommended reduction rate for weight loss is not more than 20% of the total calorie content, that is 1667 * 80% \u003d 1333 kcal.

With such a value in the diet, a woman will begin to lose weight. Many strive for fast weight loss, extreme forms of diets, cutting their diet by 40%. In this case, the woman from the example can begin to observe the calorie limit of 1,000 kcal / day (1667 * 60%). However, experts warn that the daily diet of women should be at least 1,200 kcal, men - 1,800 kcal, reducing the energy value of food below these limits is extremely dangerous to health.

Calorie counters are modern devices that allow those who monitor the consumption of a certain amount of calories during the day to know the approximate level of energy value of food. There are calorie counters in the form of programs that allow you to determine the calorie content of a dish from a photograph on a smartphone, as well as classic counters that require the introduction of the name and weight of the product used.

It is no secret that the determination of calorie content from a photograph is rather arbitrary and can provide a very distant understanding of the composition and energy value of a dish.

The most accurate methods are those in which a person independently weighs all food components on a kitchen scale, while determining its parameters: lean or oily fish, chicken skin, red or white poultry, green, yellow, red pepper, fruit varieties, etc. . With this approach, which allows you to measure and take into account food in grams, especially high-calorie foods (sugar, butter, fats), you can achieve a fairly accurate level of calorie intake and use once measured recipes and food compositions.

Calorie Calculators

Calorie calculators calculate a person’s energy expenditure during the day. Depending on the formula used, these programs take into account factors such as body weight at the moment and the desired goal, height, age, physical activity and gender of the person.

Calculation of calorie calculators is based on one of the above formulas, which are considered the most common. More accurate calorie calculators allow you to enter not just an indication of the level of physical activity, but also calculate energy consumption depending on the type and duration of activity, for example, separate calorie calculations for washing dishes, walking with a stroller, going to the store, reading email.

Despite the increased accuracy of such calculations, the final numbers will not differ by an order of magnitude from the basic calorie consumption according to one of the classical formulas.

In sports, the calculation of the number of calories for weight loss is based on two factors: calorie intake of food and energy consumption of the body. It is also important to consider the percentage of muscle and adipose tissue in the body and the composition of the food. Calories for weight loss can be both a factor in the deficiency of the energy value of food, and a surplus of physical activity. For an accurate calculation of the number of calories for weight loss during sports activities, you should consult a nutritionist specializing in athletes, or a trainer with specialized training in the field of dietetics.

How to calculate calories for weight gain

Despite the statistics showing an increased number of overweight populations, the need to increase body weight is far from uncommon. You can hear recommendations from doctors to parents of children with a body weight deficit, nutritionists - too thin people, sports instructors - athletes who need to create a mass surplus before the stage of muscle tissue growth or to switch to another weight category.

Depending on the initial data, the goals of gaining body weight and living conditions (diet, somatic and other diseases, the possibility of active movement), approaches and methods differ. Calories to increase body weight can be calculated in accordance with the Muffin-Geor or Harris-Benedict formulas, which allow you to find out the basic average daily energy expenditures of the body. The desired surplus of calories is based on determining the range between stable energy consumption and the possible additional amount of calorie content of food.

The calorie content of staple foods is determined by nutritionists based on the composition of the product. With known data on the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in food, calorie content is calculated by the formula:

the amount of protein per 100 g * 4 + the amount of carbohydrates per 100 g * 4 + the amount of fat per 100 g * 9

The total amount means the calorie content of the product at the rate of 100 g.

Calorie tables of basic food products and compositions on the packaging of products manufactured or packaged industrially make it possible to approximately determine how much energy will be received by the body when this product is consumed.

Calorie tables of products distributed on the Internet contain a lot of useful data. From them you can find out how many calories are in an egg, milk, butter, vegetables, various types of meat and other monocomponent products.

Of course, the data given in the calorie tables are quite averaged. Two factors contribute to this:

firstly, the calorie content and composition of food depends largely on its characteristics of origin. For vegetables, these are varieties, regions of growth, time of collection. For meat, milk, animal products - species, breeds of animals, birds, fish, the specifics of the area in which they grew, food supply. The average concept of “lean beef” may differ in the permissible percentage of fat by 5-10%;
for factory products used in the calorie table, a second factor affects the accuracy of the data. Not always “wheat horns” are made from wheat flour of the same hardness, which affects the content of protein and fats. And also some manufacturers, using approved formulations, modify them in order to reduce the cost of production or use more available raw materials at the moment.

