The art of staying healthy and fit requires a detailed knowledge of the best things to do. In addition to knowing the workouts to complete daily, what you consume matters a lot. Whether you want to lose weight or get toned, your caloric intake is a key determinant. A simple rule says that when you eat more calories than you can burn, you will add weight.
So, one of the best ways to remain healthy and fit is to know the number of calories that you need to eat every day. In fact, you must break it down for every meal for the best results. For those who are interested in being this specific, here is what you need to know.
Benefits of Knowing Your Daily Calorie Needs
It does not matter what activities you are involved in. Knowing the exact number of calories that are sufficient for your body is very crucial. Nutritionists say that there is a minimum amount of energy that a body needs to support the normal processes and activities even without exercise. Surprisingly, one needs energy even to think and walk, which are regular activities.
As you analyze the number of calories you need, you find actual numbers that will improve your health and fitness. For instance, people who are involved in extreme exercise require more energy to exercise and grow muscles. They can take advantage of fitness enhancement steroids from 120kgs to fully benefit from their exercise efforts.
Knowing a precise number of calories is ideal especially for people who are planning to lose weight. If they get into the habit of consuming more calories than they can burn, their workout efforts will be in vain. But with the actual number, they can significantly enhance the weight loss process.
How to Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs
The first method is the traditional and manual method, which is still used by many people today. It involves a series of steps that you must follow to arrive at a specific number.
1st Step
The first step is to determine your weight either in pounds or kilograms. For the purpose of easier calculations, it is better to use kilograms. For those using pounds, you can convert easily by dividing the pounds by 2.2.
2nd Step
Assuming that all figures are in kilograms, you should proceed to step two. For men, you will retain the figure that way while women will be required to multiply the figure by 0.9 for reasons you will learn as we go. You will also be required to multiply that number again by 24 before proceeding to the third step.
3rd Step
The third step is where you will multiply the new figure with the lean factor. To know this, you will need to get a guide either from the web or fitness books. They list the lean factor against the body fat percentage. As you go down, it is crucial to be accurate to end up with the right figure for the daily calories that you require.
The fourth step is where you use an activity modifier and multiply your results by the right category. Again, you will need a guide to know where you fall depending on your daily activities. If you are a fitness enthusiast who spends a significant amount of time at a gym, you can choose 1.8, which represents the full activity category. Office workers who sit all day and teachers or chefs who stand most of the time should choose 1.3 and 1.55 respectively.
By now, you will have the number of calories that are sufficient for you in a day. Anything more than this means that you will store the extra calories as fat in the body and consequently add weight. On the other hand, anything less than this will result in losing weight. If you eat too little calories compared to what your body requires, you will not have the much-needed energy even to think or perform simple activities.
Using an Online App
There is a more natural way of determining the daily calories that you need. Technology makes this more comfortable for us. People either download a regular calorie calculator on their smartphones or use online software on the web. With this, you will merely input your weight in kilograms or pounds and other details as prompted and then hit calculate to get the final figure. Apps are considered more accurate because they use highly programmed algorithms. If you want to confirm whether they are correct or not, you will need to try a couple of these apps and compare the results.
Most people wonder what will happen next when they know the number of calories that they need daily. But the truth is, those who are aware stay healthy and fit more frequently than those who do not know. You will be in a position to plan your meals and workouts in a better way with this knowledge.
