A calorie can be defined as an entity of energy that quantifies or gauges the amount of energy rations availed to the body. Technically, the term a calorie is defined as the quantity of energy that is needed to increase the temperature of a single gram of water by a single degree measured in Celsius. As opposed to the thinking of many, especially those on dietary regimes calories are very crucial in order for the body to function accurately. The recommended every day calorie intake of a woman weighing sixty kilograms aged between of eighteen and thirty-five is about two thousand calories. On the other hand a man weighing seventy five kilograms on average in the same range will need an estimated three thousand calories from a healthy daily diet.

Calculating Daily Calorie Requirements

In order for an individual to calculate the exact number of calories they require to maintain a healthy weight, there is a bit of mathematical calculation that is involved. One will make use of a straightforward formula or method which is known as the Harris-Benedict principle which will help them compute their basal metabolic rate basically known as an individual’s BMR. A person’s BMR is influenced by several factors including their sex, weight, age and height. The formula will vary for both men and women. Remember that the following formulas will be valid solely to adults. For women the formula is:

655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years).

On the other hand the formula for men is as follows:

66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years).

Considering Daily Activity

So as to include activity into one’s calorie requirements the following calculations are done. For those people who are totally inactive multiply one’s BMR as above by twenty percent. For those who do some light exercises multiple the BMR by thirty percent, those individuals who are reasonably active will multiply it by forty percent, very active persons must multiple their BMR by fifty percent and for those people who are extremely active by sixty percent. When the results from the above computations are added to the individual’s BMR they will have calculated the amount of calories they need to consume daily to maintain their present weight. In order to lose weight, then one will have to consume less calories to what is computed above.

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