Thus, calorie tables may not contain completely reliable data. Moreover, if we compare several tables of the energy value of the products, we can conclude that the calorie content of the same dish differs in different sources. How to be

The daily calorie intake for a person is not a strict rule that must be followed up to each unit. Taking the data of one source for basic indicators, it is possible to successfully form a daily diet when taking into account averaged indicators.

To accurately determine the number of calories in foods, you need to use a calorimeter. Burning a product in a sealed chamber, you can measure how much it will increase the water temperature by 1 degree. Thus determine the exact energy value.

But it is impossible to burn all food, all vegetables, eggs, varieties of cutlets or liters of borsch. Therefore, when calculating calories in various dishes, products, drinks, they are guided by the approximate composition. Based on the ratio of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, they count calories. So, the caloric content of protein and carbohydrates is 4 kilocalories per 100 g, fats - about 9 kcal. Thus, knowing the composition of the product, you can independently calculate calories.

The calorie content of compound dishes is also considered. It is necessary to weigh and evaluate the energy value of each component of the dish. Such calorie calculations are carried out by nutritionists and formulation specialists in the food industry.

However, if a person is recommended a strict diet for medical reasons, and it is advisable not to exceed the average daily calorie intake, it is recommended that you carefully pay attention to published data on the calorie content of complex dishes. There is a significant difference in the energy value of lean soup, made from chicken breast or cooked in a strong meat broth with the addition of fat sour cream. If it is not about curiosity, but about health, it is worth calculating calories on your own or with the help of a nutritionist.

How many calories are in an egg?

You can pretty roughly determine how many calories are in an egg. In the average, taken as a standard chicken egg, about 160 kcal per 100 g. If you need to know exactly how many calories in a chicken egg, you will have to focus on the category of eggs. The accepted division into categories depends on the weight of the egg with the shell, from 45 to 65 grams.

There are also low fat diet chicken eggs on sale. Their calorie content will be slightly less than average. The most energetically valuable part of the egg is the yolk, the high fat content provides about 350 kilocalories per 100 g, but the protein in the eggs is almost pure protein present in other products. Its calorie content is considered basic, about 40 kcal per 100 g.

Calculating how many calories are in an egg also depends on several factors. In some eggs, two yolks can be found, and eggs from young hens are characterized by a lower mass of yolk and low calorie content.

Well, the origin of eggs is also important: eggs from domestic hens in composition and energy value may differ from eggs from chicken production from poultry farms due to the free activity of birds, a greater variety of diet, fewer additives. During the cold season, home-made laying hens bring eggs of a smaller size and lower calorific value, for hens living in a poultry farm, the seasonal factor does not work.

Eggs are different, in fact, like birds. And their calorie content is different. A quail egg contains about 170 kcal per 100 g, duck, goose, turkey eggs are distinguished by a higher fat content in the yolk, and as a result, an increased energy value of the product.

Trying to calculate how many calories are in a banana, you need to remember that these fruits have intraspecific differences. Most often in Russian stores you can find the so-called "feed" bananas, large in size, with a thick skin. They are distinguished by keeping quality, successfully ripen in crates, and well tolerate transportation from hot countries to Russia. Such bananas have a mealy sweet taste, whitish flesh and about 90 kilocalories per 100 g.

Bananas, considered a higher grade, are smaller, more rounded in the stem, very thin skin, pronounced aroma and taste. It is almost impossible to store and transport them fresh, but it is these bananas that are used in the manufacture of dried fruits. The energy value of these fruits fresh reaches 110 kcal per 100 g, and if you ask how many calories are in a dried banana, the energy value of such a product can vary from 250 to 400 kcal per 100 g, as some manufacturers use in the drying process sugar syrup to enhance the taste.

Vegetable and Butter: Calories

Depending on the type of oil, the calorie content of this product varies greatly. For example, butter contains about 750 kcal per 100 g, and "peasant" with 72.5% fat content - about 650.

