What is a kilocalorie in nutrition? What are calories

Strict calorie control today is an incredibly popular thing, because taking care of yourself, going on diets, losing excess weight gym– not just fashionable, but very fashionable. The fight against mysterious calories is being waged on all fronts. They are carefully and scrupulously calculated, they are persistently and purposefully spent... True, sometimes no less mysterious kilocalories appear on the scene, which add intrigue and further confuse those actively losing weight. What is the difference between calories and kilocalories? Let's try to figure it out.

Definition

Calorie– a unit of measurement of the energy value of food, as well as a unit of measurement of energy and work.

Kilocalorie– one thousand calories (by analogy with gram and kilogram, meter and kilometer).

Comparison

It's actually quite simple. A kilocalorie consists of one thousand calories. And calories measure energy, including heat. For this purpose, there is also a unit of measurement called the joule. Perhaps not everyone remembers the school physics course, but meanwhile 1 calorie is equal to 4.18 joules. True, the name joule is used more and more often in scientific works. But the calorie content is indicated on food products. It is worth considering that a calorie shows the amount of energy required to heat one gram of water by one degree Celsius. But today the calorie is used as an understandable equivalent to the energy value of foods.

And here again confusion arises, because energy value Almost all products are quite large and measured in kilocalories. Therefore, most manufacturers indicate the term “kcal” - “kilocalories” on the product packaging. But there are also products that simply say “calories,” which misleads consumers. Exercise equipment in sports clubs, which indicate the number of calories consumed by the exerciser (although we are talking about kilocalories), are also often “sinned” by incorrect spelling. Namely, a person’s daily diet is usually calculated in kilocalories. It is easier to count in kilocalories, because such values contain fewer zeros.

The chain is as follows: we eat any product, the process of processing energy into heat takes place, which is, relatively speaking, kilocalories. Moreover, according to scientists, 1 gram of carbohydrates, as well as 1 gram of protein, contains four kcal. But 1 gram of fat contains much more kilocalories – as many as nine. That's why in the first place fatty food is the cause of extra grams and even kilograms.

Conclusions website

A calorie is a component of a kilocalorie; one kilocalorie (kcal) contains 1000 calories.
Calories usually indicate the energy value of a product or the loss of “extra” in the gym, and calories are used to calculate a person’s daily diet.

One of the most safe ways Losing weight means counting calories. Some people reject this technique because of its complexity, but it is thanks to this technology that you can quickly and correctly regain your health and normalize your weight.

What are calories and why are they needed? A calorie is a unit of energy produced by the body when digesting food. The calorie intake per day is different for men, women, and children. Scientists have developed several different formulas that can be used to calculate how much the body needs for normal functioning. Everything that is received in excess of the norm is stored in the form of fat. When food intake is normalized by calories, the amount of calories that were in reserve begins to be consumed.

Calories - what are they?

Knowing what calories are, you can adjust your weight. Everyone knows that all foods have some calorie content. This concept refers to the amount of energy that is released by the body when breaking down food. In the classic version, this is a measurement of thermal energy in the form of kilojoules, but for ease of understanding this unit is designated as a calorie: 1 joule is equal to 4.2 kcal.

Energy sources

The main sources of energy are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These are necessary elements for the normal functioning of the body. Each type has a certain amount of energy. For example, one gram of protein and carbohydrates each contain four calories, and one gram of fat contains nine calories. Based on these data, it can be calculated that a kilogram of fat contains 9,000 calories.

So what are calories and what are they for? Calories are a source of energy necessary to maintain the functioning of the body. Armed with any reference book of caloric content of foods, you can calculate how much energy is contained in a particular food product.

How to count calories when losing weight and building muscles? Different goals require different amounts of energy. If when losing weight it is important to eat the amount of calories that are needed to maintain normal life activity and not a gram more, then to gain muscle mass the number of calories obtained from protein foods should be greater.

Energy consumption

Every person who is professionally involved in sports knows what calories are, because it depends on them how successful the training will be.

Any physical activity is expressed in calories. Even at rest, the body needs energy. It supports the functioning nervous system, breathing, work of cardio-vascular system, hearts, etc. At rest, little energy is consumed: this type of consumption is called basal. As a rule, the caloric intake per day for men at rest is about twenty percent less than that of women. With age, a person's energy consumption decreases, as the body's vital processes slow down. In this regard, the required amount of calories that should come from food should be reduced.

