Most people come up with a common question before joining any weight loss program as to “How Many Calories Do I Need to Lose Weight?” If you have been asking yourself the same question then you have come to the right place for the answer. In this article we are going to address this very important question since it has the ability to give you a realistic aim before starting on any weight loss program. First off, you must understand that there is no one answer fit all solution to this question because it depends on so many parameters such as sex, present health condition, medical history, workout regime etc. These parameters are not in any particular order and of course this list is not exhaustive by any means.
In order to understand how many calories you need to lose you must understand the basic functioning of the body. It all boils down to one simple principle of calorific deficit. Simply put, weight gain is a direct result of your body in-taking more calories than required and hence conversely weight loss occurs when you intake less calories than required by your body. In order to maintain weight, you must consume as many calories as expended by your body.
So in case you want to lose 2 pounds per week, without workout, then you need to have a deficit of about 1000 calories. In simple words, you must consume 1000 calories less than the requirement of your body in case you want to lose 2 pounds without workout of any kind. But how do you calculate the calorie requirement of your body?
This question is a little tricky and can be answered in multiple ways. However, we’ll take a very simple approach to this.
Whatever nutrients you consume, be they, fats, proteins or carbohydrates, they consists of calories. Your body needs these calories for performing several functions such as maintaining body temperature, respiration and heart pumping etc. This energy is known as basal energy since it is required for performing most basic functions in the body.
In addition to basal energy needs, your body also has an activity energy need which is required while performing any day to day activity. This can range from any household activity to any physical labor which you might do for fun (Sports or exercise) or for work (athlete or fitness professional, physical labor at work etc).
Last, your body also requires energy for digestion or breaking up of food particles and this energy requirement is termed as thermal effect of food. In simple words, thermal effect of food is the energy required for reactions occurring between the food molecules and the various life nourishing acids in the body.
Now to calculate the total energy requirement of your body you need to take into consideration all the three energies viz. basal energy needs, activity energy needs, and the thermal effect of food.
Now basal energy need is sex dependent. For women, its approximately 0.9 calorie for each kilogram of weight per hour whereas for men its 1.0 calorie for each kilogram of weight per hour. So if you’re a guy of 70 Kg, then your basal energy need is 70*1.0*24=1680 calories/day.
The activity energy need of the body depends on the level of activity you have in your day to day life. It varies from 30 percent to 100 percent of the basal energy depending upon how active you are. For example if you consider yourself to be a couch lover, sitting the entire time and doing nothing, then your activity energy need is 30 percent of the basal energy whereas if you are a professional athlete then its almost 100 percent. In case you’re a normal individual then your activity need is some 60 percent of your basal energy.
Lastly, the thermal effect of food is 10 percent of the sum of calories you have calculated for basal and activity energy need.
Finally, when you add all the basal, activity and thermal effect you will get the total calorie requirement of your body for one day. You will notice that it comes out to be close to 2500 calories for men and around 2000 calories for women.
Now that you have calculated the calorie requirement of your body for one day, you can see for yourself as to how much above the limit you are when it comes to calorie storage (as fat) after deducting the calories expended in your daily routine.