If the butter is subjected to reheating, contributing to the maximum output of the liquid, then the energy value of such ghee will increase significantly and amount to 890 kilocalories per 100 grams of product.

Unlike butter, vegetable oils are practically unchanged in energy value, they are pure without additional inclusions. From the point of view of calorie content, it does not matter which type to choose, sunflower, corn, olive, soy or any other vegetable oil, the calories in this product do not depend on the feedstock, only on the production and purification process. On average, all vegetable oils have 890 kcal per 100 g, so a tablespoon of oil contains about 100 kcal.

The calorie content of milk depends on several factors. Firstly, milk can be either cow or goat, and there are exotic options such as camel or mare’s milk. Calories, the composition of the product can vary significantly depending on its origin.

In raw form, normalized milk of cows and goats is similar in caloric value - 65 and 70 kcal, respectively. Milk from a pet can be calculated according to the calorie level very conditionally, since different animals produce milk of different fat content depending on age, feed composition, season, health and breed. It is generally accepted that a healthy cow or goat from the household brings milk yield with 6-8% milk fat.

It is interesting that pasteurized and sterilized milk at the same fat content differs in calorie content: pasteurized milk contains 3 less calories.

Often you can choose different types of fat content of cow's milk, from “zero”, in which 0.1-0.5% fat, to increased fat saturation, 6.5-7%. Skim milk has the fewest calories - 31 kcal per 100 g.

The highest calorie content in milk, subjected to prolonged heat treatment. Thus, baked milk already contains 85 kcal per 100 g due to the evaporation of a part of the liquid during processing, and condensed milk without added sugar - 140 kcal.

The most energetically valuable milk is milk powder. 100 grams of dried whole milk contains 476 kilocalories.

Sugar: Calories, Carbohydrates

Sugar is almost pure. Its calorie content somewhat depends on the degree of processing: raw sugar and cane look have more impurities and contain an average of 360 kcal per 100 grams. Refined sugar and granulated sugar have an energy value of 379 kcal / 100 g. Since raw sugar is quite rare in modern stores and it is impossible to confuse it with other types, it is worth considering that sugar contains 379 per gram, or 379 kilocalories per 100 g.

Adding sugar to various foods significantly increases their calorie content. For example, caloric values \u200b\u200bof condensed milk without sugar and with its presence differ significantly: 140 and 320 kcal, respectively.

The amount in a vegetable such as cabbage, calories can vary significantly. The lowest calorie variety is seaweed. This algae, having a large number of important trace elements, is extremely low in calories. 5 kilocalories per 100 grams, these are the indicators of seaweed. If the conservation of seaweed was made using oil, then the energy value increases depending on the recipe.

Cabbage-vegetable is also not a high-calorie product. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, white cabbage contains an average of 25-29 kcal per 100 g, depending on the variety. Red cabbage, characterized by a rich burgundy or purple hue, contains 24 kcal / 100 g.

Sauerkraut without added sugar has a lower energy value than fresh cabbage due to an increase in the amount of liquid in such a cabbage from 20 kilocalories.

Cauliflower follows on the scale of the energy value of this vegetable: it contains slightly more calories than white cabbage, 30 kcal / 100 g. Kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts, 42 and 43 calories, respectively, follow.

Knowing the low calorie content of cabbage, you should not, however, build a diet based on the abundance of this vegetable. Cabbage, especially cabbage, is rich not only in useful vitamins and minerals, but also saturated in coarse fiber. The abundance of fiber in the intestine can lead to the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the development of obstruction of the intestines, requiring emergency medical intervention. Due to the high fiber content, cabbage also contributes to increased gas formation, as a result of which it is recommended to be excluded from the diet of people with certain gastrointestinal diseases, and also not recommended for nursing mothers, especially when raw.

In absolutely all calorie tables, the calculation of the calorie content of vegetables is approximate. Depending on the growing conditions, variety, ripeness, the content of sugars and fats may vary for the same type of vegetables. However, for basic calorie counts in the diet, such averaged data is enough.

