Diet Food Calorie Planner

For losing weight, the food intake must not exceed the body’s requirement for energy. Eating more than what the body actually needs, results in the storage of the extra calories in the form of fats, or in the muscle.  

What are calories? 

One calorie is equal to the energy you need to raise the temperature of a gram of water by one-degree celsius. The food calories are kilocalories. So when a foodstuff has 5 calories per gram it means one gram of that food can create energy capable of raising the temperature of one kilo of water by five degrees celsius.

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Counting calories

It is seen that counting calories in food items are an easy way to quantify the energy you get by eating food. If you are planning to go on a diet to lose weight then the diet food calories can be so planned to lose pounds effectively. You can choose nutrition-rich foods with lower calories and avoid high calories foods.

How many calories a person needs depends on

• The size of the person, whether he is small or large
• The kind of life he leads, whether he is a sportsman or an elderly person with a sedentary lifestyle
• The minimum calories required are calculated by the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

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The rate is calculated using the Mifflin-St Joer equations that have the following parameters

• Height of a person in centimeters
• Weight of the person in kilograms
• Age of the person in years
• The BMR for a man is (Weight x 10) + (Height X 6.25) – (Age x 5) +5
• The BMR for a woman is (Weight x 10 )+ (Height x 6.25) – (Age x 5) – 161

There are several sites on the Internet that indicate the calorie intake you need.   When you supply height, weight, BMI (Body Mass Index) and BMI data the calorie calculator will show the daily required calorie intake for you.

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Ideal Weight

With all the figures available you should be able to identify your ideal weight in the following manner

• Set a target weight; if you weight 200 pounds and you want to reduce it to 150 pounds substitute 150 in the place of 200
• Now check whether the BMI is within the optimal range.  The BMI should be a value between 18 and 25
• Calculate the calories for these values. This should be your calorie intake every day to lose weight, reach an ideal weight and maintain it.
• A general measure of calories is that both carbohydrates and proteins usually contain 4 calories per gram and fats contain 9 calories per gram
• You should learn to interpret the nutrition labels on foods in order to determine the calorie intake
• You will find these useful to calculate the calories you need
• Listing of calories for each food type (available on the Internet)
• A basic numerical calculator for the multiplications, additions, and subtractions to calculate the BMR
• A balance or scale to weigh the food you are to consume
• A measuring cup

Related: Glycemic Index Or GI Diet Plan

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Tips for calorie planning for weight loss

• Eat about five small meals and snacks a day rather than two or three large meals
• Always have enough stock of fresh and low-fat foods
• Stay away from mouth-watering pastries, candies, cakes, and pies to maintain your diet plan
• Make smart choices of fruits, vegetables, non-fat milk, lean meat, beans, oats, and whole grains in order to create wholesome, nutritious, and low-calorie meals

Remember that the minimum calorie intake should not go below 1300. A diet that has less than 1300 calories will not contain all the necessary nutrients and a person will not be able to live on such a diet for a long, period without falling ill.

Calorie planning is significant for people who want to eat meals effective in causing weight loss. There are some tools that can help you calculate the calories you need to intake quite accurately. Plan sensible meals that are low in fat and high in nutrition.