Calorie Consumption.

[VanillaBean_21]

How come females need so much less calories then males? In the Nutriton forum all the guys say 1800-2000 calories is a lot for a woman. I'm a little confused about this. Could you help me?

[VanillaBean_21]

Bump!

[ChocoChick]

This really depends on the female and what her goals are. Is she putting on muscle? Cutting for a competition? Maintaining her weight? Is she active? Does she have lots of muscle? Etc.

There are lots of women for whom 1800-2000 calories is not a lot. Heck, I bet there are quire a few right here!

P.S. In general, women need fewer calories than men because they carry more bodyfat (on average) and are smaller (again, on average).

[featherz]

I eat 1800-2K calories a day and sometimes even up to 2200 to maintain (I'm 5'4, 125). Just depends on how active you are!

[VanillaBean_21]

I eat 1800-2K calories a day and sometimes even up to 2200 to maintain (I'm 5'4, 125). Just depends on how active you are!

So, for someone who does intense cardio 4x a week and lifts 4x a week, is 1800-2000 ok? I'm eating less then that now.

[featherz]

Depends, what are your goals and what is your current weight and/or BF%? Lose fat, gain muscle or? When I am cutting, I generally eat 1500-1800 calories. Right now I'm maintaining so I can top 2K without trouble.
If you are eating MUCH less than this I'd start by adding a few hundred calories at a time, don't just bump it up immediately.

[VanillaBean_21]

Depends, what are your goals and what is your current weight and/or BF%? Lose fat, gain muscle or? When I am cutting, I generally eat 1500-1800 calories. Right now I'm maintaining so I can top 2K without trouble.
If you are eating MUCH less than this I'd start by adding a few hundred calories at a time, don't just bump it up immediately.

I'm maintaining my weight for right now. Now sure if I want to lose more fat(Been messing up my skin and cycle).

[Ravenous_T]

I eat 1800-2100 to lose weight.

[Gabrielle]

I do almost no cardio~power yoga and walking~and lift heavy three days a week.
I lose weight on anything less than 2200~and will chew my own arm off if I eat less than 1800

[StlBarbie]

I do almost no cardio~power yoga and walking~and lift heavy three days a week.
I lose weight on anything less than 2200~and will chew my own arm off if I eat less than 1800

I am with you - the arm goes if I eat less than 1800 and that is "a diet" for me.

[ivory82]

I eat 1800-2100 to lose weight.

I'm with you on that one, and I'm no athelete.

It really varies. Everyone is different.

[VanillaBean_21]

I'm with you on that one, and I'm no athelete.

It really varies. Everyone is different.

I agree. Everyone is different. I pretty much know how much I can eat without getting bloated/gaining fat/etc. I'd love to be able to eat like a guy!

[Emma-Leigh]

I'm with you on that one, and I'm no athelete.

It really varies. Everyone is different.

Everyone is different- BUT everyone is also the same in that they have to follow the basic laws of thermodynamics.

Your body has a few 'levels' of energy it needs:
1. Your resting metabolic rate - This is SET for a given tissue. Muscle tissue requires a certain amount of energy to survive at rest. So do organs and bones and nerves... Without this energy intake your body will not survive.

You can usually calculate this with rough calculations... eg:
RMR = (21.5 +/- 1.4) x Fat Free Mass (kg) + (407 +/- 128)
or, more simply:
RMR = 21.5 x fat free mass + 407

But, as you can see (with the +/- in the first equation) it is slightly variable, according to things such as a persons hormonal levels (higher testosterone, thyroid or growth hormone will increase RMR) as well as your size (the smaller you are, usually the faster your metabolism - as it takes more energy for your body to maintain your heat).... Stuff like that...

2. NEAT - this is non-exercise associated thermogenesis. Or, simply, the energy your body expends during your daily activites. So this is talking, shopping, washing, sitting, standing, showering, tapping your toes, typing and chewing.

This IS variable between individuals. It depends on your lifestyle, your job, your environment and your genetics. (the current idea is that some people are 'programmed' to have higher NEAT levels - they simply MOVE more!! They are the people who constantly fidgit or tap toes etc).

There really is no easy way to calculate your NEAT - but every activity will burn energy. So the more active you are, the more food you will need.

3. EEE - Exercise energy expenditure. This is the amount of energy you burn during PLANNED exercise activities. So this is the run you go on, or your weight training. This is variable according to the level of intensity, the duration of training AND the effect the exercise has on EPOC (or the oxygen 'debt' that is created by the activity - which is, in simple terms, the 'afterburn' effect of that activity on your metabolism in order to 'repay' that oxygen debt).

Obviously, the higher the intensity, the longer the duration or the greater the EPOC, then the more energy you will burn (and therefore the more calories you will need).

There are 'rough' energy expenditure guidelines for given activities for a given Kg of lean body mass, but they are only rough. The energy you expend is also variable according to things like how WELL you perform the exercise - if you move really inefficiently (think of little kids running) you burn more energy than someone who is highly efficient in their movements.

In terms of overall calorie needs, planned activities usually contribute only to a small percentage (unless you are training for HOURS each day at a HIGH intensity).

4. Thermogenic effect of foods (TEF) - This is the energy required to digest, absorb and utilise your foods. Foods all vary in their ability to be absorbed and digested and the rate at which they can be converted to energy... So, depending on what you eat, the TEF can contribute as little as 10% your daily requirements or it can be up to 20-30% if your diet is very high in protein and fibre...



On another note about 'the basics of thermodynamics' - you can't GAIN FAT without exceeding your calorie requirements by 3500 cals. Full stop. ENERGETICALLY speaking it takes the energy from 3500 calories for your body to create/lay down 1 pound of adipose tissue.... This calorie excess can be either due to increased food or decreased activity, but it will not happen without those excess calories...

Also, remember that not ALL the excess calories you eat will immediately and only be 'stored as fats' - your body will also use those calories for anabolism and repair of muscle....