Calculation of calories for weight loss. Calorie counting system for weight loss: principles of work, formulas and online calculator

Why do you need to know your calorie intake? Calories measure the energy you get from food and expend during the day. If more calories come in than you have time to burn, you gain weight. If you spend more than you get, you lose weight.

If you know your calorie intake, this is the easiest and fastest way to lose weight - without completely giving up sweets, fasting and fasting days.

You can find out the calorie rate using different formulas. The disadvantages of most of them are that they do not take into account the percentage of fat, although it can affect the final figure. Imagine two girls 60 kg. One has a lot of muscle and little fat, the other has a lot of fat and little muscle. Muscle is a tissue that needs energy to exist, but fat practically does not. Therefore, their calorie intake will be different.

Below are two calculators that take into account the ratio of fat to muscle in the body. Before proceeding with the calculations, you will need. An approximate number is sufficient.

Aragon-McDonald Formula

To use the formula, you need to know the percentage of fat. And use the resulting values ​​​​in the calculator below.

Option 2

Suitable for both weight loss and muscle building. Fill in the fields gender, age. Select the measurement system (metric for Russia and Europe). Fill in the fields height, weight. Choose the number of workouts per week, but do not overestimate your activity. If the lifestyle is very sedentary, then even with not a few workouts per week, for some it is worth choosing no exercise.

Choose a formula. These are the two most popular. First ( Athletes Formula in the calculator) does not take into account the percentage of fat, so it is more suitable for slender people. Second ( Lean Mass Formula in the calculator) takes into account the percentage of fat and is better suited for those who are overweight.

After that, click on the red button to find out the rate for weight loss.

Our calculator is designed for those who follow a flexible diet, or just want to switch to a flexible diet.

The basic principle of a flexible diet is that you can eat almost anything, as long as the following conditions are met:

• it is necessary to adhere to your individual level of daily calorie intake;
• the correct ratio of proteins fats carbohydrates.

That is, you must provide your body with a stable intake of the correct amount of calories and the necessary ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates (BJU), but the sources of these elements and energy can be represented by an endless number of foods and dishes.

When using a flexible diet, you not only count the total number of calories consumed, but you also need to manage the ratio of BJU.

For example, you can spend your entire calorie budget on pancakes for breakfast, but remember that you need to provide the right amount of fat and protein. And do not be surprised that by lunchtime you may feel tired - you have used up all the carbohydrates and now you have no energy left.

Use this calculator to calculate your daily calorie intake and optimal macronutrient ratio based on your age, height, weight, gender and level of physical activity. Use these results for a flexible diet to help you lose weight, maintain weight, or build muscle.

Physical activity level

A high level of physical activity is accompanied by a higher calorie expenditure. To accurately control calories burned (and therefore calculate the daily calories required for consumption), you need to determine how many calories you burn in sports: use ours for this.

Too much physical activity combined with a low calorie intake can lead to muscle catabolism (destruction of muscle tissue), which in turn slows metabolism and weight loss. Metabolism usually starts to slow down after 3 days on reduced calories.

Weight loss and fat loss do not always mean the same thing: weight can go away due to muscle loss, while the amount of adipose tissue remains the same. To prevent this from happening, it is important to calculate the optimal ratio of macronutrients - BJU.

Incorporating regular exercise into your new lifestyle helps maintain muscle mass levels even when in a calorie deficit.

But remember:

• 5-25% of the total energy consumption the body spends on physical activity, and this is not only special fitness classes, this includes walking, doing our daily activities, etc .;
• about 10% of energy is spent on digestion of food;
• about 60-80% of the energy is spent on the basic vital activity of the body.

Therefore, physical activity will certainly help in the process of losing weight, but, nevertheless, the most important thing is to limit calorie intake.

Moreover, it should be borne in mind that the body can spend a limited number of calories per day, it cannot work indefinitely, even if we constantly throw new energy into it. Therefore, if you spent a lot of calories on sports today, the body optimizes daily calorie expenditure and spends less calories on other processes. As a result, the total daily calorie expenditure of this day will not be much more than yesterday.

Physical activity is very important in itself, for both physical and psychological health, but with it we can regulate a maximum of 5-25% of our daily energy expenditure.

What happens if there are too few calories? Can you lose weight just by dieting?

With an extremely low calorie intake, muscle catabolism begins, the muscles melt, and accordingly, the body begins to spend less energy on its main life activity. That is, your basal metabolism decreases. And this means that as soon as you return to your usual diet, you will not only regain your weight, but also gain more. Therefore, it is very important:

when losing weight, it is imperative to introduce physical activity, this will help not to lose muscle mass while reducing calorie intake or even increase it, which means increasing basal metabolism. This will help you lose weight much more effectively and prevent you from gaining weight when you return to your regular diet.

Macronutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates

Squirrels

Proteins are important for the growth of new tissues as well as for the repair of damaged ones, which is exactly what happens when you exercise.

Protein should be your best friend if you want to gain or maintain muscle mass.

But proteins are not only muscles, they are also a feeling of satiety that will help you stick to your diet.

Protein Sources: eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, meat, fish, nuts, beans, peas, lentils, soybeans and other legumes.

Fats

Fat is often mistakenly demonized.

Fats can be very helpful in achieving your body shaping goal, they also affect hormones - too little fat can be detrimental to the body.

25% of all calories in a flexible diet come from fat. This can be adjusted later, but this is what the initial proportion looks like.

Fat sources: olive oil, coconut oil, natural peanut butter and other nut butters, avocado, almond, walnut, cashew, red fish, mackerel, egg yolks.

