How to Work Out Your Calories
- by Martin Kimberley
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- 08 Oct, 2018
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These Simple Formulas will help you figure out how much you should be eating
Following on from the blog I posted a couple of weeks ago (if you haven't you can read it yet, head over to www.liverpoolstrengthco.co.uk/A-Successful-Nutrition-Strategy and do that first), we’re going to dive into how to get a little more specific, and get closer to that all important goal you’ve got!
Right, so we’ve downloaded myfitnesspal
And have been tracking for a couple of weeks now
Now that we’re used to tracking, have been super consistent and accurate with it, and have got a rough idea of how much we’re actually eating.
We now need to work out how much we need to be eating, given our goal.
The first things to think about when working out our calories for our goal are:
1. How active are we at the moment?
2. What our body composition is at the moment?
There are good reasons for both of these:
Firstly, it’s always better to increase your daily activity, rather than lower your calories so that you feel like you’re effectively starving yourself .
And secondly, if if you’re a little on the skinny side, and your body fat levels are already fairly low, it won’t serve you well to cut your calories.
You should aim to be adding lean muscle mass to your body so eating slightly more will be the best place to start.
On the flip side, if you’re on the larger side, and are carrying larger amounts of body fat, it won’t be a good idea for you to increase your calorie intake.
Increasing your food intake, is only going to end with increased body fat levels, which only serve to further frustrate you!
*Side note - if you’re currently making progress from ‘just tracking’ thats awesome! But there will come a point when your progress slows, and it’s at this point that we’ll need to get a little more specific about what we need to do.
OK, now we’ve had a little think about where we’re at currently, we’re going to look into the different requirements of calorie intake:
Now these vary from person to person, depending on age, height, sex & current body composition, but i’m going to give an example of what each one can look like.
1st up - Basal Metabolic rate (BMR) Calories
BMR calories are the ones that keep us alive.
They are the ones that are used when you are resting in order to keep vital functions such as breathing and internal organs functioning.
The rate your body uses the energy (Calories) to breath and stay warm is a good example of your BMR.
This is the first calorie amount we need to know, as we need to know how much to eat to in order to stay alive, which is pretty important. . . . . .
There are loads of fancy different ways to work out these calories, but it’s worth pointing out here that no matter how fancy the calculation, no matter what it takes into account, will not be 100% accurate, and will differ from person to person.
Remember, we’re trying to keep everything as simple as possible, as these are things that will make the biggest difference.
However, a great estimate of BMR calories (what you need just to stay alive) is your body weight in kilos times by 18-20
So using myself as an example, an 85 kilo bloke, my BMR calories would be in the region of between 1530 and 1700.
2nd - A Calorie Deficit
A calorie deficit is the process of taking in slightly less calories than our body needs for the purpose of reducing body fat levels.
We can also achieve a bigger deficit through generally being more active.
Now that we know how much we need to eat just to stay alive, we have to take into account the movements we make with the standard day to day tasks we have to do.
This is why we need to use a slightly different formula, again remember that no formula will 100% accurately calculate a calorie deficit, but again we’re using educated estimates to work these out.
And a great formula to calculate fat loss is body weight in kilos times by 24-26
Again using myself as an example my estimated deficit would be between 2040 and 2210.
3rd - A Calorie Surplus
A calorie surplus is the process of eating more calories than our bodies needs for the purpose of increasing our muscle mass.
If our goal is to pack on size, we need to use another slightly different formula to be in the right range to increase that muscle size
The formula for a surplus is bodyweight in kilos times by 37-39
And using myself as an example, my estimated surplus would be between 3145 and 3315.
Getting a little more specific will not only help you continue to make progress when you start to stall, but having tracked consistently for 28 days or more will make it easier to transition to having a much more focused calorie target.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER:
- Take some photos before you start, and after 28 days, if you’re not heading towards the goal you want, something needs to change, it may not be your calorie amount, it will usually be your daily activity levels.
