How many calories do you need to burn to lose weight

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

To achieve the desired weight, you need to correctly calculate the calorie deficit, take into account the characteristics of the body and correctly draw up the menu.

Calorie counting is one of the most famous ways to lose weight. Its essence is simple: you need to spend more energy than you consume. In other words, create a calorie deficit.

How many calories do you need to burn to lose 5 kg

In 1958, scientist Max Wishnofsky determined that one pound of fat in the human body corresponds to 3,500 kilocalories. Thus, one kilogram of fat is equal to 7,716 kcal.

This means that you need to create a deficit of 7,716 kcal in order to lose 1 kg.

Let's say your goal is to lose 5 kg. You consume 2,000 kcal per day and spend 2,500 - a 500 kcal deficit is created. If you stick to this diet, you will lose one kilogram in 15 days. And to lose 5 kg, you need 2, 5 months.

It looks simple. But when it comes to the processes in our body, everything becomes much more complicated. Our body easily adapts to new conditions, including hunger.

How to whip up a slow metabolism

At first, a calorie deficit will indeed lead to rapid weight loss, but then the metabolism will slow down. Under conditions of malnutrition, the body will begin to conserve energy. For intense weight loss, you will need more than your usual diet.

For example, playing sports. Strength training and high-intensity interval training create an oxygen demand in the body. Calories are consumed to cover it, both during training and several hours after it.

Exercise is also necessary for another reason: Provided that you consume enough protein, it prevents muscle loss.

How to lose fat, not muscle

The goal of losing weight is to get rid of excess body fat. However, along with fat during a calorie deficit, you also lose muscle mass. This is highly undesirable for a beautiful figure.

In May 2008, scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted a study on muscle preservation and energy recovery while losing weight.

It confirmed that strength training during a low-calorie diet can help maintain strength and muscle.

However, protein is needed to build muscle. If you are doing strength training while dieting, add protein-rich foods to your diet.

Remember:

1. You lose one kilogram of weight, creating a 7,716 kilocalorie deficit.
2. This works in the early days of the diet, and then the metabolism slows down.
3. To prevent your metabolism from slowing down and you lose muscle mass, include protein-rich foods in your diet and engage in strength training.

How to count calories

You can use websites and applications with ready-made recipes. You only need to accurately observe the proportions and quantities of ingredients.

Yum

There are quite a few recipes on the site. There are filters "Low-calorie", "Fast", "Simple". Calories and nutrient composition are listed in a table. If you change the amount of ingredients, you can click on the "Calculate Calorie" button and find out how many calories will be in the dish.

"NyamNyamra" →

My healthy diet

On this site, all products and recipes are disassembled in the most detailed way. Calorie content, amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are indicated under the recipes. Under the products there is a description of the vitamins and minerals they contain.

"My healthy diet" →

Calorie Counter by FatSecret

In this application, you can keep a food diary. Add the foods you eat and the utility calculates calories and BJU. There are ready-to-eat meals and products from different brands. It is even possible to read the barcode of the product.

There is also an exercise diary in the app. You can find out how many calories you are spending on different types of physical activity.

By the way, the FatSecret service is also available on a PC, if it is more convenient for someone to count calories and activity there.

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YAZIO

In this application, you can select products from a database or scan a barcode, use recipes from the application or create your own.

There is also a calorie burner counter. And if you connect Google Fit, your workouts will be automatically downloaded to the app.

MyFitnessPal

You can save your recipes, meals and even whole meals in this calorie counter to save time.

There is also an activity counter with cardio and strength exercises. However, calories are not calculated in the latter. You can use this feature to quickly see what you did in the last workout. If you want to count the calories spent on weight training, add a new activity and add the calories manually.

The counter can be synced with fitness trackers or activity tracking apps MapMyFitness, MapMyRun, Garmin Connect and others.

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