Carbohydrates

Your body uses carbohydrates to make glucose, which is our body's preferred fuel or energy source. They are what make it possible for us to stay active.

Fiber, which is important to keep an eye on if you want to stay healthy, is also a source of carbohydrates, but it does not contain calories.

Sources of carbohydrates: To cereals and cereals, bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, flour products.

Carbohydrates are simple and complex.

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly, which means that the energy released during their processing is distributed by the body evenly to its vital activity, without turning into fat reserves. And more importantly, energy from complex carbohydrates is evenly released within 3-4 hours, which means that all this time the body will have enough energy and it will not require additional food.

Usually foods containing complex carbohydrates are darker in color than simple ones.

Examples — oats, brown rice, starchy vegetables, whole grain bread.

simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are absorbed too quickly, the body does not have time to use them up and they go into fat reserves. In addition, the body receives energy in the form of a short burst, and then there is a breakdown.

Examples — white rice, white bread, cookies and sweets.

Frequency and serving size

A large portion for one meal, even if the daily calorie intake is observed, can provoke the deposition of fat.

This happens according to a principle similar to the assimilation of simple carbohydrates: a lot of calories, a lot of energy immediately enter the body, the body may not have time to use it all, and then part of the energy can be deposited in the form of fat.

If the daily diet is divided into a larger number of small portions, then each meal will receive fewer calories, which the body will more likely absorb. Also in this case, the load on the digestive organs is reduced - the stomach, pancreas, etc.

In addition, it is recommended to eat before any active activity (physical: for example, before a walk, or just before going to work, or even mental - with increased mental activity, the body also spends more energy). But you should not lie on the couch or sleep after eating.

calories for fat loss

There is an opinion that a pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so a daily deficit of 500 calories should help you get rid of a pound of fat per week.

In fact, everything is not quite right.

In general, the body's energy expenditure gradually decreases as a person begins to lose weight. This means that you will inevitably find yourself at the stage of a plateau - stopping weight loss. The amount of food that previously led to weight loss will one day lead to weight maintenance. What the warning comes from:

Always try to aim for your daily calorie intake at the "Normal Weight Loss" level.

The level "Extreme Weight Loss Rate" is the most extreme and dangerous to health. Do not try to immediately switch to it in the hope of a quick effect. The end result may be the opposite of what you want. This option provides the lowest level of calorie intake that can be considered at all. It should be seen as the exception rather than the rule. It is healthier to burn fat than to get rid of it through fasting.

Weight Loss Plateau - Why When You Reduce Calorie Intake, Weight Stops Falling

Over time, the body adapts to the reduced calorie intake.

The body begins to use energy more efficiently - it slows down the metabolism, so it burns less fat. That is why many achieve a plateau (stop) weight loss.

At this stage, the only option is to speed up the metabolism by:

• increased cardio, strength training,
• the use of "deceptive" food (i.e. periodically introduce high-calorie foods into the diet);
• periodic changes in the number of calories (the so-called “zig-zag” diet - used in our calculator, in a detailed calculation of calorie intake by day); Link
• changes in the proportions of macronutrients.

Important:

Only reducing the number of calories in the absence of physical activity will slow down the metabolism, and the moment you return to the "normal" diet, the weight will return. Try to pay more attention to exercises.

Learn to eat slowly - studies show that people who eat fast tend to be overweight.

zigzag diet

For more effective weight loss, it is recommended to follow a zig-zag diet, that is, you need to alternate days in terms of calorie intake - sometimes less than the norm, then more than the norm, leaving an average of the calculated number of calories. This prevents the body from adapting to reduced calorie intake and slowing down the metabolism.

Having convinced your family and friends that counting the amount and calorie content of the foods you eat is good for the body, you need to adjust your daily nutrition, and the calorie counting table for weight loss will simplify the process for you. Familiarize yourself with the features of the system, learn how to correctly calculate your daily allowance, taking into account your lifestyle and metabolic rate.

Calorie calculation for weight loss

Calories are called energy that the body receives from food, and then spends on any activity. A person eats foods, and the body uses them to generate energy, which then provides the organs of vital activity. Energy is needed for the operation of all vital processes: mental work, respiration, heat exchange, heartbeat, and even for movements. Each product has a specific chemical composition, but they all consist of the same substances, but in different proportions. So, the ingredients are:

• carbohydrates;
• trace elements;
• proteins;
• water;
• vitamins;
• fats.

Why you need to count calories

Not observing the diet, a person tends to exceed the daily calorie intake, and even if he does not eat too much, because the calorie content of all products is different. Snacks that are not considered a full meal are swallowed and forgotten. In addition, calories are divided into "harmful" and "useful". Using them in an unlimited amount, women have a desire to lose weight with the help of diets, the essence of which is the same - a decrease in daily calorie intake.

All diets have a common significant drawback - a limited list of products. Even if you have withstood a strict weight loss diet and achieved the desired result, you still have not abandoned your previous eating habits, so they will quickly “spoil” your harmony. Calculating the energy value of foods and the amount of food you eat should not be a temporary diet for you, but a way of life - only constant monitoring and a table will help you always have a beautiful figure and be healthy.

How to count

Having decided to switch to PP and use the calorie counting table for weight loss in everyday life, get a diary in which you will record your achievements. When observing the daily calorie intake, write down each product that you ate per day, and also take a place where you will keep a record of physical activity. The third column of the table will show the changes in your weight - in the weight loss journal you need to record the morning weight.