Absorption of calories

As mentioned above, a calorie is a unit of energy. However, not all of them immediately turn into energy and are consumed; some go to the depot, being deposited as fat.

Amino acids are formed from protein products, which are immediately used for the normal functioning of the body. People who consume too much protein food experience an enlarged liver and an increase in muscle mass. This is due to the intake of excess amino acids into the body, which need to be placed somewhere.

All carbohydrates, except fiber, are converted into glucose. This is a flammable material, and our body is not able to immediately process the amount of light energy it receives, so it processes carbohydrates, converting them into glycogen, and stores them. The main depots of this substance are muscles and liver.

Fats that enter the body with food are not fully used. Only ten percent is used immediately, and the rest goes into body fat.

Daily calorie intake

Knowing how many calories to consume per day, you can either build muscle mass or lose weight, or you can maintain it in normal condition. This information is necessary for everyone who watches their figure and wants to be slim and maintain their health for many years.

Calorie consumption is individual for each person, but there are average data that can be used to guide you when planning a diet.

The calorie norm for a woman aged eighteen to forty is 2300-2500 kcal/day.
The norm for women aged forty to sixty years is 2000-2300 kcal/day.
The norm for men aged eighteen to forty is 2700-3300 kcal/day.
The norm for men from forty to sixty years old is 2400-3000 kcal/day.

These are average figures for those who do not engage in heavy physical work. Athletes involved in professional sports consume one and a half thousand kcal higher.

Calorie calculation for weight loss

There are many formulas used to calculate daily calorie consumption, but none of them can be accurate, since they do not take into account the individual characteristics of the body. However, there is an option that is suitable for using it for weight loss - this is the Harris-Benedict formula. It looks like this:

Women's basal metabolic rate = 9.99 x weight in kg + height in cm - 4.92 x age - 161.
Basal metabolic rate in men = 9.99 x weight in kg + 6.25 x height in cm - 4.92 x age + 5.

Calorie calculation coefficient

For minimal physical activity, a multiplier of 1.2 is used.
When doing fitness three times a week, the coefficient is 1.375.
Fitness classes five times a week - 1.4625.
Intense physical activity at least five times a week - 1.550.
Daily fitness classes - 1.6375.
Playing sports every day - 1.725.
Physical work and intense physical activity - 1.9.

The result obtained is the daily calorie consumption that will occur during a particular type of activity. To lose weight, you need not only to know how to count calories, but to create a deficit of the amount consumed by ten percent of the norm. If you need to build muscle mass, you should add ten percent to the amount received.

Those who want to maintain their weight at the same level are advised to leave the figure unchanged.

At heavy weight, when you need to get rid of thirty or more kilograms, the calculation for losing weight is carried out with a deficit of twenty percent. Maintaining a deficit of more than twenty percent can negatively affect your overall well-being.

To lose weight or gain muscle, you need to keep track of your food calories. A diary will help with this, where you should write down everything you eat. Moreover, every meal should be recorded, even the spoon that is tasted when preparing food should be taken into account in the diary. By monitoring your diet, you can know how many calories came in and how many the body did not receive. These “uneaten” calories add up to your lost weight. For example, if you were undernourished by 300 calories per day, you can lose about a kilogram of weight in a month with this type of malnutrition. This is safe and reliable weight loss.

To be sure of the amount you eat, you need to have a scale. Determining the weight of products “by eye” is always incorrect, and moreover. With this approach, the calculations will be incorrect, which means you may not get the result.

When calculating calories, it is important to take into account each food item you eat, and it is better to download a smartphone application and use it before eating something. This will help determine how many calories are in an orange, banana, buckwheat or other product.

To be sure that the amount of calories received is exactly what you need, it is recommended to think through the menu for the week in advance, purchasing all the necessary products. Some even sign what they will cook and on what day. For convenience, the weekly menu can be hung on the refrigerator: this way it will always be at hand.

Before preparing a dish, you need to weigh the food. For example, the calorie content of raw and boiled rice will be different. This should be taken into account and, before consuming the product, it should be weighed again: fruits are weighed without the core, chicken without skin and bones, etc.

Little tricks

There are situations when you want to eat something sweet or harmful to your figure. To make this possible, you should leave a small corridor of two hundred kilocalories for tomorrow. It can be filled by eating candy, although it is healthier and better to eat a piece of dark chocolate, which has fewer calories than other types of candy.

