Calculate calorie requirements

As it is often unclear what calorie requirements actually are, we want to address this topic in this blog article and look at how you can calculate your own requirements.

Basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure

The basal metabolic rate, also known as the basic requirement or resting energy requirement, is the amount of energy (kcal) that your body needs at complete rest to maintain its functions such as breathing, digestion and blood circulation.

The calorie requirement, on the other hand, is the amount of calories you need every day to function properly. In addition to the basal metabolic rate, there is also the amount of energy you need for physical activity(energy expenditure).

How do I calculate my calorie requirement?

In practice, people use mathematical estimates and so-called calorie calculators to determine their energy requirements , but these are much less accurate than the very complex and extremely cost-intensive measurement methods.

The best known and at the same time one of the simplest approximation methods is the Physical Activity Level (PAL), also known as the working metabolic rate. Depending on their physical activity level, people are assigned to corresponding groups, each of which has a specific PAL factor.

Table 1: Physical Activity Level (PAL) factors

As you perform different activities within 24 hours, you can calculate an average value here. For example, if you sleep for 8 hours, sit in the office for 8 hours and mainly walk and stand for 6 hours, and do sport for 2 hours, you can calculate the individual PAL factor as follows:

Individual PAL factor = (0.95 * 8h) + (1.5*8h) + (1.7*6h) + (2.4*2)/ 24h

The PAL factor for 24 hours would then be 1.44.

This PAL factor is multiplied by the basal metabolic rate, resulting in the total energy requirement:

Calorie requirement (kcal) = basal metabolic rate (kcal/24h) * PAL factor

• What calorie requirements do women have?

Calorie requirements vary greatly from person to person and must always be recalculated. To calculate the calorie requirement, the basal metabolic rate is multiplied by the power metabolic rate, i.e. the PAL factor:

Calorie requirement (kcal) = basal metabolic rate (kcal/24h) * PAL factor (see Table 1).

• What is the calorie requirement for men?

The calorie requirement for men is calculated in the same way as for women, with the difference being in the calculation of the basal metabolic rate.

• What are the calorie requirements for children and adolescents?

Just as with adults, the calorie requirement for children also differs slightly according to gender. The requirement also increases within a shorter period of time, as children are growing. In this table we have listed the calorie requirements for girls and boys according to age:

Table 2: Calorie requirements for children

The calorie requirements of children can be similar to or even exceed those of adults, as children consume a lot of energy due to their activity. In addition, growing body parts have to develop, which also costs a lot of calories.

• What calorie requirements do I need when dieting to lose weight?

When losing weight, it is important that the calories for resting energy requirements are covered. Otherwise, the body switches to a low calorie diet and the dreaded yo-yo effect occurs. Losing weight is not based on the basal metabolic rate, but on the power metabolic rate. This is measured according to physical activity. The basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure make up the energy balance.

If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body uses in its energy balance. Sport and exercise can increase the metabolic rate and thus calorie consumption. If the number of calories consumed is higher than the basal metabolic rate but lower than the metabolic rate, the body will lose weight. When dieting, 500 kcal below your total calorie consumption is a good benchmark for weight loss. Juice cures from LiveFresh are suitable for an easy start to a change in diet and nutrition. For a healthy diet, you can find lots of delicious and healthy recipes and further information here.

• How many calories do I need to gain weight?

To gain weight, you need to take in more energy than you consume. In other words, you should consume approx. 500 kcal more than your total calorie requirement. To ensure that you don't just put on fat, but also build muscle, you should eat enough protein and exercise regularly.

• What calorie requirement do I need to build muscle?

To build muscle, you need a calorie surplus of 300 to 500 kcal, which you need to add to your calorie requirement. This is best in the form of proteins, as these are the building blocks for muscles. In addition to a calorie surplus and the intake of high-quality protein, appropriate strength training is also essential for building muscle mass. For your health and a balanced diet, you can find lots of tasty and healthy recipes and further information here.

Frequently asked questions about calculating calorie requirements:

What is the difference between basal metabolic rate and calorie requirement?

The basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy that your body uses for breathing and metabolic processes when you are completely at rest. The calorie requirement, on the other hand, is the basal metabolic rate multiplied by the power metabolic rate (PAL factor), i.e. the energy you consume by walking, standing, sitting, exercising or any other activity in your everyday life.

What is the difference between basal metabolic rate and power metabolic rate?

The basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories you use for breathing and metabolic processes when you are lying down and completely at rest. In contrast, your energy expenditure is all the energy you need in everyday life for walking, standing, sitting, sport or other activities. But even at very low temperatures, your body needs more calories to maintain your body temperature, which is also counted as energy expenditure.

How many calories do I need to lose weight?

To lose weight on a diet, you need to take in fewer calories on average than you consume through your everyday exercise. This means that you must first calculate your calorie requirement and should then consume approx. 500kcal less. Much more important than the amount of calories, however, is the right composition of your meals. Make sure you meet your protein requirement of at least 1g protein/kg body weight daily. This prevents cravings and a yo-yo effect. You should also always have a large portion of vegetables on your plate and high-quality fats such as linseed oil, olive oil or algae oil. A 3, 5 or 7-day juice cleanse is suitable for an easy start to changing your diet . Delicious and nutritious recipes are the basis for a healthy diet that is fun.

How many calories for which body size?

You can calculate your calorie requirements by first calculating your basal metabolic rate using the Harris-Benedict formula and then multiplying it by your energy expenditure. There are different formulas for men and women due to their different muscle mass, which always take height, weight and age into account. You can find lots of tasty and healthy recipes and further information for your health here.

How many calories do you burn a day without exercise?

Many individual factors play a role here, so a general answer is not possible. However, to calculate how many calories you need without exercise, you need to calculate your basal metabolic rate and then multiply it by a correspondingly low energy expenditure of, for example, 1.4 for office work.