Do we eat to live or do we live to eat? That’s the question. Typically, people prefer to get satisfaction from their meals both physically and socially. Yet, eating is just a part of the process. We consume so-called calories with food or drinks, and then we need to deal with them somehow. That is, get energy from them and use it for our body’s sake.

The idea of calories isn’t new, yet, in recent decades, it has become a real mess for those who try to live healthy. Most diets are based on calorie calculation, and today, even people who are not engaged in HLS routines, often ask: how many calories should I burn a day? The question is not simple, by the way. Thus, we decided to focus on its main aspects to provide you with a clear, easy to comprehend, and, at the same time, comprehensive answer about calorie-burning processes, what impacts them, and which activities help you with it.

What are calories and why do we calculate their consumption?

At the scientific level, calories are a recognized unit of measurement of energy delivered from food. In terms of physics, 1 calorie is the amount of energy required to heat one gram of water by 1 ºC. There are 1,000 calories in one kilocalorie (kcal).

This measuring unit was picked by medical specialists and nutritionists not occasionally. When we eat, we consume energy that carbs, proteins, and fats consist of. When we get this energy, we use it for multiple purposes. Some part is used for survival goals, and the rest can be used for building new cells and restoration of the body. If there is extra energy, our bodies tend to make deposits – that’s an evolution trick which comes far from the past when striving was quite widespread, and a human being needed a mechanism of saving energy for starvation periods. In times of food abundance, this mechanism became a real mess as it still works but now the deposits are not needed, and they result in weight gain and more severe issues, like obesity.

So, scientists decided to use calories to calculate precisely how much energy our bodies need to survive, and their decision further was picked up by nutritionists, coaches, and other specialists engaged in HLS and beauty industries.

Some stats about calories we consume daily

Let’s get some stats and figures to understand the whole idea of calorie consumption and burning:

  • According to the data by FAO, the minimum energy required for survival is called the basal metabolic rate. Its value for adult women of normal weight is about 1,330 kcal, and for adult men of normal weight, it is approximately 1,680 kcal.
  • WHO claims that in 2022, 2.5 billion adults (age 18+) around the world were overweight, while World Obesity Federation estimates, that obesity was diagnosed in 770 million adults by 2020.
  • The interest in calorie calculation led to the creation of special calorie calculators and even the open-source USDA National Nutrient Database.

As you can see, some figures look dramatic, and there are several reasons why in the XXI century, humanity requires clear calorie-burning methods to maintain a healthy weight. Which are they?

  • With the development of technologies, particularly in AG, food becomes more diverse, it is provided in abundance.
  • At once, food producers implement technologies for food preservation, taste improvements, and nutrition qualities which increase the levels of obesity. Just look at any type of semi-produced food from a fridge – it’s overflowing with colorants, harmful fats, and carbs.
  • The lifestyle of a considerable part of humanity doesn’t suppose any relaxation when consuming food. People simply have no time to stop and eat mindfully, they have no time to burn the energy they got from food (especially comfort food or fast food) in a healthy and balanced way.

That’s why today, calculating the calories you get with your meals is only one part of your HLS. Consideration of how to burn the energy you consume, is another.

What Impacts Your Calorie-Burning Efficiency

There are numerous features which impact your daily calorie-burning activity. Let’s count some of them.

1. Your metrics. Your current age, weight, and condition of your digestive tract matter when we talk about calorie burning. Even your hormonal balance impacts it. We call the process of calorie-burning metabolism. That’s how our body digests food, extracts energy from its components, and processes this energy. For example, men typically have a faster metabolism than women, at young age, you process calories faster than in seniors. That is natural and you need to take it into account when you try to burn calories efficiently.

2. Your lifestyle. That refers not only to your physical activity but to your work, leisure time, etc. If you are working hard and you are engaged in physical work, you need more calories than if you are a freelance journalist, yet, you burn them faster. Also, your daily habits should be considered. If you prefer to take long walks in the fresh air, you are engaged in gardening, sports, or any active leisure, you may burn calories more efficiently than people who train in yoga once a week and all the rest free time is spent sitting on their sofas.

3. Your eating habits also impact the process. Although various foods can contain a similar number of calories, their processing varies depending on the type and quality of that food. For example, your chicken breast grilled with vegetables and herbs consists of an app. 241 calories per serving. Yet, a piece of creamy cake can consist of the same calories, but your body may process it differently because in a chicken breast, you get protein and fiber which are required for your digestion and muscle tissue building while a piece of cake provides you with more sugars/carbs and fats which can be burnt into energy but they do not provide you either with protein or with fiber.

