The human body does need calories to be used as energy. However, instead of the spirit of activity, excessive calorie intake can actually make you gain weight. This is because calories will be stored in the body as fat tissue for energy reserves. Therefore, if you are on a diet program, choose low-calorie foods that are still filling.
Calories are units of heat or energy content, aka the amount of energy you get from food and drink. The calories in the food you consume provide energy in the form of heat so that the body can function. So, you could say calories are your body’s fuel.
Calories obtained from food and drink will be converted into energy through metabolic processes. This energy will be used to support the performance and function of various body organs. The remaining calories that are not used, aka not converted into energy, will be stored in the body as fat tissue. fitandfastmeals.com
There are two types of calories, namely small and large calories. Both are differentiated based on the units they have. There are small calories (cal) and large calories (kcal or kilocalories). So, 1 large calorie (1 kcal) is equal to 1,000 small calories (cal). You must have paid attention to the nutrition labels on food and drink packaging. Well, usually what is stated on the packaging is the large calorie unit, aka kcal. For example, a drink is written as having 100 calories. In fact, the drink actually contains 100,000 calories.
How many calories does the body need per day?
You need to know how many calories are in food and drinks so you can control your weight while on a diet. Each person’s calorie needs are different, depending on gender, age, height and weight, and body metabolism. People with certain diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and malnutrition, or people who have high physical activity such as athletes, have different calorie calculations from people in general.
In general, adult men need around 2,000-2,500 calories per day, while adult women need around 1,600-2,000 calories every day. The recommended calorie intake above is an estimate of the average calorie requirements for healthy people with a light level of physical activity, such as office workers.
How to Calculate the Body’s Calorie Needs
The Indonesian Ministry of Health provides a way to calculate the number of calories needed in a very simple way, namely based on gender and height. Previously, you need to understand the concept of calculating calories as follows:
TB= Height (in cm)
BB= Body weight (in kg)
BBI aka Ideal Body Weight = (TB-100)-(10% of TB-100 results)
Men’s Basal Calorie Needs (KKB) = 30 kcal (standard calculation) x BBI
Basal Calorie Needs (KKB) for Women = 25 kcal (standard calculation) x BBI
After understanding the concept of calculating calories above, let’s try to calculate your body’s calorie needs. For example, you are a man with a height of 177 cm and a weight of 65 kg. Start by calculating the Ideal Body Weight (IBW), here’s the calculation:
BBI= (177-100)-(10%-(177-100))
BBI= 77-(10% x 77)
BBI = 77-7.7
BBI = 69.3 kg
KKB Male = 30 kcal x BBI
KKB Male = 30 kcal x 69.3
Men’s KKB = 2,079 kcal per day