A person’s health, activity, mood and appearance directly depend on his diet. The eternal law of nature operates in it - the need for a balance of components. Our food consists of so-called nutrients, their ratio affects the amount of nutrients in the body, weight gain or loss, and overall well-being. The key to proper nutrition is proteins, fats and carbohydrates (or, as they are called collectively, BJU), selected in the right quantity and percentage. When creating a healthy menu, they are calculated taking into account the total caloric content of the diet.
What it is?
Nutrients are the most important “building material” of our body, the ratio of which determines the amount of energy obtained from food and the characteristics of its processing by the body. Science divides them into three key groups - proteins, which are responsible for muscle growth, fats, which control hormonal balance and brain function, and carbohydrates, which are a source of energy. Nutrients differ in energy value, effect on the body, and for a proper diet you need to know how much of them should be in food - in terms of calories and as a percentage.
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What is the daily nutrient requirement?
To maintain daily physical and brain activity, improve muscle building and a more well-groomed appearance, it is necessary to adhere to some average values of the norm of nutrients. Below we will show how this is considered correct per 1 kilogram of human weight:
- for protein - 1.5 grams with average activity, 2 grams when playing sports;
- for fats - 0.8 grams with a standard lifestyle, 1.5 grams with constant physical activity;
- for carbohydrates - 2 grams, athletes and people engaged in heavy physical labor increase the value by two or more times.
Exceeding or decreasing the norm leads to an imbalance in the body, illness, and eating disorders caused by a lack of nutrients. Therefore, knowing “your numbers” and calculating BZH is important for everyone who cares not only about their nutrition, but also about their health in general.
Why calculate BZHU? Three good reasons!
- The first reason is a healthy body. It is necessary to calculate the ratio and amount of nutrients, first of all, to provide the body with everything it needs for development and functioning. A healthy body looks attractive, a person is better able to resist diseases, and he has enough energy to get everything done. By getting used to eating wisely, consciously, we discipline ourselves and develop a healthy habit - for life.
- The second reason is the ease of losing weight. There is no need to deny yourself certain dishes, provoking nervous breakdowns or hormonal imbalance. A balanced menu helps you not to break down due to carbohydrate deficiency or become weak due to protein starvation. The menu includes all products, and weight loss is facilitated by their ratio and calorie restriction.
- The third reason to calculate the KBZHU is the ability to “adjust” the diet to your needs. You can change the ratio of beneficial nutrients and quickly achieve your goal, be it losing weight, gaining weight, or maintaining your current body shape.
Details about the components
Squirrels
Protein is the material for cell growth in the body and proper metabolism. Proteins can enter our body through diet: meat, fish and seafood, legumes and dairy products. The amount of protein must be strictly controlled. An excess leads to liver pathologies and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, and a deficiency leads to loss of muscle mass. The energy value per gram is 4 kcal. For 1 kg of body per day you need 1.2-2 grams of the protein component. Accordingly, the optimal level of protein per day for 1 person weighing 60 kg is 72-120 grams.
Fats
For a long time, fats were purposefully excluded from diets. They were considered almost the most harmful in the diet. This is wrong! This is why fatty acids are good for our body, they help:
- absorption of vitamins from food;
- maintaining proper brain function;
- formation of joints, membranes and cells;
- regulating the functioning of the lymphatic, hormonal and other systems of the body.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide the body with most of the energy for activity and effective training, and they are also “responsible” for excess weight gain, uncontrollable bouts of hunger and bad eating habits. A well-organized diet should be dominated by sources of healthy, “slow” carbohydrates - unprocessed cereals, fruits and vegetables with a low glycemic index and high fiber content. If they are lacking, a person becomes weak and training becomes ineffective. One gram contains 4 kcal, the amount per 1 kg of body is calculated taking into account the protein and fat components.
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Role in weight loss
The balance of nutrients helps to correctly build a nutrition plan. If you need to lose weight, it is important to systematically “transition” your body into optimal functioning mode - with sufficient calories and nutritional balance. It is equally important that your nutrition fits your daily lifestyle.
Nutrient ratio and calorie content
Nutrient ratios are directly related to nutritional goals and overall calorie intake. The standard daily amount of nutrients for a 2000 kcal diet is considered to be 91 grams of protein, 65 grams of fat and 271 grams of carbohydrates or, as they briefly indicate, 3-3-4.
For representatives of different genders and people with specific goals (lose weight, build muscle, and so on), the norm is adjusted.
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Ratio for women
The BJU norm for women varies depending on the nutritional goal:
- for weight loss the ratio is 4-2-4;
- for “drying”, that is, the formation of a beautiful muscle relief - 4.7-2.3-3;
- for weight loss and “drying” - 5-2-3;
- for gaining normal weight - 3-2-5.
Ratio for men
- Men under the age of 40-50 who are engaged in intellectual work are recommended to adhere to the ratio of 3.3-2.5-4.2.
- Under heavy loads and physical work, the balance shifts to 2.7-2.3-5.
- To lose weight and gain muscle mass at the same time, the ratio is changed to 3-1.5-5.5.
