How do you lose a kilogram of your weight, and how many calories do you need per day according to your body? The answer we have in this comprehensive article on slimming and calories.

Losing weight is a calculation. You have to burn more calories than you consume food and drink, as the body is forced to burn the difference from the fat stored in your body.

In the natural state, we eat calories equal to what our bodies burn, and in this case there is a balance and therefore your weight does not increase or decrease.

If you eat more than you burn, your excess body calories will be stored as fat in your body in the rumen, thighs and various parts of the body, so that if the weight gain is large then your face will increase in size as well.

But if you consumed fewer calories than you burn daily, the body will compensate for the difference by using the fat stored in your body and converting it to energy, and therefore your weight will decrease.

Exercise is important, of course, but the pivot is that you eat less than it burns.

fuel

Calories make up the fuel for your body, and the body uses them to perform everything, from delicate internal cellular processes through sitting and sleeping, to running and lifting weights.

The kilogram of fat stored in your body is equivalent to about 7,700 calories, which means that to lose one kilogram of your weight you have to make the energy balance equal to negative 7700 calories.

For example, suppose your daily needs are 2500 calories, and if you eat 1400 calories a day, this means that you will have a negative energy balance of 1100 calories per day, and within a week you will lose one kilogram, because 1100 multiplied in seven days equals 7700 calories.

If you cut 500 calories from your daily diet, you will lose one kilogram over two weeks.

Is it possible to lose one kilogram per week?

Yes, but this varies according to each person and body, and the weight with which it started, levels of activity and nutrition in addition to other factors such as stress and hormonal fluctuations.

On the other hand, it is not recommended to lose more than one kilogram per week, as rapid weight loss may mean that you do not follow reasonable and sustainable eating habits, as it may lead to burning muscles instead of fats.

Can you lose one kilogram without exercising?

Yes, it depends on mathematics as mentioned above. The problem here is that quick or no weight loss may result in the body losing a large amount of muscle, instead of fat. And you need muscles and do not want to lose them.

And when you lose muscle, your body will flabby, and the calories you burn will decrease, making it more difficult to lose weight.

On the other hand, exercise maintains your muscles and helps keep your body tight and does not cause flabs, in addition to its health benefits such as improving mental health, maintaining the heart and blood vessels, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, maintaining sexual ability and other benefits.

What are your personal caloric needs?

The amount of energy the body needs daily depends on a large number of factors such as movement, age and also sex. So our energy needs vary from person to person, but between different times and ages.

German dietician Sara Raminger said that men and women have different energy requirements because of the difference in the composition of their bodies, so men usually have a higher muscle mass and a lower percentage of body fat. And because muscles consume more calories, men need more energy.

The role of members

For its part, German therapeutic nutritionist Ania Bossi-Westfal explained that organs - such as the liver and brain - also play an important role, as they determine the greater part of the metabolic rate.

Although organs make up only about 6% of their body weight, they are responsible for 70% of energy consumption during rest.

Energy consumption in old age decreases because muscle mass and excess fat are decreased, and organs also shrink somewhat.

The importance of movement

Movement also falls within the important factors. If a person sits at his desk throughout the day, he consumes low energy and therefore must eat a small amount of food.

If the movement increases, then there will be high energy requirements and a high energy conversion rate, so food can be eaten in a greater amount.

Total metabolic rate

To calculate the total metabolic rate, one needs a baseline metabolic rate and a metabolic rate with physical effort, knowing that the basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy that the body needs during rest.

As a basic metabolic rate, the body needs one calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. For example: a person who weighs 70 kilograms needs a basal metabolic rate of 1680 calories (times 70 times 24).

The metabolic rate with physical exertion, also known as the "Physical Activity Level" (PAL), means the amount of energy that the body needs during activity and movement.

And the rate of metabolism is determined with physical effort as follows:

Those who sit at the office often get a rate between 1.4 and 1.5.

Whoever exercises strenuous exercise four to five times per week gets a rate between 1.6 and 1.7.

To calculate the total metabolic rate, i.e. the amount of daily energy, the basic metabolic rate is multiplied by the metabolism rate with physical effort, for example: a person who weighs 70 kilograms and sits at the office mostly needs a daily energy amount of 2,352 or 2520 calories (the product of 1680 in 1.4 or 1.5).

As a more easily guiding value, people of normal weight can calculate their total metabolic rate by multiplying their body weight by 30, and accordingly a person who weighs 70 kilograms needs 2,100 calories per day.

Tips to cut calories you eat daily:

  • Record what you eat and how much. You can use paper or smartphone apps. And when you record what you eat, you will be aware of your food and more able to control it.
  • Eat a smaller portion of foods, for example, use a small plate that only accommodates one cup of rice instead of a large plate with four cups.
  • Remove sugar from your drinks, such as tea and coffee.
  • Avoid sodas and juices until they are natural, as they are high in sugar.
  • Eat low-fat dairy options.
  • Drink more water, 8-12 cups a day.
  • Eat slowly, and the longer it takes to chew your food, the less you will eat.
  • Focus on vegetables and fruits, and on whole foods such as brown bread, as it provides you with dietary fiber that helps you feel full.