Comparing the results of losing weight, you can adjust your diet. At the same time, focus on the minimum necessary for the body, and keep in mind that in order to lose weight, it must burn more calories than it received. The required amount is calculated individually for each, because it takes into account the state of the body, the age of the person losing weight, his physical activity. For example, a woman who does not move much can eat 2200 kcal per day, for men whose activities are not related to physical activity, the number increases to 2800 kcal / day.

For weight loss, the calculation needs to be done a little differently, reducing the allowable daily calorie intake:

• women who are not involved in sports need 1000-1200 kcal / day for weight loss, men 500-600 kcal more;
• women involved in training should consume 2000-2200 kcal per day, men need to add 500 kcal to this number.

How to count calories to lose weight - table

Having decided to reduce your body weight, you need to control the consumption of high-calorie foods. The table of caloric content of products for weight loss will become your faithful assistant in compiling the menu, but other points must be taken into account:

1. Water, tea, and coffee have zero calories, but that doesn't include sugar, honey, milk, or any other extra ingredients you choose to add to your drink.
2. When preparing a complex dish, keep in mind that in order to calculate its energy value, you need the energy value of the products that make up the composition.
3. When frying, add the calorie content of the oil in which it is fried to the calorie content of the product.

food calorie table

Knowing your allowable daily calorie intake for weight loss, you can adjust your menu and correctly compose a diet. A weight loss calorie counting table will help you with this - thanks to it, you will find out the composition of BJU and the calorie content of foods that are considered the most popular and affordable to everyone. In the table, data on calorie content and composition are displayed per 100 g of the product.

Product name	Calories (kcal)			Carbohydrates
Berries, fruits
Orange
Cowberry
Grape
Grapefruit
strawberries
Gooseberry
Mandarin
Currant
Greens, vegetables
Eggplant
Green peas
White cabbage
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
red cabbage
Sauerkraut
Boiled potatoes
Potato
Fried potato
Bulb onions
Green onion
red onion
pickled cucumber
fresh cucumber
Parsley
Sweet pepper
Celery
Red beans
White beans
walnut
Pine nut
pistachios
ostrich egg
quail egg
chicken egg
dried mushrooms
white mushroom
fried mushrooms
Raincoats
Aspen mushrooms
boletus
dried foods
Prunes
dried apples
Cheese, dairy products
Brynza cow
Yoghurt 1.5%
Whole milk
Milk 3.2%
Ryazhenka 6%
curdled milk
Cream 20%
Cream 10%
Sour cream 20%
Sour cream 10%
Parmesan
Dutch cheese
Cheese Lambert
Cheese Russian
Processed cheese
Sausage cheese
curd cheese
Curd 18%
Low-fat cottage cheese
Bakery products
Rye flatbread
Sweet pastries
wheat bread
Bread Darnitsky
Rye bread
Cereals, legumes, flour
Green peas (canned)
Green peas (fresh)
Dried green peas
Rye flour
Wheat flour
Pearl barley
Wheat groats
Barley grits
Cornflakes
Pasta
Cereals
Lentils
barley flakes
Seafood
Caviar caviar
Caviar granular
Pollack caviar
Fried carp
Canned fish in own juice
Canned fish in oil
Shrimps
smoked salmon
Salmon fried
sea ​​kale
Atlantic herring
Sprats in oil
meat products
Brisket
Roast beef
Beef stew
Smoked sausage
boiled sausage
rabbit meat
boiled chicken
Fried chicken
beef liver
Pork chop
Pork stew
Sausages
Veal
Fats, sauces
Fat melted
Mayonnaise creamy
Margarine sandwich
Margarine for baking
Cream margarine
Mayonnaise light
Ghee butter
Corn oil
Sunflower oil
Butter
soybean oil
Olive oil

Calculator

The calorie table helps, but many may find it tedious to use. For this reason, those who are losing weight should consider in more detail a guide indicating the calorie content of ready-made meals, or popular online calculators. Electronic counters can be used not only to count calories, but also BJU, vitamins and minerals in a particular dish. The online program helps to calculate how many useful components meat, vegetables, fish or fruits lose during heat treatment.

Calculation of the daily calorie intake for weight loss

How many calories you can consume per day can be easily calculated. You just need to multiply the value of your weight in kg by 24 - the resulting number will be the rate of calorie consumption for the body at rest (due to this amount of energy, it will ensure the work of the processes necessary for human life). Even when calculating the daily calorie content for weight loss, you need to take into account the recommended dose of BJU: the menu for the day should consist of 20% fat, 40% carbohydrates and 40% protein.

Physical activity coefficient

The amount of daily calories depends on how active a person is. In this case, the number of acceptable norms must be multiplied by a coefficient expressing motor physical activity. This indicator has an average value:

• 1.2 - for people who are overweight or lead a completely inactive lifestyle;
• 1.4 - for those who play sports at least 3 times / week;
• 1.6 - for people working in the office and those who rarely load themselves with physical labor;
• 1.5 - for those who train daily and engage in physical labor.

Base metabolic rate

The calorie counting table will help you lose weight, however, to calculate the daily calorie, you need to take into account other values. So, to maintain weight, your basal metabolic rate needs to be multiplied by your activity factor. For weight loss, the daily rate should be reduced: for women up to 1200 kcal, for men - up to 1800 kcal. To lose weight, you need to either reduce your calorie intake by reducing the amount of food you eat, or increase your physical activity. It is worth noting that before increasing the load when losing weight, you need to calculate how many calories you can eat before training.

calorie diet

For those who have weight problems, nutritionists have developed a special system - counting the calorie content of foods consumed according to the table. Sitting on this diet, you do not need to give up your favorite delicious dishes, because the scheme of the system is as simple as possible - you just need to reduce the number of servings and their volume. Reviews of such a diet suggest that in a month you can easily lose from 4 kg of excess weight (depending on the initial mass). The diet is absolutely safe for health, provided that you do not reduce the daily calorie content below the minimum threshold of 1200 kcal.