What calories? Calorie is just a unit of measure: the amount of heat that is needed to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius. A person needs energy to live (move, breathe, think). Even a state of rest, our body needs energy to maintain vital functions: the work of the heart, nervous system, etc. We get it from food. The number of calories in food is a measure of how much energy it contains. For example, one gram of carbohydrates \u003d 4 kcal; one gram of protein \u003d 4 kcal; one gram of fat \u003d 9 kcal. If you know how many proteins, fats and carbohydrates are in the product, you can determine how many calories (energy) you get by eating it.

Different people need different amounts to maintain vitality. calories. It is important to remember that our body is a very complex mechanism and there is no universal formula for everyone. Depending on the height, gender, age, weight and level of physical activity, this figure may decrease or increase. An adult needs an average of 1800 - 2500 kcal per day, and an athlete - 3500 kcal. The word "necessary" means that a certain amount of energy must enter the body. Metabolism is influenced by internal processes in the body and your emotional state, as well as environmental temperature and a number of other external factors. What happens when you consume more calorieswhat are you spending? Excess calories of any origin are overweight. The body will spend as much as it needs, and the rest, about one third of the daily norm, will be “postponed."

If you consume just as much calorieshow much you burn, and if it is only about weight, then the composition of the products does not play such a big role. One calorie is one calorie, regardless of its origin. Calorie from protein, does not differ from calories from fat - it's just a unit of energy. And while you spend as much energy as you eat, your weight will be stable. If you start spending more, the weight will decrease. Another thing, when it comes to the nutritional value of products, about a beautiful body and just about health, it is of great importance here from which sources (products) the calories come from. The better and fuller the food is absorbed, the more energy remains for the renewal of cells, and, consequently, for the whole organism.

One of the most common myths is that the number of fat cells does not change throughout life, and those who have more of these cells get fat. In fact, fat cells are able to multiply and quite actively! In thin people, the number of fat cells varies from 41 to 65 million, in obese people - from 200 million. The diameter of the fat cell changes (from 70 to 120 microns) and as soon as it grows, a new one is formed. Fat cells almost do not die and everyone “remembers”. And if you, no matter for what reason, once had excess weight, and then lost weight, there is a high probability of returning to your previous weight.

Want to get rid of three or four extra pounds? First of all, you need to thoroughly review your diet and adjust it so that it is aimed at the constant burning of fat. For this, “empty” calories must be excluded from the diet, giving preference to healthy foods. To the "empty" calories all simple carbohydrates (sweets, biscuits, white bread, carbonated drinks), saturated fats and trans fats (lard, butter, fat sour cream, donuts, fast food, chips). Useful calories You will find in complex carbohydrates (vegetables, cereals, brown rice, legumes, whole grain bread, fruits) and unsaturated fats (oily fish, nuts, olive and linseed oil). You should eat 5-6 times a day in small portions, and drink at least 8 cups of simple boiled or mineral (without gas) water. Thus, in order to lose weight, it is enough to simply reduce the daily intake of calories, but it must be remembered that it should be at least 1200 kcal. You can consume an underestimated amount of calories without harming the body for more than two weeks. Then you should go to a normal calorie diet.

A balanced diet should be 11-13% protein; from fats by 25-30% and from carbohydrates by 60-80%.

Armed with these data, as well as data on the calorie content of the product, you can easily calculate how many calories you consume over a certain period of time. Calorie intake should meet the challenges of the day: if you are losing weight - this is one diet, if you decide to build muscle - another, if you just stick to a healthy diet - the third. Any kind of activity also has an expression in calories. The amount of energy consumed at rest is called the main metabolism (in women it is 10-15% lower than in men). It should be noted that with age, the basal metabolism slows down. This is due to a decrease in muscle mass and a decrease in the biological activity of the body. However, reducing calories is just the first step to losing weight. If you want to achieve the best result, then combine a balanced diet made by a dietitian with regular exercise!

Anna Koroleva

Reading time: 19 minutes

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What do we know about calories? Well, first of all, that their hard to believe, fighting with extra centimeters at the waist . And they are also considered when, on the contrary, you need to gain weight - for example, athletes. But few people think about what calories give the body, and what they are. We understand the issue!

What are calories and how do they differ from kilocalories?

Contrary to stereotypes, calories are far from the concept of a unit of "completeness." Until the 20th century, this unit was used to measure thermal energy, and today it indicates the energy value of products.

