Table of contents:
- What are calories?
- How many calories does a person need each day?
- How do you burn calories?
- What are empty calories?
Calories, maybe some of you are afraid of this word, without knowing why. Any food that is known to contain a lot of calories, should be avoided, especially for people who are on a diet or weight loss program. But make no mistake, we actually want it or not, calories are needed by our bodies.
What are calories?
Calories are a unit of energy. So, every food and drink that contains energy also contains calories. Your body needs calories to live, without the energy from calories, the cells in our body will die, including our heart will stop beating. So, don't be afraid of calories anymore, we really need calories.
We can get this energy from the food and drink we consume. If the food and drinks we consume every day can meet our calorie needs, our bodies will be healthy.
Conversely, if the food and drinks we consume are below or above our calorie needs, the risk for disease will increase. Therefore, it's best to know how many calories you eat, so that it can help you maintain a balance between energy entering and leaving the body. This is the key to getting a healthy weight.
The food we consume every day contains carbohydrates, fats and proteins which will be converted into energy by our bodies. The following is the number of calories from each nutrient we eat.
- 1 gram of carbohydrates is worth 4 calories
- 1 gram of fat is worth 9 calories
- 1 gram of protein is worth 4 calories
So, suppose that in one type of food you eat contains 4 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fat, and 15 grams of protein, the number of calories you eat is (4 × 4) + (10 × 9) + (15 × 4) = 166 calories.
Look at the nutritional value information that is usually found on food packaging to make it easier for you to find out how many calories from the food you eat. If you are still confused about what calories and kilocalories are, they actually mean the same thing.
How many calories does a person need each day?
In general, the average adult needs 2000 calories. According to the FAO, the average minimum calorie requirement for an individual per day globally is around 1800 calories. However, the actual calorie needs of each individual vary, depending on gender, age, body weight, height, and physical activity.
If you want to find out how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight, you can use the formula below.
- Male KKB = 66.5 + (13.75 x kg BW) + (5 x cm TB) - (6.8 x age)
- KKB Female = 55.1 + (9.56 x kg BW) + (1.9 x cm TB) - (4.7 x age)
This formula is a formula for finding your basal calorie needs (KKB), which does not take into account your level of physical activity.
So, to find out the total calories you need, you need to multiply your CLA by the number of physical activity, as shown below.
- Temporary activity (not doing much activity) = KKB x 1,2
- Light activity = KKB x 1.375
- Medium activity = KKB x 1.55
- Strenuous activity = KKB x 1,725
- Very strenuous activity = KKB x 1.9
So, suppose you have KKB of 1345 calories and have light activity, the total calories you need is 1345 x 1.375 = 1849.4 calories.
How do you burn calories?
Basically, the more activities you do, the more calories you use. The harder the activity you do, the more calories you burn. For example, the calories burned if you walk fast are more than just walking leisurely.
The calories you get from food will be converted by the body into energy and will be used when you do activities. If these calories are not used, they will be stored in the body, over time these unused calories will be converted into fat and lead to weight gain.
Research shows that most adults eat and drink more than they need, and think they are more mobile than others. So, it is not surprising that many adults are overweight, even obese.
Remember, if you consume more calories than you use up, you will gain weight. And if the calories you eat are less than the calories you use, your body will burn the stored calories in your body, so that your weight will slowly drop.
So, if you want to lose weight you should consume less energy than you use up. The trick is to make healthy changes to your diet and get plenty of physical activity.
What are empty calories?
Empty calories are foods that we consume with very little nutritional value, containing almost no fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. As reported from Medical News Today, based on ChooseMyPlate.gov (USDA), empty calories are usually contained in foods that contain solid fat with added sugar.
Solid fats are usually found in meat fats, solid oils, and butter. Meanwhile, added sugar is a sweetener that is usually added to processed foods and drinks. Examples of foods that contain solid fat or added sugar are ice cream, donuts, biscuits, cake, pizza, sausages, sodas, and other packaged drinks.
These solid fats and sugar are intentionally added to make food or drinks taste better. However, both are low in nutrients but high in calories, so they can cause weight gain and increase the risk of obesity-related diseases, such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