A diet based on calorie counting will not make you hungry. You can see this by looking at its sample menu:

• breakfast - 200 g of salad (fresh cabbage and carrots), seasoned with 0.5 tsp. vegetable oil, a piece of boiled sausage (50 g) or chicken cutlet, bread and unsweetened tea;
• snack - 100 g of citrus jelly, a glass of lemon jelly;
• lunch - 150 g of soup with beans, 150 g of vegetable roast with pork, a cup of rowan tea, 100 g of potato cookies;
• afternoon snack - a glass of kvass made from the extract, 2 loaves covered with a thin layer of apricot jam;
• dinner - 100 g of buckwheat, 100 g of boiled chicken fillet, a cup of tea with an apple;
• at night - a glass of fat-free kefir.

How to choose diet recipes with calories

A weight loss calorie table may not help you achieve your goal if you systematically break the rules. So, if you are going to count calories, you should:

1. Limit fat intake. Animal fat is twice as high in calories as carbohydrates. If the menu contains no more than 30% fat, then the body does not require an increase in the dose of carbohydrates and protein, due to this, the calorie content of the diet becomes 10% less.
2. Minimize sugar intake. Any kind of sugar or its substitute increases appetite, which is why a person overeats, which is unacceptable when losing weight. A healthy menu should contain no more than 20 g of sugar/day.
3. Increase the intake of fiber (it is found in cereals, fruits, vegetables) and pectins. This kind of food is the best for weight loss - it is absorbed more slowly and saturates faster.

Video

Reading time: 17 minutes

One of the most effective and safest ways to lose weight is to count calories. In this article, we will answer the following questions. Why is calorie counting effective for weight loss? How to correctly calculate the daily calorie intake for weight loss? And we will consider in detail the question of how, in fact, to count the calorie content of the daily menu.

Many reject this technique due to its complexity, however, it is thanks to a reasonable restriction of the calorie content of your diet that you will balance your diet and improve your figure. In fact, if one day you learn to count calories and monitor your nutrition, then you will not only get your body in shape, but also gradually change your eating habits. In fact, calorie counting does not impose restrictions on any specific foods, but if you start counting the calories of meals eaten, then one day you will realize for yourself that it is better to eat a bowl of salad with meat than a small cake. Yes, it will be about the same in terms of calories, but the nutritional value of these dishes is completely different.

The principle of losing weight is very simple: you need to eat less than the body has time to process so that it begins to use fat reserves for energy. It would seem that what is easier - you sit on a strict diet for a week, lose weight and then again allow yourself liberties in terms of food. However, this principle gives a short-term effect, all lost kilograms return very quickly. The best way to lose weight is to count calories. Why?

1. The calorie counting method involves a sensible approach to nutrition without stress and serious restrictions. You do not injure your body by putting it on a rigid diet.
2. With calorie counting, you will have a complete nutritious diet, so this method of losing weight does not harm the body, unlike various mono-diets and hunger strikes.
3. You can not exclude your favorite foods from the menu, the main thing is to fit within the calorie corridor. And check out how great it works! On the one hand, in order to fit into a given caloric intake, you will cleanse your diet of useless, harmful and fatty foods. (which is good in itself). But on the other hand, you will always have the opportunity to eat your favorite treat, just by reviewing the daily menu.
4. Calorie counting is the first step towards a healthy, balanced diet. You will learn to monitor nutrition and deliberately approach the choice of products.
5. With calorie counting, you will consume enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which means that your weight loss will be carried out in a healthy and harmless way. Why is it important? For example, from a lack of fat, problems with the hormonal system can begin, from a lack of carbohydrates - loss of energy and loss of strength. And an excess of proteins, which is so often promoted in various diets, very often causes problems with the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.
6. Calorie counting is actually the only nutritional option if you're into sports and want to maintain your muscle mass while protecting it from breakdown. (muscle support = quality toned body). Rigid low-calorie diets and mono-diets first of all strike at the muscle tissue, and not at the fat: in the regime of severe restrictions, it is easier for the body to say goodbye to the muscles, since they require more energy.
7. Such a process of losing weight as counting calories is more stable and stable - without sharp jumps and an immediate return of the lost kilograms.
8. Usually, 2-3 months after regular calorie counting, you will create several menu options for yourself and will roughly know what and how much you can eat per day, to stay in your calorie corridor. If you think that now the calculator will be your companion for the rest of your life, then it is not.
9. Calorie counting is a very versatile and convenient method of losing weight. If, after a break from a diet, you have to quit everything or start from the beginning, then with the calculation of calories, it is not difficult at all to regulate sudden “gluttonous days”. Just reduce your daily caloric intake slightly for the next 2-3 days, or do an energy-intensive workout.
10. With calorie counting, it is very easy to switch to a weight maintenance regime after losing weight. All you need to do is add +10-20% to your current calorie intake (depending on the deficit you choose).

In order to start controlling your diet, you must do the following:

• Determine the number of calories in your daily diet.
• Start keeping a daily record of the food you eat.
• Watch in the mirror for regular improvements in your figure.

