What is a calorie requirement

A calorie requirement refers to the amount of calories your body needs each day to perform its basic functions, such as breathing, keeping your heart beating, maintaining your body temperature, and other vital processes. It represents the energy your body uses to support these functions, even when you are completely at rest.

However, your total daily calorie needs include not only the energy required for resting metabolism, but also the energy expended in physical activities, exercise and digesting food (thermal effect of food). This means that your daily calorie intake will be higher if you are active or exercise regularly, because your body needs extra energy for these activities.

Calculating your calorie needs is important because it can help you plan a healthy diet and manage your weight. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will likely gain weight, and if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you will likely lose weight. You can adjust your calorie needs based on your goals, whether that's weight loss, weight maintenance or muscle building.

However, it's also important to note that individual factors such as genetics, age, gender, metabolic rate and body composition all influence your actual calorie needs. Using calculations such as the Harris-Benedict formula or the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula can serve as a starting point, but it is often necessary to make adjustments based on personal experience and feedback from your body.

How to calculate your calorie needs

Calculating your calorie needs can be done in different ways, depending on your goals, lifestyle and activity level. There are some general formulas that are often used to estimate your calorie needs. Many of these calculators can be found on the internet as you can find here .

Two commonly used methods can be found below, these are how the formulas work. The easiest way is to click on the link above so you don't have to do the math yourself.

1. Harris-Benedict formula: The Harris-Benedict formula is a commonly used method to estimate basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the number of calories your body needs at rest. Then you multiply this by a factor that reflects your activity level. There are different versions of the formula depending on your gender:

   For men: BMR = 88,362 + (13,397 × weight in kg) + (4,799 × height in cm) - (5,677 × age in years) For women: BMR = 447,593 + (9,247 × weight in kg) + (3,098 × height in cm) - (4,330 × age in years)

   Then multiply the BMR by an activity factor:

   • Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
   • Lightly active (light exercise/sport 1-3 days per week): BMR x 1,375
   • Moderately active (moderate exercise/sport 3-5 days per week): BMR x 1.55
   • Very active (intense exercise/sport 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1,725
   • Extremely active (very intensive exercise/sports and physical work): BMR x 1.9

2. Mifflin-St. Jeor Formula: This formula is considered slightly more accurate than the Harris-Benedict formula. The calculation differs a bit between men and women:

   For men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5 For women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161

   As with the Harris-Benedict formula, you must multiply the BMR by an activity factor to get your total calorie needs.

Please note that these formulas are estimates and individual variations may occur. It's also important to match your calorie intake to your goals, whether that's losing weight, maintaining weight or building muscle mass.

Calculate different types of calorie needs

The calorie requirement you need may differ per goal.

To calculate your calorie needs for weight loss, you can follow these steps:

1. Determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Use one of the formulas such as the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula to calculate your BMR based on your gender, weight, height and age.

   For men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5 For women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161

2. Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): Multiply your BMR by an activity factor that reflects your level of physical activity. Choose a factor from the range that corresponds to your activity level:

   • Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR × 1.2
   • Lightly active (light exercise/sport 1-3 days per week): BMR × 1,375
   • Moderately active (moderate exercise/sport 3-5 days per week): BMR × 1.55
   • Very active (intense exercise/sport 6-7 days a week): BMR × 1,725
   • Extremely active (very intensive exercise/sports and physical work): BMR × 1.9

Below you can find our advice per goal.

Calculate calorie needs for weight loss

To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit every day. This means you eat fewer calories than your TDEE. A commonly used guideline is to create a deficit of approximately 500 to 1000 calories per day, resulting in a weight loss of approximately 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week. However, this is a general estimate and individual results may vary.

Calculate calorie needs for gaining weight

To gain weight, you need to create a calorie surplus every day. This means you are eating more calories than your TDEE. A general guideline is to create a calorie surplus of about 250 to 500 calories per day. This should result in slow and gradual weight gain, with an emphasis on muscle mass rather than fat.

However, it's important to emphasize that it's not just about eating random high-calorie foods. It's better to get your calories from nutritious sources, such as complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Combine this with regular resistance training to promote muscle growth.

Calculate calorie needs for building muscle

To calculate your calorie needs for muscle building, you want to make sure you're consuming enough calories to provide the necessary energy for workouts and to support muscle growth.

To build muscle mass, you need to create a calorie surplus every day. This means you are eating more calories than your TDEE. A general guideline is to create a calorie surplus of about 250 to 500 calories per day. This extra food provides the energy needed for your workouts and to support muscle growth.

Proteins are essential for muscle building. Make sure you get enough protein, preferably from lean sources such as chicken, fish, lean meat, dairy products, eggs, beans and nuts.

It is important to keep in mind that muscle building is a gradual process. Consuming excessive calories can lead to excess fat instead of muscle growth. So make sure you carefully match your calories to your training level and goals.

Also make sure that you follow a good training schedule in addition to the calorie needs. You can get a training schedule from us for free if you want it.

Calculate calorie needs for dry training

To reduce body fat, you need to create a calorie and macronutrient deficit. In general, it is recommended to maintain a moderate deficit of approximately 10-20% below your TDEE. This can result in steady fat loss without loss of muscle mass. Also make sure you continue to consume enough protein to support muscle maintenance.

Make sure your diet is rich in protein to support muscle maintenance. In addition, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats should be an important part of your diet to provide energy and essential nutrients.

Combine strength training with cardiovascular exercises. Strength training helps maintain or build muscle mass, while cardio can help burn extra calories. Don't overdo cardio, however, as this can also cause muscle loss.

Calculate the difference in calorie needs for men and women

Please note that there are differences. If you are a woman and you want to use your boyfriend's diet plan, for example, there is a good chance that you will not get the same results. This is due to a number of aspects.

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): In general, men tend to have a higher BMR than women. This is mainly due to the fact that men generally have greater muscle mass and muscle uses more calories than fat tissue, even at rest.

2. Body composition: Men generally have a higher percentage of muscle mass and a lower percentage of body fat compared to women. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, meaning men burn more calories even when at rest.

3. Hormonal influences: Hormonal differences between men and women can also influence metabolism and therefore calorie needs. Testosterone, a hormone that occurs in higher amounts in men, influences muscle growth and recovery after exercise.

4. Activity Level: Activity level plays a major role in determining calorie needs. Although there is variation within both genders, there are generally patterns of men being more involved in more physically intense activities.

It is important to note that individual variation and lifestyle choices also influence exact calorie needs. The estimated differences between men and women are generalities and there are always individual exceptions. When calculating calorie needs for both men and women, all of these factors should be taken into consideration to get a more accurate picture of what each individual needs.

Buy nutritional supplements to support your calorie needs and goals

Various supplements can help you achieve your goal. Do you have any questions about it? Please let us know.

Losing weight and dry training:

1. Diet Support
2. Protein shakes

Building Muscle:

1. Protein shakes
2. Creatine
3. Pre-workout

Arrive:

1. Make your own weight gainer shake
2. Possibly protein shakes