The last recommendation for those who want to get rid of extra pounds: you need to believe in yourself and always count calories. As soon as you stop calculating, the weight will gradually begin to return, because people do not know moderation when it comes to food, especially today, when there is a huge amount of different goodies on the shelves, and people’s work is associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Previously, people moved more, ate less, did exercises, but now there are cafes and bistros on every corner where you can snack on sandwiches and other tasty, but very unhealthy dishes.

What are calories? You will find out the answer to the question below. In addition, in the materials of this article you will find information about how many calories contain elements necessary for the body such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

What are calories?

Calories are a measure of the body's energy supply. As you know, every person’s body contains reserves of this energy, which are stored in the form of fats and carbohydrates.

What are calories needed for? Our body uses them for a huge number of different functions. Such reserves are essential for breathing, pumping blood, working and resting, physical exercise and even sleep. In addition, the energy entering us plays an important role at the cellular level. So, thanks to it, our cells grow, divide, and restore.

Rule of weight loss

What are calories? Almost every person who wants to lose weight knows the answer to this question. After all, if you consume a lot of calories and use very little, the remaining amount is stored in the body as fat (just in case). This is why people who overeat and do not exercise are often overweight. And to lose weight, they only need to burn more calories than they consume.

Where do calories come from?

Having learned what calories are, a new question arises: where do they come from? Experts answer it quite simply. There are 6 classes of substances found in food: fats, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water. And only the first 3 of them are able to provide the body with calories or energy.

So, let's take a closer look at what the calorie content of the dishes and products that we eat every day can be. To do this you need to know the following values:

1 g of fat is 9 calories;
1 g of protein is 4 calories;
1 g of carbohydrates is 4 calories.

By the way, alcohol also contains calories. But alcohol is not nutritious product. This is why it cannot promote cell repair, growth or restoration. This is a kind of toxin that acts as some source of energy that is converted into fat. Thus, 1 g of alcohol contains about 7 calories.

How is energy stored in the body?

The functions of each calorie are to provide nutrition to cells and organs. Thus, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which replenishes the energy needs of the human body. Excess is stored as glycogen, essential for long-term needs as well as brain function. Compared to fat reserves, carbohydrate reserves are small (about 300-400 g). It is stored in the liver and muscles.

It should be recalled that the calorie content of dishes and products is determined not only by the content of carbohydrates in them, but also by the presence of an element such as proteins. They are used as cell construction and repair material. Although, with a carbohydrate deficiency, proteins can also act as the main source of energy. With such a long process, the body may well be poisoned by the products of its breakdown. Therefore, it is highly not recommended to use protein diets. By the way, excess of this element is also stored in the form of adipose tissue.

Despite all the similarities nutrients, some of them can supply the body large quantity calories than others. But in any case, if there is an excess of them, a person will definitely observe excess fat deposits.

Calorie norm

Human energy needs are much more important than all other needs. After all, the minimum amount of energy that the body needs to live includes such basic body functions as cellular metabolism, respiration, blood circulation, temperature control and glandular activity. The amount of calories consumed per day depends on a person’s age, gender, body constitution, sleep, quality of nutrition and even climate.

The amount of energy required to maintain normal functioning of the body at rest is calculated as follows: 1 calorie per 1 kg of human weight per hour. After some calculations, we can safely conclude that the minimum calories per day for an adult should be at least 1200 units for women and 1500 for men.

Popular weight loss scheme

How many calories should you eat to lose weight? This question is very often asked by representatives of the fairer sex who strive to achieve eternal harmony. We presented the minimum for an adult a little higher. However, these figures are only true for an organism at rest. After all, with prolonged and active physical work, a person needs more energy. That is why you should definitely take this fact into account in your calculations.

Of course, the most in a simple way Losing weight means significantly limiting the number of calories that enter the body with food. But in pursuit of “quick” slimness, some ladies completely refuse to eat and begin to starve. And this is a big mistake. Why? The answer is just below.

Let's go on a hunger strike!

The fact is that our body has developed very complex defense mechanisms. As soon as a person refuses food, his body begins to use up fat reserves. But this happens only up to a certain point. Since it is a valuable reserve intended for the most last resort, after a few days the body stops using it and begins to waste muscle. And, as you know, it is from them that most internal organs consist.