Algorithm for counting calories for weight loss

STEP 1: calculate your basal metabolic rate

Each of us, depending on weight, activity and age, requires a different amount of food. To find out the exact figure, you need to use formulaHarris-Benedict :

• Women: B.M.R. = 9.99 * weight (in kg) + 6.25 * height (in cm) - 4.92 * age (number of years) – 161
• Men: BMR = 9.99 * weight (in kg) + 6.25 * height (in cm) - 4.92 * age (number of years) + 5

Where BMR - basic metabolic rate (basal metabolic rate)

STEP 2: determine daily activity

The resulting figure for the base metabolic rate (BMR) must be multiplied by physical activity coefficient :

• 1.2 - minimum activity (lack of physical activity, sedentary work, minimum movement)
• 1.375 - little activity (light exercise or walking, little daily activity during the day)
• 1.46 - average activity (training 4-5 times a week, good activity during the day)
• 1.55 - above average activity (intense training 5-6 times a week, good activity during the day)
• 1.64 - increased activity (daily training, high daily activity)
• 1.72 - high activity (daily ultra-intense training and high daily activity)
• 1.9 - very high activity (usually we are talking about athletes during the period of competitive activity)

Note! When choosing a coefficient, it is better to focus on the overall activity during the day. For example, if you train every day for 30-45 minutes, but at the same time you have a sedentary lifestyle, then you do not need to take a coefficient greater than 1.375. One workout, even the most intense one, does not compensate for the lack of activity during the day.

STEP 3: calculate the end result

So, multiplying the basal metabolic rate (BMR) figure by the physical activity coefficient, we got your calorie intake. Eating within the limits of this norm, you will neither lose weight nor gain weight. This so-called calorie intake for weight maintenance.

BMR * Activity Ratio = Calorie requirement for weight maintenance.

If you want to lose weight, then you need to subtract 15-20% from the resulting product (this will be a diet with a calorie deficit). If you are working on muscle growth, then you need to add 15-20% (this will be nutrition with a calorie surplus). If you are at the stage of "weight maintenance", then leave the resulting figure unchanged.

With a slight excess weight, we recommend calculating the daily calorie content with a deficit of 15%. If you need to get rid of >10 kg, we recommend calculating with a deficit of 20%. With a lot of excess weight, if you need to get rid of > 40 kg, you can take a deficit of 25-30%.

EXAMPLE:

Woman, 30 years old, weight 65 kg, height 165 cm, physical activity 3 times a week:

• BMR = 9,99*65 + 6,25*165 - 4,92*30 – 161 = 1372
• Calorie intake for weight maintenance\u003d 1372 * 1.375 \u003d 1886.5 kcal
• Deficit calorie intake\u003d 1886 - (1886 * 0.2) \u003d 1509 kcal

In total, we get 1450-1550 kcal - this is the daily norm for weight loss. Focusing on this figure, you need to keep a daily calorie count of your menu.

• Why you can not go below the established corridor: the body will get used to a small amount of food, slow down the metabolism and if you start eating a little more, you will gain weight dramatically.
• Why it is impossible to exceed the established corridor: you will not lose weight, because the body will not have time to waste the energy received.

1. Keep a food diary, the numbers must be recorded in writing. Don't rely on your memory and do not count on an approximate calculation, otherwise, there is a risk of overeating or, even worse, undereating.
2. Technological advances have made it much easier for us to manage our diet. Download mobile applications for calculating calorie intake, and you will greatly simplify your life. Recommended reading: Top Best Free Calorie Counting Apps.
3. Do not trust the weight measurements of products "by eye", be sure to buy a kitchen scale. Without a kitchen scale, your calorie counts will be inaccurate, which means it will be harder to achieve the desired result. By the way, very often in calorie counting programs the energy value for the whole product is already calculated, for example, for one orange . How much this conditional orange weighed, for which the calorie content was calculated, is unknown. Perhaps your orange is significantly larger or smaller. Of course, the error is small, but if during the day all products are introduced approximately and "by eye", then an objective picture will not work.
4. Weigh products only in unprepared form! If suddenly you forgot to do this during the cooking process, then be sure to specify the calorie content of the finished dish. For example, the energy value of 100 g of raw rice and 100 g of cooked rice is not the same. It is always best to weigh foods dry or raw rather than cooked. So the data will be more accurate.
5. Weigh the product that is ready to eat or cook: boneless meat, fruits and vegetables without skin and core, cottage cheese without packaging, chicken without skin, etc.
6. Plan your sample menu for tomorrow in advance. Enter the proposed list of dishes so that there are no surprises with the absence of certain products.
7. When planning a menu for today or tomorrow, always leave a small corridor (150-200 kcal) to have room for maneuver. Suddenly you have an unplanned snack or you decide to replace one product with another.
8. If you are preparing some complex dish consisting of several ingredients (soup, cake, casserole, pizza), it is better not to look for its calorie content on the Internet. Before cooking, weigh each ingredient, calculate their energy value and summarize the resulting figures. Thus, the result will be much more accurate.
9. Avoid restaurants and eateries. In the modern world, this seems incredibly difficult, but if you get into the habit of carrying food with you to work, school, or even for a walk, you will achieve your weight loss goals much faster. Even if the restaurant menu lists the number of calories in a dish, remember that these numbers are only estimates.
10. Never be guided by the number of calories that are indicated for recipes on various sites or in recipe groups on social networks. Firstly, it is not known how conscientiously the compilers of the recipes considered all these data. Secondly, you may have different weights of individual ingredients, which will change the overall calorie content of the dish.
11. If one day you seriously go beyond the established calorie, then in no case should you arrange fasting days or hunger strikes for yourself. So you just disrupt the metabolism. Continue to observe the calorie corridor, and if you are very tormented by your conscience for yesterday's "eating", it is better to devote 1 hour to training, walking or any other physical activity. Alternatively, you can reduce the diet by 15-20% for a couple of days to compensate for the excess eaten, and then return to the previous diet.
12. To train yourself to count calories At first, you need a lot of self-discipline. But after a couple of weeks, you will accustom yourself to enter the consumed products in your diary before each meal. Usually 2-3 months are enough to form a daily menu and learn how to determine your food norm without calculators.

