Give yourself an optimal calorie budget and recommended energy intake.

**Give yourself an optimal calorie budget.**

The above explains how to identify good and bad foods in weight management. However, the quality of food is relative; the amount consumed is absolute.

From the principle of heat balance, we know that:

**Body:**

**When calorie intake is less than calorie expenditure, weight tends to decrease;**

When calorie intake equals calorie expenditure, weight remains essentially unchanged.

In other words, it doesn't matter if you eat mangoes, steamed buns, or martinis, as long as your calorie intake is less than your calorie expenditure, you will lose weight. However, while theoretically eating only six Marlboro chocolate bars (5768 kJ, 1380 kcal) a day would result in a weight loss of 0.5-1 kg per week, this would be very uncomfortable and wouldn't meet your nutritional needs. The average woman needs around 8360 kJ (2000 kcal) per day. Consuming less than this amount will lead to weight loss, while consuming more will result in weight gain. Consider that a McDonald's Big Mac and large fries contain 4723 kJ (1130 kcal), and you'll understand that you can easily consume twice that amount in a day without even feeling full. The average woman's daily calorie intake is between 5852 and 6688 kJ (1400-1600 kcal), and she can lose about 500 grams per week. Therefore, you must pay attention to the calorie content of the food you eat.

The Chinese Nutrition Society classifies the activity intensity of Chinese residents into three levels: light, moderate, and heavy physical activity. Light physical activity includes activities such as office work, watch repair, and appliance repair; moderate physical activity includes activities such as salespersons, hotel staff, and teachers; and heavy physical activity includes daily activities of students, industrial and agricultural production activities, dance, and competitive sports. The Society also provides representative recommended energy intake values ​​for normal-weight individuals in each age group.

Age (years) Male/Female Weight (kg) RNI (kcal/d) Weight (kg) RNI (kcal/d)

0~66 95kcal/kg

0.5~9995kcal/kg

1~11 10.5 1100 1050

2~13 12.5 1200 1150

3~ 15 14.5 1350 1300

4~ 17 16.5 1450 1400

5~19 18.5 1600 1500

6~ 21 20.5 1700 1600

7~ 24 23 1800 1700

8~ 26.5 25 1900 1800

9~ 29.5 29 2000 1900

10~ 33 31.5 2100 2000

11~ 42 41 2400 2200

14~ 56.5 50 2900 2400

18~ Light physical activity 2400 2100

Moderate physical activity: 63, 56, 2700, 2300

Heavy physical activity 3200 2700

200 pregnant women

wet nurse 500

50~ Light physical activity 2300 1900

Moderate physical activity: 65 58 2600 2000

Heavy physical activity 3100 2200

60~Light physical activity 65 58 1900 1800

Moderate physical activity: 65 58 2200 2000

70~Light physical activity 62 54 1900 1700

Moderate physical activity: 62, 54, 2100, 1900

80~ 57 50 1900 1700

In other words, the optimal calorie budget represents the body's calorie needs during weight loss. When your dietary calorie intake is within the optimal calorie budget, you can generally achieve your weight loss goals.

Generally, if you do light physical labor similar to office work every day and have a normal weight, your optimal daily calorie budget can be roughly calculated as "standard weight × 123-167 kJ/kg" (30-40 kcal/kg), where the basal metabolic rate is basically "standard weight × 84-123 kJ/kg". Therefore, if you are obese, you should calculate it as "standard weight × 84-123 kJ/kg" (20-30 kcal/kg).

For example:

Yan'er, female, 30 years old, 165 cm tall, 80 kg.

Standard weight = 22 × 1.65² = 60 kg

(80-60)/60×100%=+33%, which indicates obesity.

Therefore, the optimal calorie budget is roughly 25 × 60 = 1500 (kcal) = 6270 kJ.

Clinical reference standards for daily energy intake for adults

Labor intensity leads to weight loss, normal weight loss, or obesity.

Heavy physical activity: 45 (188) 40 (167) 35 (146)

Moderate physical activity: 40 (167) 35 (146) 30 (123)

Light physical activity 35 (146) 30 (123) 20-25 (84-105)

Resting state: 30(123) 25(105) 20(84)