History tour

The term “calories” appeared in the 2nd half of the 19th century, thanks to French scientists who called the unit of calculation of calorific value “calor” - thermochemists Favre Zilberman. In the 90s of the same century, food was “decomposed” into carbohydrates and proteins with fats from the light hand of chemist Wilbur Etwater, after which it was in calories that the energy value of each food group was measured. And already from the 20th century, everyone who wants to recover or lose weight urgently, began to count calories in their diets.

What is calorie?

This term implies a certain amount of heat, with the help of which the temperature of 1 g of water grows by 1 g Celsius. In traditional physics, it is customary to measure thermal energy in joules, but in everyday life these measurements occur through calories. By the way, 1 calorie, as you know, will be equal to 4.1868 joules.

The difference between calories and kilocalories

Everyone who watches their weight knows the word “calories”. They are fighting these mysterious units on all fronts, not really understanding what its action is, where it comes from or where it goes. And most importantly - what is the difference from kilocalories.

To understand the issue : 1 kilocalorie (kcal) \u003d 1 thousand calories. The analogy is clear and simple: 1 kg \u003d 1 thousand grams.
On product packaging indicates the value of food in kilocalories. The word "N calories" on the packaging - illiteracy of manufacturers.
Illiterate are considered and instructions on spent "calories" on simulators in individual sports clubs. It is about kilocalories.

What are calories for - the benefits of calories for the body

To live, we need energy. Without it, it is impossible to move, “pump” blood through your body, breathe, etc. And energy comes to us from our food: how many calories - so much energy .

1 g of carbohydrates \u003d 4 kcal.
1 g of protein - similarly, 4 kcal.
1 g fat - 9 kcal.

From these components our food consists.

Knowing how many of these components are in the diet, you can calculate how many calories / energy the body will receive. For example, the most popular product is oatmeal.

In 100 g of product:

6 g of fat x 9 kcal \u003d 54 kcal
51 g of carbohydrates x 4 kcal \u003d 204 kcal
12 g protein x 4 kcal \u003d 48 kcal

Total, only 100 g of product - 306 kcal, which the body spends during metabolism, converting proteins into amino acids, carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars, and fats into fatty acids and glycerin.

Amino acids from proteins - on the formation of new cells. In particular, muscle tissue.
Carbohydrate glucose (decomposed into simple sugars) - for the nutrition of cells. In turn, the body “hides” glucose stores in muscle tissue and in the liver.
Fats the body is used as fuel. Partially, they are sent to the liver and converted to cholesterol. The body stores excess fat under the skin - beauties of all ages fight with it (right after a cup of tea and cake).

When dieting to increase weight, the ideal calorie diet is as follows:

Up to 30 percent of the diet - squirrels
Up to 45 percent of the diet - carbohydrates
Up to 35 percent of the diet - fats

For weight loss:

Up to 30 percent of the diet - squirrels
Up to 50 percent - carbohydrates
Up to 20 percent - fats

How is the calorie content of foods measured?

One of the most popular and effective methods today is calorie counting. With it, you do not need to give up your favorite food - just keep a balance of calories in the diet.

Basic principles:

The number of kcal per day \u003d the number of kilocalories consumed per day.
What would you like to eat - irrelevant. The main thing is not to jump beyond the limit that is allowed by your calorie intake.
Do not reduce the number of kcal / day relative to the norm per day, so as not to get a "bonus" chronic sores and malfunctions in the body.

How to measure calories in foods?

The number of kcal in a dish is measured as follows (for example, oatmeal with milk):

Products : 200 g of oatmeal, 1 liter of milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Calorie foods : oatmeal - 732 kcal, milk - 640 kcal, salt - 0 kcal, sugar - 199 kcal, butter - 149.6 kcal.
Calorie dishes , the total - 1720.6 kcal. Calorie content of 100 g of porridge - 134.9 kcal.

You can find the calorific value of a product in special tables, fortunately, today there is no shortage of them. But it’s worth remembering that ...