How to correctly calculate the KBJU of products

Where can I find calories and BJU products?

• For all information on calories, proteins, carbohydrates and fats, see the product packaging. The most accurate information is provided there.
• If the product is sold without packaging or the energy value is not indicated on the packaging, then look at the calorie content and nutritional content on the Internet. Simply, for example, enter in the search engine "banana KBJU" and find all the data you need. It is advisable to look at several sources to ensure the accuracy of the data.
• If you use a calorie counting website or mobile application, they usually contain a ready-made database of products with KBJU data. Therefore, there is no need to search for additional information.
• If you have a complex dish that consists of several ingredients, then weigh each individual ingredient, calculate the KBJU for each ingredient separately and sum up the numbers. More on this below.

How to count KBJU correctly: examples

Let's take a look at specific examples of how to correctly count calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates for individual products and ready meals.

1. Curd 5%. We look at the calorie content of the product on the package. If not listed, then look on the Internet.

KBJU cottage cheese 5% - 100 g:

• Calories: 121 kcal
• Proteins: 17 g
• Fat: 5 g
• Carbohydrates: 1.8 g

a) For example, you decide to eat 80 g of cottage cheese. In order to calculate KBJU 80 g of cottage cheese, simply multiply each indicator by 0.8:

KBJU cottage cheese 5% - 80 g:

• Calories: 121 * 0.8 = 96.8 kcal
• Proteins: 17 * 0.8 = 13.6 g
• Fats: 5 * 0.8 = 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 1.8 g * 0.8 = 1.44 g

b) If you decide to eat 225 g of cottage cheese, then multiply each indicator by 2.25:

KBJU cottage cheese 5% - 225 g:

• Calories: 121 * 2.25 = 272.3 kcal
• Proteins: 17 * 2.25 = 38.25 g
• Fat: 5 * 2.25 = 11.25 g
• Carbohydrates: 1.8 g * 2.25 = 4.05 g

Thus, we get specific KBJU of cottage cheese, depending on its weight.

2. Oat groats. This is the most popular breakfast among those who are trying to follow a healthy diet. Calorie counting for oatmeal is also very easy. By analogy with the proposed plan below, we calculate KBZhU for all other cereals and pasta.

a) We weigh the oatmeal in a dry form (exactly dry, this is important!). For example, you got 70 g. We look at the KBJU data on the package or on the Internet for 100 g:

KBJU oatmeal - 100 g:

• Calories: 342 kcal
• Proteins: 12 g
• Fat: 6 g
• Carbohydrates: 60 g

Since we do not plan to eat 100 g, we are counting on a serving of 70 g, multiplying all indicators by 0.7:

KBJU oatmeal - 70 g:

• Calories: 342 * 0.7 = 240 kcal
• Proteins: 12 * 0.7 = 8.4 g
• Fats: 6 * 0.7 = 4.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 60 * 0.7 = 42 g

This is the ultimate KBJU of 70g empty oatmeal: K-240; B-8.4; Zh-4.2; U-42. No matter how much water you add, how much your porridge boils and how much it weighs after cooking, you enter data into your food diary by dry matter. We act similarly with other cereals, pasta, potatoes.

On the Internet, you can find calories for oatmeal already cooked. But it is better not to focus on these numbers. The cereal absorbs water and swells, and its final weight may vary depending on how much water you added and how long the porridge is cooked. Therefore, always weigh all cereals only in a dry (uncooked) form.

b) Suppose you are cooking oatmeal with milk, butter, honey and milk. In this case, we weigh each individual ingredient before cooking. (cereals, butter, honey, milk), we count the KBJU for each individual ingredient, sum it up and get the KBJU of the finished dish. We count all this before cooking! Read more about the specific count of ready meals below.

3. Chicken breast. Another popular product for losing weight, so let's look at it.

We weigh the chicken breast in its raw form, preferably after you have thawed and dried it so that excess moisture does not get into the calculations (well, if you stay completely accurate). For example, let's calculate the KBJU of chicken breast per 120 g:

KBJU chicken breast - 100 g:

• Calories: 113 kcal
• Proteins: 24 g
• Fat: 2 g
• Carbs: 0.4 g

KBJU chicken breast - 120 g:

• Calories: 113 * 1.2 = 135.6 kcal
• Proteins: 24 * 1.2 = 28.8 g
• Fats: 2 * 1.2 = 2.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 0.4 g * 1.2 = 0.48 g

After we boil the chicken breast, we do not weigh it and do not count calories. We take into account the data only in raw form. Spices and salt do not affect the calorie content, but if you cook in oil, do not forget to add it.

How to count finished recipes

As we said earlier, when cooking complex dishes, we count calories as follows:

• Weigh each ingredient wet/dry
• We count for each ingredient KBJU according to the scheme above
• We summarize the data and get the total calorie content of the dish.

Here is an example with a complex dish that we mentioned above: oatmeal with milk, honey and butter.

