Calorie Counter - Maintenance & Weight Loss Calorie Calculator

Calorie Counter - Maintenance & Weight Loss Calorie Calculator

A calorie calculator helps you understand the number of calories your body requires per day to maintain a healthy diet. By inputting details such as your height, weight, age, and activity level, the calorie calculator determines the number of calories you need to consume daily. Knowing your calorie count enables you to keep track of your weight and plan a healthy workout routine to achieve your weight gain or weight loss goals.

In order to calculate the daily required calorie, you must provide a few details including your gender, height, weight, and age. You can use this calculator online at free of cost. 

About Calorie Calculator Online 

A calorie calculator gives you an estimate of how many calories you are required to consume to have a healthy balanced diet. This food calorie calculator would also help you with a calorie chart and basic guidelines for calorie count. Read on to understand this further.

What are Calories?

A calorie can be defined as a unit that measures energy. In other words, it helps measure how much energy food and beverages contain. The smaller units of calories are denoted by "cal" while the bigger calories are denoted by "Cal". Calories were first defined in terms of measuring heat energy.

How to Use a Calorie Calculator?

A food calories calculator can be used by entering details such as your age, gender, weight and height, and your daily or weekly activity. To calculate your daily calorie intake online, you need to take note of the amount of exercise your body does on an everyday basis. A calorie calculator would require you to enter details which you need to take note of. Moreover, this practice can help you with maintenance of calories with the calculator. Moreover, you can find Indian food calculators that compute the calories that exist in Indian staple diets. 

What is the Formula for Calculating Calories?

A food calorie calculator provides results that are based on the basal metabolic rate or BMR. The BMR can be defined as the total energy that you expend each day at rest. BMR can be calculated using the formula 370 + 21.6 (1 - F)W. 

W-Your weight in kilograms

F-Percentage of your fat

What are the Advantages of a Calorie Calculator?

A food calorie calculator has multiple advantages. Knowing your calorie count would help you understand the requirements of your body better. It would help you learn which high-calorie foods or low-calorie foods are the best for your health. The results of a daily calorie calculator would help you develop a calorie chart for yourself that would help you achieve your goals for your body much faster and in a safer way.

Benefits of Using a Calorie Calculator Online

It is important to check the consumption of calories per day, for:

• Keeping track of your weight

If you know how many calories you are consuming on a daily basis, it would be much easier to keep a check on your weight.

• Planned weight gain/loss

A certain suggested amount of calories per day would help you effectively work on your weight loss or weight gain.

• Lose weight effectively

There are weight loss calorie calculator models specifically designed if you are somebody looking for a better way to lose weight.

Kcal to Calories

Kcal and calories are terms that can be used interchangeably. Kcal and calories refer to the exact same amounts of energy. Kcal is basically the bigger calories or kilocalories. One kcal is equal to 1000 cal.

Difference Between Kcal and Calories

Calories indicate the specific amount of energy that food or beverages contain. The same energy is often also measured in or defined by kilocalories (kcal) or kilojoules (kJ). 1 calorie is equal to 4.18 kilojoules. Or, 1 calorie is equal to 4,184 joules.

Equations Used by Calorie Calculator

An accurate calculator uses predetermined equations to help create an estimated average for the number of calories required by an individual on an average day. Here are some of the common calorie calculator equations used by a variety of calorie calculators online:

 Mifflin-St Jeor Equation

For men: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5

For women: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161

Revised Harris-Benedict Equation

For men: BMR = 13.397W + 4.799H - 5.677A + 88.362

For women: BMR = 9.247W + 3.098H - 4.330A + 447.593

Katch-McArdle Formula

BMR = 370 + 21.6(1 - F)W

In these equations,

W refers to body weight in kilograms

H refers to height in cms

A refers to age

F refers to body fat percentage

Calorie Counting for Weight Loss

Calorie counting for weight loss is a scientifically tested way to lose weight and get fitter. You can use a calorie calculator to determine your calorie requirements and adjust your daily calorie intake accordingly to lose weight. Here are the exact steps you can follow to set up a plan for weight loss:

• Calculate your daily calorie requirement

You can use the calorie calculator given on this page to determine the number of calories your body burns per day on average. This is your daily calorie requirement. Eating more calories than this number will cause you weight gain, and eating less can help you lose weight.

• Track your calorie intake

Once you have your daily calorie requirement number, start tracking your daily calorie intake for 8-10 days to get an idea of how many calories you eat per day. You can do this by using any of the multitudes of health and meal tracking applications available for smartphones.

• Plan for a calorie deficit by counting calories

Now that you know how many calories you consume each day, you can start to cut down on your calories slowly. It is a good idea to cut down on high-calorie food items that contain too many carbs or sugars. You should also ideally cut down on processed and fried foods.

• Prepare a healthy meal plan

Once you have cut out the high-calorie foods from your diet, you can create a new meal plan to include healthier foods like salads, lean meats, fish, etc. so that you get ample nutrition each day. However, make sure the maximum calorie deficit you aim for is 300-500 lesser calories than your daily requirement for sustainable weight loss.

• Combine exercise with your new diet

You can combine your new diet with a routine of exercises that you can carry out each day. You can start by walking 30 minutes every day and then progressively take on more intensive exercises.

Zig Zag Calorie Cycling

Zigzag calorie cycling is also a form of weight loss that uses a technique other than calorie counting to help people lose weight. Under the zig zag calorie cycling, people choose to consume a higher amount of calories on certain days and fewer calories on other days. For example, an individual who follows zigzag cycling may eat 2300 calories per day from Monday to Thursday and eat only 1500 calories per day from Thursday to Sunday to lose weight. This is also a good way to lose weight, but you should consult a dietician before starting zigzag cycling to get a good idea of how the weight loss plan will work for you.

