CONSUMING AND BURNING CALORIES
As you may already know, the recommended calorie intake differs for men and women. For most females, the required amount is roughly 2000 per day, whilst for males it’s around 2,500 a day. However, the number of calories you should consume varies vastly depending on your physique and training. For a more exact calorie intake recommendation, consult with a dietician.
Calorie burning, on the other hand, can be estimated and monitored quite easily using an activity tracker. A wearable, wrist-based calorie tracker, for example, can provide a good estimate of your daily burn, especially if the device allows for personalization (age, height, weight, gender, etc.).
As if that wasn’t enough to keep track of, there’s also a difference between passive and active calories. Sound complicated? Let’s sort this out.
PASSIVE CALORIES
Imagine spending an entire day watching Netflix in bed, not moving an inch more than necessary. Sound familiar? We're here to help.
The fuel needed to maintain vital life functions during this type of day is the passive calories you burn. This number is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Determined by your fitness level and muscle mass, your BMR remains relatively constant from day-to-day and can only be influenced over time through a change in your daily activity level.
While there are a few different equations you can use to get an estimate of your BMR, we use the revised Harries-Benedict equation. Try plugging your numbers into the following formula:
Female: 10 x weight (stones) + 6.25 x height (ft-inches) – 5 x age (y) – 161
Male: 10 x weight (stones) + 6.25 x height (ft-inches) – 5 x age (y) + 5
ACTIVE CALORIES
The good news is there's another form of calorie burn you can influence quite easily. These are the active calories you start burning as soon as you do anything other than sit still. Thus, the more physically active you are, the more of these calories you burn, meaning this number is highly dynamic and fairly simple to modify.
Recent studies show that HIIT workouts (High-Intensity Interval Training) are growing in popularity as they're a great way to keep active while burning off excess calories.
If you’re reading this and want to lose weight, the formula is simple: reduce your calorie intake and/or increase your physical activity level.
If you want to build more muscle mass, increasing your activity level and adding some extra “good calories” to your diet is the way to go.
In conclusion, while there is a lot of focus on calories, in the news, on the web and on food packaging, it helps to stay calm amidst the hoopla. Remember to follow the BMR equation above so you can assess what is right for you, whether that means increasing the intake or scaling it down.
Influence from media outlets as well as friends and family can play a part when deciding what is right for you. However at the end of the day, it’s ultimately up to you to find the perfect formula for your body goals.