Ingredients for porridge:

• 130 g oatmeal
• 50 ml milk 3.2%
• 30 g honey
• 10 g butter

We calculate by analogy with the examples above, multiplying the data by the weight of the product. Then add up calories, proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

	Groats 130g	Milk 50ml	Honey 30g	Butter 10g	Total
calories	444,6	29,5	98,7	74,8	647,6
Squirrels	15,99	1,45	0,24	0,05	17,73
Fats	7,93	1,6	0	8,25	17,78
Carbohydrates	77,35	2,35	24,45	0,08	104,23

We get KBZhU oatmeal: K-647.6; B-17.73; Zh-17.78; U-104.23.

An easy way to calculate the KBJU of a finished dish

There is the simplest and most convenient way to calculate the KBJU of a finished dish. To do this, we will use the Calorizator website. Go to the Recipe Analyzer page and enter in the window that opens, separated by commas, all our ingredients: 130 g oatmeal, 50 ml milk 3.2%, 30 g honey, 10 g butter :

We press analyze and instead of manually counting calories, we get ready-made numbers:

Look at the line Total and we get the finished calorie content of a complex dish with several ingredients.

Moreover, it is not necessary to enter the weight in grams, you can use the notation as follows:

As you can see, you can copy the finished recipe and calculate KBJU in this way. But be careful! For example, 2 onions in the understanding of the recipe analyzer is 150 g. But in reality it can be either 100 g or 200 g, depending on the specific size of the onion. The values ​​in such programs are taken as averages. Therefore, it is better to weigh and enter products in grams into the analyzer, having previously weighed them.

If you use mobile calorie counting apps in the same way, it is better to weigh, and do not use "1 banana" or "1 onion" in the calculations from the finished product database.

How to weigh dishes if cooking for a family?

Very often we prepare complex dishes not for ourselves, but for the whole family. How, in this case, to count calories, if you need to weigh the food in its raw form, and when cooking, the weight of the food changes? There is a fairly simple way to solve this problem.

1. We calculate KBZhU based on the schemes above, weighing the ingredients in dry or raw form before cooking. Let's take our example oatmeal with milk, honey and butter which we discussed above. We got a common KBJU: K-648; B-17.7; Zh-17.8; U-104.

2. Cooking porridge, add all the ingredients, mix. Weigh the resulting dish. For example, we got 600 g - the total weight of the dish in finished form.

3. Now put the porridge on your plate, weigh it. For example, our portion turned out to be 350 g.

4. 350 g is 58% of the total amount of porridge (350 divided by 600 gives 58%) .

5. Accordingly, we calculate the KBJU of your portion, multiplying each figure by 0.58:

• Calories: 648 * 0.58 = 376 kcal
• Proteins: 17.8 * 0.58 = 10.2 g
• Fats: 17.8 * 0.58 = 10.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 104 * 0.58 = 60.5 g

6. In total, we made a count of one serving of porridge: K-376; B-10.2; Zh-10.3; U-60.5.

Calorie foods in the table

Most mobile apps and websites with food diaries have information about the energy value of all kinds of foods in their database. But if you do the calculations manually, then it will come in handy (click on the picture to save it):

We have looked in detail at several cases of counting calories for both individual foods and whole meals. Do you have any questions? Write, we will try to answer them!

A huge number of all kinds of diets are designed to make everyone slim. However, many of them are either harmful to the body (for example, mono-diets) or ineffective. At the same time, there is a fairly simple, but very effective method of gaining harmony for a long time - counting calories for weight loss.

You can easily find a calculator of finished products on the Internet. This article discusses the main principles of nutrition, based on the calculation of the calorie content of food, tables of the nutritional value of foods and drinks are given.

Everyone knows that losing extra pounds is possible only if the amount of energy received from food is less than spent during the day. Therefore, a reasonable reduction in the calorie content of consumed foods and an increase in physical exercise on the body will lead to the desired result.

You should start monitoring nutrition by determining the calorie content of dishes for a day.

Calorie counting is becoming one of the important points for the weight loss process.. It is more convenient to perform all mathematical calculations using a special calculator for finished products.

The calorie-based diet is considered to be one of the easiest, this is confirmed by the following facts:

• subject to the principle of counting calories, the body does not plunge into a state of stress, there are no serious prohibitions on the use of any specific foods;
• you can eat your favorite dishes if you manage to keep within the calorie corridor;
• this diet teaches the basics of proper nutrition, because after it it is easy to navigate the calorie content of foods, determine their benefits.

What you need to lose weight

To lose weight using calorie counting, you will need to be patient - with this diet, weight is lost somewhat more slowly. However, the results will please longer, and if you continue to pay attention to the calorie content of food, then those extra pounds will never return.

It is important to know! You should begin to control nutrition by determining the calorie content of dishes for a day. At first, it will be quite difficult to make daily calculations. The organization of accounting for food eaten will help to solve this problem. To do this, following the advice of nutritionists, you need to keep a food diary, in which it is recommended to enter everything that is eaten per day, with a detailed calculation of the calorie content of each dish and drink.

Keeping records will help to organize nutrition properly

After some time, usually after a couple of months, calorie counting will no longer be difficult, the calorie content of almost all foods will be calculated automatically.

The importance of water in a low-calorie diet

Note! Compliance with the drinking regimen with a diet is especially important.

Important aspects of drinking water:

1. Water helps to remove slags, toxins, salts, digestive wastes from the body; it “washes” the body, as it were.
2. The liquid helps the digestion of food, improves its absorption.
3. Water gives elasticity to cells, which is very important when dieting, when the risk of sagging skin increases significantly.

Find out how easy lose 10 kg in a week on a watermelon diet!