Calorie cooked pasta / cereal 3 times less than before their preparation (raw).
Cooking Weight significantly decreases, and rice, on the contrary, increases.
Calorie content of dried foods (e.g. crackers, fruits, mushrooms or berries) are significantly higher than raw ones. In this case, first we find out the value of “X” (by how much the mass of the product has decreased after drying), and only then we multiply the value of the product from the calorie table by the number “X”.
If you cook soup , then not only the calorie content of each component is taken into account, but seasonings, sour cream and other little things that we usually forget to count.

Counting Daily Calories

To determine this norm, first of all, we find out the main indicators:

Metabolism (OM) . It depends on the mode of operation / movement / power. Calculation formula: weight x 20 kcal \u003d indicator OB.
Age . Calculation formula: for every decade after 20 years, reduce the amount of calories by 2 percent.
Floor . A man needs more calories.
The rhythm of life (percentage of its activity) : sedentary (office-computer) - 20%, sedentary with light activity (walking, shopping, cleaning, etc.) - 30%, average activity - 40%, high (with training, with physical work) - 50%.
Physical Activity (FA) . Calculation formula: metabolic rate x per percent activity of the rhythm of life.
The percentage of energy when digesting food (PEPP) . Calculation formula: (physical / activity + metabolic rate) x 10%.

So, the formula of the daily calorie intake will be equal to: PEPP + FA + OV. Further, the obtained result should be adjusted according to the indicator of the age category (that is, minus 2% for every decade after 20). If the calculations are carried out for a weight loss scheme, then we clarify the result further: 1 daily portion of calories - (your weight x 7 kcal).

It should be remembered that just looking at the calorie table is not enough. You should compare the calorie content of dishes with the energy needs of a person. That is, for the future mother it will be one daily value, for the child - another, for the athlete - the third, etc.

Where are more calories?

The energy value of products depends solely on their chemical composition. Products with an energy value below 40 kcal / 100 g are considered the most low-calorie

Of the low-calorie can be noted:

Vegetables : lettuce, onions and beets, cucumbers, sweet peppers, garlic with parsley and horseradish.
Fruits / Berries : oranges and strawberries, blackberries, grapefruit, pineapples, quince with cherry plum, cherries, pomegranates, lingonberries and kiwis, apples, raspberries, cherries.
Meat : rabbit and chicken, kidney, light veal and beef.
Fish : pollock and blue whiting, shrimp, hake and flounder, smelt, pike and pike perch, crucian carp with perch, carp.
Dairy : any, but non-fat.
Sweets : pastille, marshmallows and marmalade.
Rye bread .

The higher the amount of fiber in the product, the lower the calorie content.

The maximum high calorie content is 500-900 kcal per 100 g. It is not recommended to abuse such products:

Oil (any kind)
Fatty pork and fat
Various smoked sausages
Cream cakes
Nuts (any)
Chocolate

Calorie content of foods and energy - how to stay slim?

From calories do not lose weight and do not get fat. This is just a unit of measure. . But between the increase / decrease in weight and calorie content of food, of course, there is a direct relationship. The essence of the process is simple - a person eats a product, and the received energy is processed into heat (in those kilocalories). Moreover, in 1 g of fat, kilocalories are more than in 1 g of carbohydrates, namely 9 kcal . That is why fatty foods contribute to weight gain (especially when accumulating data of calories by the body, and not their competent expenditure).

Calorie consumption should correspond to their amount received. therefore the athlete’s abundant diet is not at all suitable for a fragile girl with a sedentary lifestyle - there must be harmony in everything!

Calculation of calories in the diet - which one is suitable?

A daily diet with calories for an adult with mild exercise.

Breakfast

2 soft-boiled eggs - 149.15 kcal.
(nuts, fruits, milk) - 225.5 kcal / serving.
Tea with milk and sugar - 43 kcal.
Bun - 335.7 kcal.

Dinner

Ear - 92-100 kcal / portion.
Mashed potatoes (milk, butter) - about 200 kcal / serving.
Boiled beef (150 g) - 381 kcal.
Vegetable salad with butter - about 130 kcal / portion.
Dried fruits compote (200 g) - 120 kcal.
Toasts - 293 kcal.

Dinner

Boiled chicken breast (150 g) - 205.5 kcal.
Vegetable salad with butter - 130 kcal / portion.
Coffee with sugar and milk - 113.7 kcal.
+ kefir before bedtime - 80 kcal (200 ml, 1%).