Sources of Calories

When you are reevaluating your diet choices, you need to understand the number of calories that different kinds of foods provide:

• Calorie Dense Foods

Calorie dense foods are the kinds of foods that contain a very high amount of calories in foods of small quantities. For example, cheeses, desserts, sugar, nuts and certain high sugar fruits contain a large number of calories even though they may appear to be small. A single cheese cube can contain more calories than a full chapati. You need to be careful about including these kinds of foods in your diet. It is a good idea to avoid these foods as you can end up eating a very large number of calories without actually eating too much food. However, you can occasionally consume healthy high-calorie foods like avocados or certain types of cheeses but make sure you don’t overdo it.

• Low-Calorie Foods

Foods like vegetables and grains are great sources of nutrition while being low-calorie foods at the same time. If you want to lose weight consistently, you need to incorporate these low-calorie foods, especially vegetables into your diet. The best sources of low-calorie foods include green vegetables, carrots, egg whites, sprouts and more. Apart from being low in calories, these foods also provide all the necessary micro and macronutrients like proteins, carbs in healthy quantities that help you remain fit and energetic.

Calories Burned From Common Exercises

You can refer to the table given below to understand how many calories you can burn by doing certain exercises for 1 hour each day:

• Exercise: Approx Calories Burned (1 hour of exercise)

• Walking: 300-400 calories

• Light Jogging: 500-600 calories

• Running: 700 calories

• Swimming: 500 calories

• Cycling: 400-700 calories

• Weight Lifting; 200-300 calories

• Calisthenics: 300-400 calories

• Rope Skipping: 800-1000 calories

You can start using these exercises in your daily routine to lose weight naturally and get fitter.

Different Kinds of Calories and their Effects

There are various sources of calories that you consume. A calorie chart would help understand which foods and beverages contain how many calories.

• Carbohydrates

The two most important kinds of carbohydrates are known as sugars and starches. Sugars can be defined as simple carbs. Sugars are found in smaller units, and they release the energy directly into your bloodstream and at a fast pace. Starches, on the other hand, are complex carbohydrates. Starches are made of fiber and release a steadier flow, and at a much slower pace. Some of the examples of starch are potatoes, bread, cereals, pasta, and rice. The fiber that is present in complex carbs works as a cleanser for your body.

• Proteins

Proteins can be defined as complicated and large substances. Proteins contain multiple small units that are known as amino acids. Your body breaks down proteins in an attempt to reuse amino acids. Some of the protein-rich food items are fish, eggs, dairy products, and meat.

• Fats

Fats are one of the best providers of energy for your body. There are three varied kinds of fats known as unsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are found in fish largely. These contain fatty acids that are beneficial for your health. Saturated fats are found in meat, butter, lard, cream, and cheese. Trans fats can be found in processed and margarine food items.

Calorie Chart for Common Foods

Check out the calories present in the food you eat regularly. Keeping a track of these could help you in your weight management regime.

Minimum Daily Calorie Intake

Calorie intake differs from one person to another depending on their lifestyle. It may range between 1200 calories to 2000 calories depending on the requirements of your body. It is best to visit a nutritionist or your physician to understand best what your body needs. You can also make use of the daily calorie intake calculator to understand your minimum calorie requirement per day.

How Many Calories Do You Need Per Day for Weight Loss?

If you are planning on following a daily calorie intake for weight loss, the first thing you need to do is to decrease your daily calorie intake by 500 calories. For instance, if you consume 1800 calories every day, you need to bring it down to 1300 calories. This would help to lose 1 pound of your body weight each week. On average, a woman aged between 26 to 50 would require 1500 calories per day to decrease a pound each week. Men of the same age group would require about 2300 calories per day to decrease a pound each week.

List of Low-Calorie Foods

The following is a list of low-calorie foods

Things to Keep in Mind When Reducing Calories

Given below are certain things you need to keep in mind while reducing calories in your diet:

• Follow a High Protein Diet

If you are trying to lose calories, consume more proteins. High protein diets can effectively increase your calorie burns by about 80 to 100 calories each day.

• Eliminate Liquid Sugar

Do not consume soft drinks, chocolate milkshakes, or fruit juices. Eliminating liquid sugar from your daily calorie intake would help you lose weight faster.

• Drink Plenty of Water

Remember that your body needs plenty of water. If you drink about two liters of water each day, it would help burn more calories.

How Many Calories Do You Need Per Day?

Although calorie intake depends on the age, gender, and energy levels of every individual, on average, adult females should consume between 1600-2400 calories per day. Adult males, on the other hand, should consume between 2000-3000 calories per day.

List of High-Calorie Foods

The following is a list of high-calorie foods:

Things to Keep in Mind while Trying to Gain Weight

Here are some of the things to remember while increasing your calorie intake:

• Consume More Calories

The first thing you need to do is to consume more calories than what you burn. You need to consume about 700 to 1000 calories more than your maintenance calories level.

• Consume High-Calorie Food

Carbs and Unsaturated fats are high-calorie foods and should be a priority if you wish to gain weight. Ensure that you are consuming carbs, fats, and proteins in each meal.

• Consume Sauces and Spices

Eating sauces, condiments and spices would also be beneficial in gaining weight.

Steps to Maintain Your Calorie Count

Here’s how you can maintain your calorie count:

• Calculate your BMR and BMI regularly

• Know your weight loss or weight gain goals and make use of the maintenance calorie calculator

• You may also use phone applications to track your daily exercise, calorie count, and progress

• Maintain a spreadsheet or journal to keep track

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