There are guidelines for drinking water. The usual daily fluid intake for an adult is 2 liters of water, but in the process of losing weight, it is recommended to calculate the individual volume of fluid. This can be calculated as follows: with low physical activity per 450 g of weight, you should drink 14 ml of water per day, with high physical activity, this volume increases by a third.

So, for example, for a person with a weight of 80 kg, with low physical activity, it is recommended to drink 2.5 liters of liquids daily. It should be noted that the liquid is not only water in itself, all drinks (juice, tea, etc.) are included here.

Drinking water should start in the morning- a glass of warm water will start metabolic processes, allow the body to wake up. The rest of the day, it is best to try to drink the liquid after 2 hours, which contributes to the continuous cleansing of the body. Drinking liquids should be stopped 2 hours before bedtime, this will help to avoid some problems, such as swelling.

Calorie table of staple foods

Calorie counting for weight loss is impossible without using a calorie table or a special calculator for finished products. For home use, the information from the table with the nutritional value of products is quite enough.

There are many detailed tables of calorie content of staple foods.

Drink calorie table

In addition to calculating the calorie content of food, the energy value of drinking should be taken into account. The calorie table of drinks will help you accurately calculate what the nutritional value of each of them is.

Food calorie table - online calculation

At first, the greatest difficulty will be the need to constantly calculate the calorie content of food. It is not always convenient or appropriate to use the above tables. However, there is a good opportunity to make it easier to count calories for weight loss. An online ready-to-eat food calculator is available anywhere you have an internet connection.

The calculator is based on a table showing calories contained in food. It contains over 1 thousand products that are the basis of the diet of most people. It also counts the proteins, fats and carbohydrates consumed per day. The calorie content of products is indicated based on 100 g.

Using all the features of the calorie calculator becomes available after completing the registration procedure on the site.

Note! The full version of the calculator allows you to add your products to it. To do this, enter the name of the dish in the "Name" field, almost always entering the first few letters is enough to display a list of product names that begin in the same way, after which it remains only to select the desired dish. Then, in the "Weight" field, enter the mass of the product and click the "Add" button. The product or dish will be added to the menu.

How to easily count calories - 5 easy steps

Losing weight by reducing the calorie content of food is very effective, but you should be patient, because this method is not the fastest. It is quite difficult to correctly build a menu for the day, because you have to calculate everything and remember a large amount of information about the calorie content of each product. This process can be greatly facilitated by using 5 easy steps:

Algorithm for counting calories for weight loss

The calculation of calories is a rather complicated process, for example, to calculate the calorie content of jelly, you should separately calculate the mass of each ingredient and how many calories it contains. When counting kilocalories, you should consider:

- calorie content of a complex dish- this is the total result of the calorie content of all its components;

- water, as well as tea and coffee without sugar, have a calorie content of 0;

- when cooking products do not lose their nutritional value, but frying increases this figure by about a quarter.

Do you want to lose weight quickly? Read the entry: How to lose weight by eating low-calorie meals from the simplest products.

The calorie content of food recommended for a person is an individual value. It depends on factors such as weight, height, age. A nutritionist can correctly calculate this value, but it is possible to make such calculations on your own. For example, the Harris-Benedict formula allows you to determine the basic metabolic rate (BMR).

Women: BMR \u003d 9.99 * weight (kg.) + 6.25 * height (cm.) - 4.92 * age (years) - 161.

Men: BMR \u003d 9.99 * weight (kg.) + 6.25 * height (cm.) - 4.92 * age (years) + 5.

Then the result of the calculation should be multiplied with the indicator of physical activity:

• 1.2 - in the absence of loads or they are very small;
• 1.375 - with constant sports 3 times a week;
• 1,550 - with weekly increased loads 1 time per week;
• 1.725 - with enhanced training 1-2 times a day;
• 1.9 - with a constant combination of sports and physical work.

In this case, the load is fitness.

Proper nutrition works best when combined with exercise.

The result of all calculations is the norm of caloric content of food per day, at which the body weight of a particular person is maintained unchanged. If you want to lose weight, subtract 20% from this figure. These calculations will help you choose the right menu for the day.

Losing weight mistakes when counting calories

The main mistake of many losing weight is a sharp reduction in calorie content. food. Under no circumstances should this be done! With this approach, the body experiences stress, once in an extreme situation, it begins to defend itself and fights for every milligram of fat. If the situation does not change, then the metabolism will slow down, and losing weight will become a very difficult task.

What to do? How to build a menu and count calories for effective weight loss? Here it is important to use not only the calculator of finished products, but also the above formulas for calculating the basic metabolic rate. Reducing the daily rate by 20% will allow you to lose weight, while the body will not have to suffer.

A later reduction in the calorie content of the daily menu is acceptable after the new norm becomes familiar. Daily weighing can be a reason for dissatisfaction with yourself if the weight stands for a while or even increases slightly.

It should be noted that there is no persistent loss of body weight from day to day, especially in the first few days of dieting, when weight may not change at all for up to 3 weeks. This is fine. That's why to get an objective picture, it is best to weigh yourself once a week.

It is recommended to weigh yourself no more than once a week.

Breakdowns are possible with any diet.. You should not punish yourself for them with increased fasting the next day, it will be enough to spend 1 extra hour in the gym.

The most effective way to get rid of extra pounds is to count calories for weight loss. The ready-made food calculator helps to quickly calculate the energy indicator of dishes, which greatly simplifies the life of a person who is losing weight.

See online instructions for using the calorie calculator:

In the video you can learn 5 simple steps to lose weight:

Simple rules, the absence of prohibited products and long-term preservation of the result have made this method the most popular all over the world.

Watch your diet and be beautiful!