How many calories should a person who is trying to lose weight consume in a day

The daily calorie intake of weight loss individuals should be adjusted according to gender, weight, and activity level. Women are usually recommended to consume 1200-1500 calories, while men are recommended to consume 1500-1800 calories. Specific needs are related to factors such as basal metabolic rate, exercise expenditure, and weight loss goals.

1. Basic metabolic calculation

Basic metabolic rate is the minimum calorie requirement for maintaining life activities in the resting state of the human body, accounting for about 60% -70% of the total daily consumption. The Mifflin St Jeor formula can be used to calculate: 10 x weight kg+6.25 x height cm-5 x age-161 for females; Male is 10 x weight kg+6.25 x height cm-5 x age+5. For example, a 60 kilogram female's daily basal metabolic rate is about 1300 calories.

2. Activity coefficient adjustment

For sedentary office workers, their basal metabolism should be multiplied by 1.2, for mildly active individuals by 1.375, and for moderately active individuals by 1.55. People who engage in 3-5 30 minute aerobic exercises per week can increase their daily intake by 200-300 calories. Physical laborers or fitness enthusiasts need to increase their calorie intake specifically.

3. Safety weight loss threshold

It is recommended to control the daily calorie deficit within 500 calories, corresponding to a safe speed of losing about 0.5 kilograms per week. Extreme low calorie diets may lead to muscle loss and metabolic decline. For those with a large body weight base, the gap can be appropriately widened, but it should not be lower than the basal metabolic value for a long time.

4. Nutritional ratio principle

Protein should account for 20% -30% of total calories, with an intake of 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight; carbohydrates account for 40% -50%, preferably whole grains; Fat accounts for 20% -30%, with a focus on unsaturated fatty acids. Suggested three meal allocation: 30% for breakfast, 40% for lunch, 30% for dinner, and no more than 100 calories for additional meals.

5. Dynamic monitoring adjustment

The calorie requirement needs to be recalculated every 2-4 weeks, and the intake should be adjusted for every 5 kilograms of weight loss. During the plateau period, you can try the calorie cycling method, such as combining 3 days of low calorie intake with 2 days of normal intake. Using food scales and diet recording apps can improve accuracy, and changes in body fat percentage are more valuable as a reference than weight. When implementing calorie control, it is necessary to ensure the diversity of ingredients and consume more than 12 types of food per day, including dark vegetables, bacteria and algae, high-quality protein, etc. Combining resistance training can reduce muscle loss, and insufficient sleep can lower leptin secretion. It is recommended to maintain 7 hours of sleep. When experiencing dizziness, fatigue, and other discomforts, adjust your diet plan in a timely manner, and consult a nutritionist if necessary to develop a personalized plan. Long term low calorie diets require regular blood routine and thyroid function testing.