- Be as accurate as you possibly can be when tracking, if you’re not sure how many calories is in something, estimate it. It’s always better to track something than nothing at all.
- Don’t stress out if you go over your calories on one single day, over eating on one day never made anyone get fat, and under eating on one single day never made anyone get skinny! Be as consistent as possible.
- Remember it’s going to take some time, so BE PATIENT!
I’d love to hear your comments on the above article, have you put it into practice? And did it help you?
Alternatively, did it confuse the hell out of you?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
Training and nutrition can be an absolute minefield, we’re here to make it as simple as possible.
So if you are confused, then why not get in touch with us and see how we can help you make sense of it all.
From food tracking, to training in the gym, to daily activity and the rest.
Head over to:
www.liverpoolstrengthco.co.uk/get-started
Speak to you soon
In the dimly lit comedy club, amidst the laughter, clinking of glasses, and low level murmur of conversations, a familiar face stepped up to the microphone — our very own Danny from the gym.
As he began to spin tales and crack jokes, it dawned on me: comedy is a lot like training.
They both share parallels, obviously in slightly different senses, but they are certainly there.
We actually spoke about this afterwards, whilst enjoying a couple of pints of Guinness
But anyway, Danny, with his effortless humour, was a testament to the principle of repetition.
Meet Adam
A guy who decided to flip the script on his lifestyle
and embrace the barbell.
After a few years of no exercise, he strolled into the gym, took a firm grip on a bar, and set his sights on becoming a stronger, healthier version of himself.
Fast forward a couple of years, and Adam had not only found his groove but also a super reliable gym buddy in Colin (AKA Big Col).
Their lifting journey led them to toy with the idea of powerlifting competitions, and the progress they made was incredible!
In around six months, they were winning competitions and on the cusp of national (and international competitions).
But this story isn't about trophies; it's about a journey.
And after a successful team competition, a first dip of the toe into the sport of powerlifting, Adam was on the verge of qualifying for the English Championships and making strides toward the British Championships.
All seemed splendid until his next competition day.
Despite stellar training and perfect prep, something felt off.
His squats faltered, his bench wasn't much better.
and his deadlifts, usually his stronghold, were a struggle.
It was clear - something was amiss.
But Adam's got grit.
He wanted to make it right and pushed through.
In a weird turn of events, he had a hard time with a weight he'd breezed through in training.
After a successful attempt, it was obvious something wasn't right.
He'd got his total.
What he needed to get to the English Championships, but we'd expected a lot more.
Sat in the back room, Adam looked a little dazed, and hazy.
A shiver of concern rippled through both of us.
He stumbled and staggered towards the platform. Panic flashed.
His second attempt, no matter how hard he tried was glued to the floor!
What was going on? It was a mystery.
Adam, undeterred, lined up for one more shot at 207.5kg - a weight he should've handled.
He yanked, it reached his knees, then disaster struck.
He stumbled back, I had to catch him and walk him off the platform.
Turns out, Adam had unknowingly rewritten his story.
All the hard work, weight loss, and gains in fitness had made his blood pressure plummet!
His body was so much fitter and healthier that he no longer needed the high blood pressure meds he'd taken for years.
Adam's doctor revealed he'd achieved the opposite of hypertension - hypotension!
And today, Adam is healthier, stronger, and smashing goals like a champ.
And as a side note, he's been on to compete in the English championships, the British championships, AND he even won a medal at the commonwealth championships over in Canada!
Now, if you're not a fan of old-school cardio, don’t really fancy doing a boatload of burpees, and could think of nothing worse than plodding along on a treadmill then head over HERE , and book your 'No Sweat Intro'.
No gimmicks, no catches, lets just have a conversation about where you're at right now, and where you'd like to be.
A lot like what happened with Adam.
It's time to write your own story.
You won't regret it!
PS - Here's that link again: > N O SWEAT INTRO <