So, as you can see, when you decide on how many calories to burn daily, you should consider these features beforehand.

The main goals you may pursue when tracking your calories burnt

The next step to follow is the goal you set for your calorie-burning activity. Typically, an average calories number per day is from 1,600 to 2,400 for women, and from 2,000 to 3,000 for men. Yet, this number is just a peak of an iceberg.

The main principle of calorie burning is to burn the same amount of calories as we consume daily. Yet, it may vary for different goals and weight conditions.

Weight loss: how a correct amount of calories burnt impacts this goal

The most common reason to consider calories burning levels is weight loss as a goal. In this case, the basic principle sounds like that: you should burn more than you get daily. This results in burning fat deposits your body made before, and thus, you lose weight. So, it is better to shorten your calorie consumption and increase your activity.

Maintaining normal weight – the principles of healthy lifestyle and eating

In people with normal weight, there is no reason either to overeat or to overtrain, Thus, they can simply maintain the balance: the more you eat, the more you have to burn. Average calorie number per day that we indicated above also suits this goal to adhere to.

Weight gaining goals – how to achieve them without overeating

Some people need weight gain to feel good. If your weight is beyond the norm, you need to gain it to remain active and healthy. In this case, you need a high-calorie diet to burn less calories than you consume, Yet, here is a fly in ointment. The quality of food you get calories from matters a lot. For healthy and consistent weight gain, you need a balanced menu with proteins, carbs, and fats. Thus, overeating with pizza and burgers is not a good idea.

Physical Exercises: Which of Them Are the Most Effective for Burning Calories

When it comes to burning calories, the first thing that comes to mind is a good workout. That’s true because physical activity is a must for burning calories. The best types of training for calorie burning are as follows:

  • Jogging. The simplest exercise was our predecessor’s routine as they were hunters. When you run or jog, you burn calories consistently. Just remember that maintaining a temp and speed is a must.
  • Swimming is also a great calorie burner. When you swim, your whole body is engaged in the activity, and all muscles work because you have to overcome the water’s resistance which provides you with more energy spending than ever. Besides, it’s simply pleasant. The same, by the way, refers to aqua fitness exercises.
  • Cardio training is also good. Active exercises like dancing, step training, or zumba stimulate the cardiovascular system and help the body to get more oxygen into the blood, and this boosts energy consumption and, thus, burns calories.
  • Cycling is one more type of exercise you can use. Moreover, if it is possible, you can use your bicycle instead of buses, cars, or the subway to get around the city. That’s a win-win option to burn calories while getting to your office or home.

What Else to Do to Effectively Burn Your Energy

You shouldn’t think that only sports help burn calories. There are some more activities you can use.

  • Intelligence work is energy-consuming. Thus, if you think hard, study, or simply read something you also burn calories, namely, 320 calories per day.
  • Household routines also help burn calories, and if you add some garden work to them, they will be even more effective.
  • Laughing and being in a positive mood are also good calorie burners. So, take this into account.

Healthy Eating Ideas: Which Products Help Burn Calories Instead of Depositing Them in Fats

Besides all that we mentioned above, consider what you eat. Do you know that some meals can burn more calories than they provide you with? These are so-called negative calorie foods. Saying briefly, these products are the total fiber that our digestion can hardly consume, Yet, they are useful and they are a must for healthy eating. So, to burn some calories while eating, you can use them too. Which are these negative calorie foods?

  • Salad and green vegetables;
  • Pineapple;
  • Grapefruit;
  • Celery;
  • Cabbage and its types.

All of them are healthy and nutritious, and they help you burn calories.

The Secret Is In the Balance! Making Brief Conclusions About How Many Calories To Burn Daily

As you can see, you need to consider your personal features to calculate the calories to burn daily. If you have no weight-related issues, you can burn the same number as you eat – typically, about 2,000 calories daily. If you have extra weight, you need to consume less and burn more. That’s the basic principle. And if you lack weight, the situation changes and vice versa.

Just remember that ways of calorie burning are diverse, and you should use those that bring you pleasure and increase your life satisfaction. That’s the secret of balance!

So, you can see that a scientific approach to your nutrition routines helps achieve the goal you set when deciding to calculate calorie consumption and burn them efficiently. Besides, it’s essential to maintain your life balance which refers not only to eating and training routines but also to diverse activities you should include in your schedule. Just remember that your life satisfaction levels also play a great role in your metabolism, and it’s crucial to maintain them high to get a positive impact on the body and push it to normal calorie consumption. As for the eating, do not forget that maintaining a diverse, healthy, and thought-out menu is a must and 95 Nutrition may help you with this!