Total : 2426.55 kcal / day.

Daily Calorie Diet

Breakfast . Light coffee with milk + fresh fruit + egg + bread (coarse grinding) + butter + jam. In total - about 800 kcal.
Dinner . Vegetable salad with oil + 100 g liver + vermicelli with cheese + toast + cranberry juice + pear. In total - about 850 kcal.
High tea . A pair of baked apples + cottage cheese with sour cream - 350 kcal.
Dinner . Mashed potatoes + apple compote + bread + boiled fish. And kefir before bedtime. In total - about 700 kcal.

Total : 2700 kcal / day.

Daily Calorie Calculation for Athlete

Breakfast

2 hard boiled eggs - about 170 kcal.
2 slices of dried bread (multigrain) - 272.00 kcal, with jam - 130 kcal.
150 g oatmeal with milk - 466.6 kcal.

2nd breakfast

Protein Energy Bar - 300 kcal.
Tea with sugar - 56 kcal.

Dinner

Vegetable salad 300 g - 202.5 kcal.
Chicken soup 500 ml - 121.5 kcal.
Boiled beef 250 g - 635 kcal.
Orange juice - 86 kcal.
Crackers 50 g - 352 kcal.

High tea

Berry compote 200 ml - 72 kcal.
Bun 200 g - 678 kcal.

One of the safest ways to lose weight is to count calories. Some people reject this technique because of its complexity, but it is thanks to this technology that you can quickly and correctly regain your health and normalize weight.

What are calories and why are they needed? Calorie is a unit of energy produced by the body during the absorption of food. The rate of calories per day for men, women, children is different. Scientists have come up with several different formulas that can be used to calculate how much the body needs for normal functioning. Everything that will be received above the norm is deposited in the reserve in the form of fat. With the normalization of food intake by calories, the amount of calories that were left in stock begins to be consumed.

Calories - what is it

Knowing what calories are, you can adjust your weight. Everyone knows that all foods have a calorie content. This concept refers to the amount of energy that is released by the body during the breakdown of food. In the classic version, this is a measurement of thermal energy in the form of kilojoules, but for ease of understanding this unit is designated as calorie: 1 joule is equal to 4.2 kcal.

Energy sources

The main sources of energy are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These are necessary elements for the normal functioning of the body. Each species has a certain amount of energy. For example, one gram of protein and carbohydrate contains four calories, and one gram of fat contains nine calories. Based on these data, it can be calculated that a kilogram of fat contains 9000 calories.

So what are calories and what are they for? Calories are a source of energy necessary to maintain the body’s vital functions. Armed with any directory of calorie content of products, you can calculate how much energy is contained in a particular food product.

And how to count calories for weight loss and muscle building? Different goals require different amounts of energy. If during weight loss it is important to eat such a number of calories that are needed to maintain normal life and not a gram more, then to increase muscle mass, the number of calories obtained with protein food should be more.

Power consumption

Every person who is professionally involved in sports knows what calories are, because it depends on them how successful the training will be.

Any physical activity is expressed in calories. Even at rest, the body needs energy. It supports the functioning of the nervous system, respiration, the work of the cardiovascular system, heart, etc. In a state of rest, a little energy is consumed: this type of flow is called basic. Typically, calories per day for men at rest are about twenty percent less than females. With age, energy consumption in a person decreases, as the life processes of the body slow down. In this regard, the required number of calories that should come from food should be reduced.

Calorie Absorption

As mentioned above, calorie is a unit of energy. However, not all of them immediately go into energy and are consumed, some go to the depot, deposited in the form of fat.

Amino acids are formed from protein products, which immediately go to the needs of the normal functioning of the body. In people who consume too much protein food, there is an increase in the liver, an increase in muscle mass. This is due to the ingestion of an excess of amino acids that need to be placed somewhere.

All carbohydrates, except fiber, are converted to glucose. This is a combustible material, and our body is not able to immediately process the resulting amount of light energy, so it processes carbohydrates, turning it into glycogen, and stores it. The main depots of this substance are the muscles and liver.

Fats that are ingested with food are not fully utilized. Only ten percent is used immediately, and the rest goes into body fat.

