Calorie Calculator: Daily Count to Gain, Maintain or Lose

How many calories can one consume per day? How high are the average daily requirements for women and men? Using the calorie calculator on this page, you can calculate…

• the maximum number of calories you can consume if you want to lose weight
• how many calories you need to gain weight
• how you can maintain your current weight

Calorie Calculator: Daily calories to gain, maintain or lose weight

At a Glance

• Humans draw energy from food. The nutrients are transported to the body cells in the digestive tract after splitting up and are broken down there. Consequently, this releases the required energy.
• Energy drawn from food is measured in kilojoule (kJ) or kilocalorie (kcal). One kilocalorie corresponds to 4,184 kilojoules.
• The Metabolic Equivalent can be used to determine the energy consumption of individual activities. The resting metabolic rate is 1 MET per hour.
• 1 MET is equal to 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. For example, a person weighing 70 kg burns 70 kcal per hour when sitting completely still.
• To lose weight, the most important thing is to set yourself a realistic goal and take your time. A healthy weight loss means about half a pound to one pound per week.

Why is the daily calorie consumption relevant?

Our body burns energy all the time – even at night. It extracts them from our food – or more precisely from the nutrients fat, carbohydrates, and protein. But how much energy does each person need individually?

Our body needs energy to keep us alive: for the brain, breathing, cardiovascular system and metabolism. In addition, there is the energy demand for every single movement we make.

We draw the energy from our food: The nutrients are transported to the body cells in the digestive tract after splitting up and are broken down there. This releases the required energy. They are measured in kilojoule (kJ) or kilocalories (kcal). One kilocalorie corresponds to 4,184 kilojoules. The calorie though is an outdated unit of measurement and was replaced in scientific use by the joule. In common parlance, calories are still often used.

MET = Metabolic equivalent

The Metabolic Equivalent (MET) can be used to determine the energy consumption of individual activities – from sleeping to working at the desk to sports. If we sit still and do not move, we consume exactly one MET per hour. This is what is known as resting metabolic rate. Sleeping burns a little less energy (0.95 MET).

How many calories is a MET?

MET can be converted into calories relatively easily: 1 MET = 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. This means that a person weighing 70 kg burns 70 kcal per hour when sitting completely still.

Low-calorie drinks

Water does not contain calories. Water is therefore the best, cheapest and low-calorie drink. Even green or black tea without sugar, honey or coffee contains almost no calories.

Fooling hunger – how does it work?

For example, satisfy your hunger with hot tea, hot vegetable or defatted meat broth, buttermilk, an apple or carrot, low-fat natural yogurt or a multi-grain roll without toppings. Consciously eat slowly! Scientists have shown that apple juice, apple puree, and whole apples, for example, have different saturations with the same calorie content. A chewed apple is eaten slower and saturates much better than the juice.

Why is it faster to lose weight at the beginning of a diet?

If the body has to do without its usual calories, it first relies on its energy reserves. The body uses carbohydrates and protein first. The body takes these nutrients from the muscles. This produces a lot of water that is washed out. The first few pounds fall quickly. Only after about three to five days does the body get what it needs from its fat deposits. Then it’s harder to lose weight.

Hints

• Breastfeed your hunger for sweetness with fruit, dried fruits or wholemeal biscuits.
• Try dark chocolate. It tastes more chocolate. This means you eat less of it. It also melts more slowly in the mouth and you will benefit from it for a longer time.
• Treat yourself to exclusive confectionery in small quantities and enjoy them in a very special way.
• Go for a walk more often. Use stairs instead of elevators or escalators. Use your bike to do shopping. Sometimes buying a new pair of running shoes or training pants is already an incentive. Find the right shoe size or pants size here.

How much fruit is healthy?

Fruit is healthy! Nevertheless, fruits in very large quantities can supply a not insignificant amount of energy due to the high fruit’s own sugar content. Persistently high fructose levels can also have an adverse effect on blood lipid levels. Two portions of fruit a day is recommended, that’s all it should be, at least not on a regular basis. A portion is the quantity that fits into a hand or into a common dessert bowl.

Vegetables

Eat more vegetables. Especially raw food. The recommendation for vegetables is three servings per day. Here the sugar content is much lower. Carrots and peppers also taste sweet and provide a healthy supplement of vitamins and minerals as well as valuable dietary fiber.

How much weight loss per week?

The most important thing is to set yourself a realistic goal and take your time. Anyone who expects to get rid of kilos fed for years in the short term will not have to be surprised if this remains unsuccessful. A healthy weight loss means about half a pound to one pound per week. It is better to maintain a slight excess weight than to keep up and down with the pounds.

Why do men lose weight more easily?

Men have a higher basal metabolic rate than women. This is due to the higher muscle mass of men because it also consumes energy when they do nothing. Disadvantage: Men tend to put fat on their stomach. Since this is not vital, however, it disappears relatively quickly on a diet.

Why is slimming for women harder?

Women have to work against their nature. Fat, which sits mainly on the buttocks and thighs, should ensure that there is an energy reserve during pregnancy. Therefore, the body is reluctant to give this pad and the weight loss becomes more difficult.