What does a calorie calculator calculate and how does it help you lose weight? Diets are booming and there is hardly anyone who has not eaten strictly according to certain dietary rules in order to lose excess kilograms. Most diet concepts announce great successes within a very short time. Few can keep this promise. This is partly due to the fact that many diets ignore a very important aspect of successful weight loss. Instead, they sell one-sided and unsuccessful concepts. The theory behind weight loss is quite simple. You can find out what calorie calculators have to do with this and how they can help you lose weight in this post.
How many calories does my body need?
How many calories do I need to maintain my weight? What can I eat to lose weight? And how much is too much? Questions that each and every one of us asks ourselves at some point. However, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to these questions because every body is different.
The basal metabolic rate
The daily calorie requirement is calculated from the basal metabolic rate and the power turnover. The basal metabolic rate describes the energy that your body needs in complete rest. Thus, these calories are the absolute minimum so that all vital body functions can be maintained.
The service turnover
Performance turnover, on the other hand, is the energy you burn during physical activity. This primarily includes everyday activities such as speaking, walking, or working. However, sporting activity is also taken into account in the performance turnover. With the free calorie calculator from VERIVAL, you can easily determine your daily calorie requirements.
It is important to emphasize that it is by no means enough to just absorb the calories of your basal metabolic rate. Your body absolutely needs the extra energy of the power turnover to stay healthy and efficient.
What is important when losing weight?
Countless diets think they have cracked the formula to get rid of unwanted pounds. Low carb, high carb, cabbage soup, or blood type diet – all these concepts promise fast weight loss if you stick to the rules. However, in most cases, these approaches are very one-sided and by no means suitable as long-term diets. Frustration quickly sets in, the diet is broken off, and thanks to the yo-yo effect, you quickly regain the lost weight.
Healthy weight loss with a calorie deficit
The theory of successful weight loss is quite simple and can be explained in just two sentences: If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories, you lose weight. In short, it simply takes a calorie deficit to lose weight. This raises the following question: When are you still in deficit, and when is it too much? We have the answer.
How the Calorie Calculator Can Help You Lose Weight
The first step is to find out what your personal daily calorie needs are. Go to our calorie calculators, fill in all the fields, and have your daily requirement calculated with just one click.
Now you know the amount of calories you should not exceed to maintain your weight. Note, however, that this is only an average value. On days when you are particularly active, your daily requirement may be significantly higher.
In addition, slight deviations are possible depending on the muscle and fat composition of your body. Muscle cells burn more energy than fat cells. Your genes and dietary habits can also influence your actual daily requirements. However, the deviations are negligible.
How big should the calorie deficit be in order to lose weight healthily?
Next, we determine the necessary calorie deficit to lose weight. It depends on how fast you want to get rid of the extra kilos. To lose one kilogram of body weight, you need to save a total of 7,000 kcal. Most studies recommend not saving more than 300-500 kcal per day in order to lose weight sustainably and healthily.
This way you lose about 0.3 to 0.5 kg per week. But before the arrogance grabs you, and you possibly disturb your metabolism with too high a calorie deficit, remember: the path to the dream weight is a marathon, not a sprint.
So that you also know how many calories you consume daily, nutrition trackers can be helpful companions, especially at the beginning. You can easily get many of them on your smartphone as an app. By recording your meals, you will learn a lot about your eating habits. You'll be amazed at the calorie traps hidden in your daily foods.
With a healthy breakfast for a feel-good weight
Now that you know the feel-good weight strategy, we want to give you another tip: Start your day with a nutritious and healthy breakfast. The goal should be to stay full for a long time and have enough energy to last until lunch without a snack. A secret trick to save calories, so to speak.
Porridge is particularly suitable . The oats in the hot breakfast porridge contain a large amount of fiber and provide your body with long-chain carbohydrates. In addition, the grain swells in the stomach and thus ensures a long-lasting feeling of fullness.
Basic recipe: oatmeal
Ingredients
- 250 ml milk or a plant-based alternative for vegans (oat milk, almond milk, soy milk,...)
- 50 g oatmeal (grams of oatmeal)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tsp agave syrup optional
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon of your choice
Preparation
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Boil the oatmeal with the pinch of salt and the sweetener of your choice in the milk or plant-based drink (preferably with constant stirring). Cooking the cereal flakes only with hot water is also a possible variant.
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Let the porridge steep for 3 minutes.
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Empty the porridge into a bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.
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Enjoy!