Daily calorie intake

Knowing how many calories to consume per day, you can either build muscle or lose weight, but you can maintain it in good condition. This information is necessary for everyone who follows their figure and wants to be slim, preserving their health for many years.

For each person, calorie consumption is individual, but there are average data on which you can navigate when drawing up a diet.

The norm of calories for a woman aged eighteen to forty years is 2300-2500 kcal / day.
The norm for women aged forty to sixty years is 2000-2300 kcal / day.
The norm for men aged eighteen to forty years is 2700-3300 kcal / day.
The norm for men from forty to sixty years is 2400-3000 kcal / day.

These are average indicators for those who are not involved in hard physical work. For athletes involved in professional sports, the consumption is higher by one and a half thousand kcal.

Calorie Calorie Slimming

There are many formulas used to calculate the daily calorie consumption rate, but none of them can be accurate, since it does not take into account the individual characteristics of the body. However, there is an option that is suitable in order to use it for weight loss - this is the Harris-Benedict formula. It looks like this:

The basic metabolic rate of women \u003d 9.99 x weight in kg + height in cm - 4.92 x age - 161.
The basic metabolic rate in men \u003d 9.99 x weight in kg + 6.25 x height in cm - 4.92 x age + 5.

Calorie Calculation Rate

With minimal physical activity, a multiplier of 1.2 is used.
When doing fitness three times a week - coefficient 1.375.
Fitness classes five times a week - 1.4625.
Intensive physical exercise at least five times a week - 1.550.
Daily fitness classes - 1.6375.
Doing sports every day - 1.725.
Physical work and intense physical activity - 1.9.

The result obtained is the daily calorie expenditure that will be with one or another type of activity. To lose weight, you need to not only know how to count calories, but create a deficit in the amount consumed by ten percent of the norm. If you need to build muscle, you should add ten percent to the amount received.

Those who seek to maintain weight at the same level are encouraged to leave the figure unchanged.

With a lot of weight, when you need to get rid of thirty or more kilograms, the calculation for weight loss is carried out with a deficit of twenty percent. A deficit of more than twenty percent can negatively affect overall well-being.

In order to lose weight or gain muscle mass, it is necessary to keep track of calories of food products. This will help the diary, where you should write down everything eaten. Moreover, each meal should be fixed, even the spoon that they try when cooking, should be taken into account in the diary. Watching the diet, you can know how many calories have come, and how many have not received the body. Out of these "undernourished" calories is the outgoing weight. For example, 300 calories were undernourished per day, and you can lose about a kilogram of weight per month with this variant of malnutrition. This is a safe and reliable weight loss.

To be sure of the amount eaten, you must have a scale. Determining the weight of products “by eye” is always incorrect, and to a greater extent. With this approach, the calculations will be incorrect, which means that you can not wait for the result.

When calculating calories, it is important to take into account each product eaten, and it is better to download the application for a smartphone and use it before you eat something. This will help determine how many calories are in an orange, banana, buckwheat, or other product.

To be sure that the number of calories has arrived exactly as much as you need, it is recommended to think through the menu for a week in advance, purchasing all the necessary products. Some even sign what they will cook on what day. For convenience, the weekly menu can be hung on the refrigerator: it will always be at hand.

Before cooking, you must weigh the products. For example, the calorie content of rice raw and boiled will be different. This should be taken into account and, before consuming the product, it should be weighed again: fruits are weighed without a core, chicken without skin and pits, etc.

Little tricks

There are situations when you want to eat something sweet or harmful to the figure. To make this possible, you should leave a small corridor of two hundred kilocalories for tomorrow. It can be filled by eating candy, although it is more beneficial and better to eat a piece of dark chocolate, which has fewer calories than other types of sweets.

The last recommendation for those who want to get rid of extra pounds: you must believe in yourself and always count calories. It is worth stopping the calculations, as the weight gradually begins to return, because people don’t know the measures in food, especially today, when there are a lot of different goodies on the shelves, and people’s work is connected with a sedentary lifestyle. Previously, people moved more, ate less, did exercises, but now on every corner there are cafes and bistros where you can eat sandwiches and other tasty, but very harmful dishes.