How to Calculate Calories?

Food is the primary source of energy for our body; however, not many people are aware of how many calories their body needs in a day. Whether you wish to optimise your health, lose weight, or gain muscle mass, knowing how to calculate calories is key. For convenience, you can use our nutrition calculator for figuring out your daily calorie requirements.

People often think that calculating calories is only for fitness enthusiasts, but that’s not true. It is crucial for anyone who wishes to lead a healthy lifestyle or attain and maintain a certain weight. This is a simple guide on how to count calories and the benefits of doing this. You can learn how to fuel your body effectively and how health supplements can help you get the right nutrients by the end of this blog.

What Is a Calorie Intake Calculator?

A calorie intake calculator is a simple digital tool to help you consume calories according to your total daily energy expenditure (TDTEE). A digital calorie calculator uses several factors, including age, weight, height, gender, and activity level, about a person for calculating calories. The calorie calculator is based on equations, like the Mifflin-St Joer equation, and uses data shared by you to estimate your calorie requirements. You can adjust the details you share in this calorie intake calculator based on your goals—gaining or losing weight.

By using such tools, you get clarity on your ideal calorie consumption in a day on average. This helps you make informed decisions about your health goals through dietary choices. However, it is important to remember that the daily calorie requirement you get from this calculator is general guidance, and other factors will also influence how much calories you need in a day. For precise healthcare guidance, it is always best to consult a doctor or a dietician.

Why Calculating Calorie Intake Is Important?

A calorie is a unit of energy that the body obtains from food. The energy from food is used by your body to perform several involuntary functions, like breathing and blood circulation, and several voluntary functions, like walking and working. Since the food you consume is the primary source of energy, you need to ensure that you are eating an adequate type and amount of food to meet your health needs. Thus, in order to manage your nutrition (and consequently your health) effectively, it is crucial to understand your daily calorie requirements.

Here are a few compelling reasons why calculating calories is important:

1. Health Monitoring : People with health conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes need to be more cautious about their calorie intake. By calculating calories, such individuals can control portion sizes and make healthier food choices.
2. Improved Nutritional Choices : By calculating calories, you can inculcate mindful eating habits and lean towards nutrient-rich foods while avoiding empty calories.
3. Performance Optimisation : Fitness enthusiasts and athletes have a higher energy expenditure than people who have a relatively less active lifestyle. Calculating calories for such people is important if they need to achieve their fitness goals, enjoy sustained energy levels, and recover quickly from their workouts.
4. Weight Management : Weight management is one of the most common reasons why people look for a food calorie tracker. Research shows that by increasing or decreasing your calorie intake, you can lose, gain, or maintain weight. In order to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit—consuming less calories than usual or increasing your activity levels; vice versa is true for increasing weight. People often reduce their caloric intake and start working out more than usual to lose weight.

How Many Calories Do You Need in a Day?

Before you take the figures mentioned in the table above, it is important to understand that there are several factors that affect your daily calorie requirements; let’s break them down:

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) : BMR refers to the number of calories your body burns at rest to perform involuntary, essential functions like digesting, cell production, and breathing. BMR accounts for more than half of your energy expenditure every day.
• Mifflin-St Joer equation for Men’s BMR calculation:
• BMR= (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
• Mifflin-St Joer equation for Women’s BMR calculation:
• BMR= (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 16

• Activity Level : Your physical activity has a great influence on your daily calorie requirements. You can multiply your BMR with certain numbers according to your lifestyle to get an idea of your TDEE.

• Other Factors : Your overall health, hormones, pregnancy, and any other changes in your body can impact your calorie needs. For example, pregnant women require 300-500 additional calories every day to support their baby’s healthy development and maintain their overall health.

How to Adjust Your Calorie Intake?

After figuring out how many calories you require in a day, you can adjust your calorie intake as per your health goals. In order to maintain your weight, you need to match your TDEE to your actual calorie intake.

In order to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit of about 500-1000. This means consuming fewer calories than your TDEE. However, if you plan on reducing your average daily calories, you must ensure that you are consuming plenty of nutrients, even if you are aiming to lose weight. This is important in order to avoid having detrimental health effects. For an effective calorie deficit that leads to weight loss without impacting your health, it is best you make small switches to nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at the beginning of your weight loss journey. Additionally, you must start avoiding high-caloric foods such as sugary soft drinks and highly processed food items. Here are some tips to help you reduce your calorie intake:

• Avoid fruit juices; opt for whole fruits instead.
• Increase your protein consumption; consider taking a protein supplement like Prohance.
• Exercise regularly, even if you work out only 2-3 times a week.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid binge eating.
• Remove high-sugar food items from your kitchen and pantry to avoid temptation.
• Limit your intake of refined carbohydrates like cakes and choose complex carbohydrates like daal.

In order to gain weight, you need to increase your calorie intake by about 500-700. However, you should steer clear of foods with empty calories to increase your weight. Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods to gain weight and enjoy other health benefits. It is usually not recommended that you decrease your physical activity to increase weight; it can become a recipe for disaster if you are working out excessively and not giving your body enough time for rest and recovery. Here are some tips for healthy weight gain through increased calorie consumption:

• Include nuts and seeds in your diet
• Consider adding a protein supplement
• Consume healthy fats
• Incorporate lean proteins like lentils, eggs, or white meat
• Increase the frequency of your meals
• Drink fruit smoothies with whole milk
• Rely on resistance training to gain muscle instead of accumulating fat
• Limit consumption of processed foods
• Do not overeat
• Take care of your gut health by including probiotics in your diet

Avoid Making These Common Mistakes While Counting Calories

Calculating calories can be beneficial for you if you do it right. However, it is tricky to avoid pitfalls that many people have to deal with while calorie counting. Listed below are some common pitfalls and tips on how to avoid them:

1. Guessing Portion Sizes :  Your brain perceives things in relation to something else; for accuracy, it is best to use a small weighing scale or measuring cups for your meals.
2. Ignoring Your Beverages : Your everyday cup of tea or coffee may feel like an insignificant part of your diet, but it adds calories to your meals; count these in as well.
3. Having Overambitious Exercise Goals : People tend to set overly ambitious goals with their physical activity without factoring in the randomness of life. Thus, set a realistic goal and track your workouts.

In Conclusion

Calculating calories can help you monitor your health and achieve your fitness goals as well. You can use the formula mentioned above to calculate your TDEE, or you can use our easy-to-use nutrition calculator to understand your daily nutritional requirements. You may feel confused about how to calculate calories or use the knowledge here initially, but you can lead a healthy lifestyle if you avoid the common pitfalls, consume balanced meals, and workout regularly. Meet your nutritional needs by tracking your calories and consuming food mindfully.