Calories to human beings are like gasoline to cars. Your car will not run without gas and you will not function without calories. Life would be a lot simpler if we, like cars, had a fuel gauge; unfortunately, we do not. We also, unlike cars, can fill ourselves up with more calories than we can use in a day. Those extra calories we do not need we store on our bodies as fat.
Calories are needed. They are vital to our health and well being In the simplest terms a calorie is a unit of measurement used to express food energy. All the food we eat contains calories; food is fuel; you must take in enough calories each day to keep your body functioning. Each type of food we eat contains a set amount of calories per gram. A single gram of carbohydrates contains four calories. A single gram of protein contains four calories. A single gram of fat contains nine calories. An ounce of alcohol contains seven calories. But how many calories do you need a day? Read on.
There are guidelines for daily caloric intake you can use as a jumping off point, but recommended daily calorie intake varies widely from person to person and is normally based upon a person’s age, activity level, size, and gender. To get a rough idea about the number of calories you need a day check out these caloric intake guidelines provided by the USDA. These are the amount of calories you need to take into maintain your weight.
Women aged 19 through 50
• Sedentary, not active, between 1,800 and 2,000 calories per day
• Moderately active, between 2,000 and 2,200 calories per day
• Active between 2,200 and 2,400 calories per day
Men aged 19 through 50
• Sedentary, between 2,200 and 2,400 calories per day
• Moderately active, between 2,600 and 2,800 calories per day
• Active, between 2,800 and 3,000 calories per day
If you would like a more exact calorie range for yourself there is an equation you can use called the Harris-Benedict Formula. The Harris-Benedict Formula determines calorie needs based on your height, weight, age, and gender. To use the Harris-Benedict Formula you must first calculate an individual’s Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. Then multiply the BMR by the individual’s activity level.
To determine your BMR use the following equation:
• Men BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)
• Women BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Then multiply your BMR by the following figures determined by your activity level to determine your daily calorie needs:
• Sedentary daily calories needed = BMR x 1.2
• Slightly active daily calories needed = BMR x 1.375
• Moderately active daily calories needed = BMR x 1.55
• Active daily calories needed = BMR x 1.725
• Very active daily calories needed = BMR x 1.9
The Harris-Benedict formula provides the amount of calories a person needs a day to maintain their weight. To gain or lose weight adjust your calories accordingly. Hoodia supplements help the body adjust its metabolic rate to help the body attain a healthy body weight. It is recommended to supplement your diet with Hoodia to attain the right level of calories for your body. Hoodia supplements can be tried for free at the Hoodia Diet Plan [http://www.hoodiadietplan.org] website.
David Millers writes articles on nutrition and advises the use of Hoodia supplements at [http://www.hoodiadietplan.org]
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