Minimum Calories To Survive Calculator - This is the first chapter in my five-part nutritional guide to fat loss and muscle gain. You can read the introduction (which provides important context) and download the full PDF version of the Nutrition Setup Guide here.
This chapter covers the calorie part of the nutrition puzzle. I have used and perfected this system over the past 9 years working with clients. Here it is:
Minimum Calories To Survive Calculator
Whether your goal is muscle gain, fat loss, or weight maintenance, the most important nutritional puzzle is getting your caloric intake right.
How Many Calories Do I Need?
The Calories In, Calories Out equation (often called CICO) is simple, but each affects the other, and both have some things we can't control.
The consumption side of the energy balance equation, what we eat and drink, is influenced by hunger, which adapts to the situation.
We eat This means that the macro, micro and temporal sections of the pyramid affect our ability to cling to this first layer.
While proper food selection and timing can reduce satiety, hunger affects the energy expenditure side of the equation.
How Many Calories Should You Eat To Lose Weight? — Cody Harman
People who are naturally thin and struggle to gain weight tend to gravitate in one direction more than those who are overweight and struggle to lose it.
When you consider that we consume nearly one million calories each year, it is surprising that our weight fluctuates by an average of 1-2 pounds each year. This shows how powerful the self-regulating mechanism is.
This is good for saving lives, but very inconvenient for those who want to change the status quo. We need to destroy this mechanism, so counting calories becomes a necessary next step for people who have made all the obvious lifestyle changes and are still not successful.
Also affects our choices. This is partially within our control. We can stock the fridge with the food we want to eat and declutter the house, but we can't control all the fast food restaurants and how often Betty decides to bring banana bread to the office.
If I Take 1,500 2,000 Calories A Day, And Walk 20,000 Steps, How Much Fat Will I Lose In 2 Weeks (14 Year Old, 5'2, 63kg)?
On the energy consumption side of the equation, the adaptive elements are beyond our control, and there is only one within our control.
The two main energy expenditure factors in the equation are metabolic rate and activity level. Both are affected to some degree by energy consumption.
Metabolic rate decreases while dieting and then returns to normal when you return to eating. This is beyond our control.
Activity levels are partly consciously controlled (for example, how much we exercise) and partly not (how much we move and move throughout the day).
Best Way To Calculate Calories On Your Own In Minutes!
This last part is particularly interesting because it seems to vary from person to person and can make a big difference in energy consumption. — Some people are more lethargic than others when dieting, and some are more agitated when they overeat. It's called
(Nickname NEAT) and includes things like going to work, texting and emailing friends, sipping a protein shake, doing yard work, and swinging.
So astute readers may wonder, "Ahh, but if I wanted to lose weight, couldn't I exercise more instead of restricting my eating?" can think.
This guide focuses on what to do, not what not to do. So I don't spend a lot of time throwing out ideas. However, there is one particular exception that should be considered right away - the idea that low-carb diets are super (or necessary) for weight loss.
Is Calorie Counting A Good Way To Lose Weight
The idea is that when insulin levels are high, we can't lose fat because insulin stops fat burning. And since carbohydrates are the biggest insulin stimulators, we can't lose fat if we eat a high-carb diet.
(I did this so that it will stick in your mind when you hear something like this in the future.)
I can point out that protein (whey, milk, animal protein, etc.) raises insulin as much as sugar, and other mechanical flaws in this theory.
But in fact, when the two groups were put on a high-calorie, high- and low-carb diet, the studies showed no difference in fat loss results.
Calories Calculator For Caloric Intake
I'm not denying that a low carb diet can be effective for fat loss. But it's important to note that people lose weight because they eat fewer calories overall.
If you want to lose fat, you may need to reduce your carbohydrate intake to create a calorie deficit (and possibly fat intake). But if someone tells you that you should cut out carbs almost entirely, or that caloric balance isn't the key to weight loss, ignore them.
Finally, sugar is demonized by the media, but not "bad". It depends on how well it fits with the rest of the diet. However, if you are trying to follow a diet and you easily overeat, it is recommended to limit sugary foods.
Your cutting macros may be close to (or below) your BMR; Your bulk macro can be twice as large.
Energy In: Recommended Food & Drink Amounts For Children
Before proceeding, it's important to understand that your final calorie count is only an estimate. Equations are derived from group averages, the activity multiplier used is approximate, and there are individual differences in how people respond to caloric deficit or surplus.
So consider the calculation as a starting point to adjust as you progress. I will come back to this later.
There are various formulas for estimating basal metabolic rate. I like the Harris-Benedict formula because it is effective but easier to follow.
(For example, the Katch-McArticle formula requires people to estimate their body fat percentage first. But since all the methods we've used to determine body fat percentage have accuracy problems, I don't see the point in using it.)
How To Set Your Calorie Intake For Fat Loss And Muscle Growth
The second thing we need to do is adjust BMR for activity levels to find Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
Most people reading this will find that the second or third option is the most appropriate. If you're an office worker who commutes and only walks a bit, I'd recommend the second option.
I find examples are very helpful when learning new things to reinforce what I have learned. So in this guide I'll give you four examples that correspond to four simple avatars: Fat Freddy, Shredded Sam, Thick Thelma, and Nubby Natalie.
Fat Freddy is 5'9, 31 years old, 180 pounds, works in an office, so "mostly sedentary". Its TDEE is estimated to be 2499 kcal.
A Macro Calculator To Crush Your Physique Goals
Shredded Sam is 6'1, 37 years old, weighs 175 pounds and is somewhat active. Its TDEE is estimated to be 2844 kcal.
Thicc Thelma is 5'4, 44 years old, 190 pounds. Her current activity level is sedentary because she works in an office, but she chooses "mostly sedentary" when she gets up. Its TDEE amount is 2109 kcal.
Nubia Natalia is 5'7, 21 years old, weighs 135 pounds and works as a warehouse worker at Costco. So far she has enjoyed spinning classes 3 times a week and sometimes runs on weekends. She is completely new to strength training and has cut her spinning class to once a week. Therefore, its activity level is marked as "mildly active". Its TDEE amount is 2254 kcal.
In this section, I will provide recommended rates of weight loss and gain during the tapering and bulking phases, explain the math used, and provide examples of Fat Thelma, Fat Freddy, and Shredded Sam.
Calories Burned In A Day: Calculation, Factors, Exercise, Weight Loss
Noob Natalie chooses to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time in what is called a "rebuild" phase.
High weight loss rates are encouraging, but maintaining them is difficult. The thinner we are, the more likely we are to lose muscle mass.
A slow pace of weight loss is easy to maintain, but it's hard to stay motivated, difficult to track, and can become an increasing mental burden.
For busy people who can't stand lethargy and brain fog, 0.5% per week seems to be the sweet spot. I base this on my client work.
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If you have a lot of fat, you can go up to 1%, but most clients don't find that sustainable. Above 1%, your diet will be very difficult to maintain and muscle loss may occur.
When seeing abs for the first time, I recommend you stay at around 0.5%. If you get into the single digits for body fat %, the whole curve shifts to the left and you want to lose 0.5% at a rate or less to increase your chances of maintaining muscle mass.
To burn 1 pound of fat (7,700 kcal per kg) requires a deficit of about 3,500 kcal. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week, you need a 500 kcal deficit per day (1100 kcal per 1 kg).
However
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