Consequences of the hunger strike

In the hope of losing weight by fasting, a person can harm himself physically. After all, when the number of incoming calories becomes minimal, the body immediately reacts to this and tries to conserve energy by lowering the metabolic rate, but at the same time preserving fat tissue. Thus, fasting leads to minor weight loss. Moreover, such strict diet contributes to the emergence of health problems (digestive tract disorders, gallstones, gout, cardiac complications).

The most high-calorie foods

As mentioned above, the norms for the consumption of carbohydrates, fats and proteins depend on the physical activity of a particular person. The following indicators have been established in our country:

proteins - about 65-70 g per day;
fats - approximately 70-80 g per day;
carbohydrates - about 280-360 g per day.

Of course, it is quite difficult to calculate the calories consumed each time. In this regard, experts advise simply remembering which foods are the most “energy-rich”:

pork, lamb, beef, bacon, duck and goose;
pastries, sweets, chocolate, waffles, ice cream, cakes;
margarine, butter and vegetable oil;
wheat bread, homemade baking(pies, pies, pancakes), dried biscuits, gingerbreads;
semolina, oatmeal, rice porridge;
boiled and smoked sausages, frankfurters, small sausages;
canned food (fish, meat);
homemade marinades and pickles;
salmon, trout, pink salmon, herring;
caviar;
hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds;
fried eggs and omelet;
beets, potatoes;
cheeses, sweet curds, milk (the calories of these products depend on their fat content);
bananas, grapes;
all dried fruits, especially dates and raisins;
milkshakes, cocoa, store-bought juices, coffee, carbonated drinks;
alcohol (vodka, beer, liquor and others).

Combination of incongruous

Nowadays it is very fashionable to lead separate meals. And this trend came to us for a reason. After all, experts say that the most high-calorie dishes are those that contain a large number of nutrients such as carbohydrates and fats. That is why different confectionery, which very often includes culinary, animal, as well as sugar and its substitutes, pose the first danger not only to the figure, but also to human health. In this regard, all nutritionists advise their clients to completely refuse high-calorie bakery and confectionery products.

Let's sum it up

In this article, we gave you the definition of a calorie, talked about its role in the body, and ways to lose weight. Thus, we can safely conclude that the energy entering our body along with food is not an enemy that must be fought in the name of beauty and harmony. However, eating too much of high-calorie foods can really harm our body. That is why, when sitting down at the dinner table, you should remember that everything is good, but in moderation. Only in this case will you maintain both health and an attractive appearance until old age.

What's happened calories? A calorie is just a unit of measurement: the amount of heat required to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius. To live (move, breathe, think), a person needs energy. Even in a state of rest, our body needs energy to maintain vitality. important functions: work of the heart, nervous system, etc. We get it from food. The number of calories in a food is a measure of how much energy it contains. For example, one gram of carbohydrates = 4 kcal; one gram of protein = 4 kcal; one gram of fat = 9 kcal. If you know how much protein, fat and carbohydrates a product contains, you can determine how many calories (energy) you will get by eating it.

Different people need different amounts to maintain vitality. calories. It is important to remember that our body is a very complex mechanism and there is no universal formula for everyone. Depending on height, gender, age, weight and level of physical activity, this figure may decrease or increase. On average, an adult needs 1800–2500 kcal per day, and an athlete needs 3500 kcal. The word “necessary” means that a certain amount of energy must enter the body. Metabolism is affected by internal processes in the body and your emotional state, as well as temperature environment and a number of other external factors. What happens when you use more calories what do you spend? Excess calories of any origin can lead to excess weight. The body will use as much as it needs, and the rest, approximately one third of the daily norm, will be “set aside.”

If you consume exactly that much calories how much you burn, and if we are talking only about weight, then the composition of the products does not play such a big role. One calorie is one calorie, regardless of its origin. A calorie from protein is no different from a calorie from fat - it's just a unit of energy. And as long as you spend the same amount of energy as you eat, your weight will be stable. If you start spending more, the weight will decrease. Another thing, when it comes to the nutritional value of foods, a beautiful body and simply health, there is great importance, from what sources (products) calories come. The better and more completely the food is digested, the more energy remains for cell renewal, and, consequently, for the whole body.

One of the most common myths is that the number of fat cells does not change throughout life, and those who have more of these cells get fat. In fact, fat cells are capable of multiplying quite actively! In thin people, the number of fat cells varies from 41 to 65 million, in obese people - from 200 million. The diameter of the fat cell changes (from 70 to 120 microns) and as soon as it outgrows it, a new one is formed. Fat cells almost never die and “remember” everything. And if, no matter for what reason, you were once overweight and then lost weight, there is a high probability of returning to your previous weight.

Do you want to get rid of three or four extra pounds? First of all, you need to thoroughly review your diet and adjust it so that it is aimed at constant fat burning. To do this, you need to exclude “empty” calories from your diet, giving preference to useful products. To the "empty" calories include all simple carbohydrates (sweets, cookies, white bread, carbonated drinks), saturated fats and trans fats (lard, butter, fatty sour cream, donuts, fast food, chips). Useful calories You will find in complex carbohydrates (vegetables, cereals, brown rice, legumes, whole grain bread, fruits) and unsaturated fats (fatty fish, nuts, olive and linseed oil). You should eat 5-6 times a day in small portions, and drink at least 8 cups of plain boiled or mineral (still) water. Thus, to lose weight, you simply need to reduce your daily calorie intake, but you must remember that it should be at least 1200 kcal. You can consume a reduced amount of calories without harming the body for no more than two weeks. Then you should move on to a normal calorie diet.

A balanced diet should consist of 11-13% protein; from fats by 25-30% and from carbohydrates by 60-80%.

Armed with this data, as well as data on the calorie content of the product, you can easily calculate how many calories you consume over a certain period of time. The caloric content of the diet should correspond to the tasks of the day: if you are losing weight, this is one diet, if you decide to build muscles, another, if you just stick to healthy eating- third. Any type of activity is also expressed in calories. The amount of energy consumed at rest is called basal metabolism (in women it is 10-15% lower than in men). It should be noted that with age, basal metabolism slows down. This is due to a decrease in muscle mass and a decrease in the biological activity of the body. However, cutting calories is only the first step to weight loss. If you want to achieve the best results, then combine a balanced diet prepared by a nutritionist with regular physical activity!

Healthy selfishness forces us to constantly monitor our appearance and conform. Instagram bloggers organize marathons against, self-proclaimed nutritionists suggest creating a menu with a calorie deficit for instant results, and various applications signal you if you exceed the daily requirement of kilojoules. At the same time, few people think about what calories are and whether they need to be so closely monitored in order to lose weight. ELLE answers on their quantity and quality.

What it is?

From a physics textbook we know that calories are the amount of heat that allows one gram of water to be heated by one degree Celsius at standard atmospheric pressure. The average person is rarely interested in how much heat his body absorbs, and calories themselves did not enter our lives to surround us with warmth. Calories in 1990 became part of the US government's labeling plan, requiring manufacturers to write the calorie content of products and their composition on all packages in order to combat the problem of excess weight in the country. Much later, in 2008, New York restaurants began to indicate the energy value of dishes on the menu, and a few years later, in the wake of popularity, people began to carefully calculate the calorie content of their diet and avoid certain foods. Essentially, calories lost their original meaning and became worst enemy.

Why shouldn't you count calories?

There are several formulas for calculating your daily calorie intake. But all these calculations and close monitoring of the number of calories do not guarantee that you will actively lose weight. This system does not take into account energy expenditure for digestion: digesting different foods consumes different amounts of calories. Simply put, we gain weight not from the number of calories, but from what we eat. 300 kcal of avocado is not the same as 300 kcal of chocolate.

There is also confirmed evidence that different components spend different amounts of calories on digestion. Fat is digested the fastest, then carbohydrates, and worst of all - proteins. The higher the proportion of protein in food, the higher the costs of digestion. A 1987 study found that people whose diets were high in fat experienced the same weight gain as those who ate nearly five times as many calories in the form of carbohydrates.

Another argument in favor of abandoning useless calculations: it’s not only the chemical composition product, but also its physical state. The cost of digesting raw food is much higher than the cost of boiled or fried food.

When do calories matter?

Nowadays, store shelves are bursting with an abundance of products, and the central streets of the city are filled with cafes and restaurants, so it’s not so easy to control yourself. And if intuitive eating is synonymous with a superpower for you, then calculating calories will help you control yourself. But if you really care about what you eat, then you should pay more attention to the choice of foods, and not to their energy value.