How much BJU is needed to gain muscle mass. How many calories do you need to gain weight?
Intense training that stimulates muscle growth can be equated in terms of energy consumption to hard physical labor. A man needs approximately 3000 kcal to maintain performance. The amount is adjusted individually in the range of 2500-3500 kcal. As you increase your physical activity or intensity of your training program, your caloric intake should increase.
An easy formula has been developed that calculates maintenance calories. Energy equivalent to stay at the same weight. To calculate, your own body weight must be multiplied by 30.
Body weight (kg) x 30 = ... kcal of diet per day
In muscle building mode, energy intake must exceed daily expenditure. It is customary to add 500 kcal to the amount of energy received to get the approximate calorie content of food for one day. However, this calculation is suitable for the average man with a normal body fat percentage.
Therefore, the calculations must take into account the body type, determining whether they belong to ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs.
Recommended! For ectomorphs and mesomorphs, you can increase the calorie intake in the range of 500-1000 kcal. To begin with, you should try the minimum amount - 500, and, observing the result, gradually increase your caloric intake. This tactic is the most correct. Endomorphs with a strong physique should not jump over the 500 kcal threshold to avoid an increase in subcutaneous fat due to excess calories.
Calculation of daily caloric intake
To achieve a healthy, optimal weight, it is not enough to know the BJU ratio. To eat wisely, you need to calculate the Kcal ratio, i.e. energy value of products - this is usually called the balance of KBJU.
How to correctly calculate the BZHU norm?
To calculate the required amount of kcal per day, there are special tables of calorie content of foods and online calculators.
The standard formula for those who exercise up to three times a week is body weight in kilograms, multiplied by a factor of 35. For a diet, the coefficient is reduced to 24. You can simplify the calculations using special forms, which are presented in abundance on online resources dedicated to healthy lifestyles. and fitness.
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The total number of kcal per day is divided according to the required percentage of nutrients. So, if a woman’s diet needs to be 1600 kcal in order to lose weight, she needs to use the 4-2-4 model and consume 640 “protein” kcal, the same amount of carbohydrates and 320 fat. Then they can be converted into grams - taking into account the kcal content in 1 gram of the nutrient.
Below are more complex formulas for calculating the required ratio of BJU and calorie content.
Mifflin-St. Geor Formula
To calculate KBJU for a healthy diet, women use the formula 6.25*P + 10*M – 4.92*B – 161, where:
- P stands for height;
- M is the required mass;
- B - age.
The result of the calculation is the number of calories per day. For men it is calculated differently: 6.25*P + 10*M – 4.92*B +5. The result can be adjusted by multiplying by 1.2 for no physical activity, by 1.375 for activity three times a week, and by 1.6375 for daily exercise.
Harris-Benedict formula
The optimal ratio of KBZHU is calculated as (65 + 9.6*M + 1.8*P) – 4.7*B for women and (66 + 13.7*M + 6*P) – 6.8*B for men . M here does not mean desired, but actual body weight.
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Harris-Benedict formula
Proposed at the beginning of the twentieth century by American scientists. In 1984, the formula was revised and some coefficients were changed. This was done for a reason: the style and rhythm of life of a modern person is very different from how people lived in 1918.
The calculation occurs in two stages:
- the basal metabolic rate (BMR) is calculated taking into account your age, weight and height;
- The daily caloric intake is calculated based on the value of basal metabolism, your level of physical activity and sports goal.
As a result of the calculations, you get: daily calorie intake, consumption of water, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Additionally, the calculator shows the recommended intake of essential vitamins and minerals.
Calculation formula
BMR for women:
447.593 + (9.247 * weight in kg) + (3.098 * height in cm) - (4.330 * age in years).
BMR for men:
88.362 + (13.397 * weight in kg) + (4.799 * height in cm) - (5.677 * age in years).
AMR
(active metabolism). Depending on your lifestyle, select the appropriate coefficient:
- Sedentary lifestyle – 1.2;
- Moderate activity (light physical activity or exercise 1-3 times a week) – 1.375;
- Average activity (classes 3-5 times a week) – 1.55;
- Active people (intense loads, exercise 6-7 times a week) – 1.725;
- Athletes and people performing similar loads (6-7 times a week) – 1.9.
And a little more about calories and weight loss
The calorie content of food is a key factor in weight change. Without taking it into account, it is impossible to lose weight or gain weight, no matter how you change the balance of nutrients. By receiving energy in the right ratio, we stimulate metabolism, helping the body complete its task - grow muscles, reduce fat deposits, lose weight faster without harm to health or delayed consequences.
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How to calculate proteins, fats, carbohydrates
To ensure effective weight loss, you need to know the KBZHU - the amount of basic substances required for the normal existence of a particular person. How to calculate proteins, fats, carbohydrates? You will need a formula and the following data:
- daily caloric intake;
- BZHU norms for the day;
- permissible deviation from calculated values;
- calorie content of 1 gram of basic substances.
BZHU calculation formula
To determine the FBU for weight loss, you need to calculate the standards for a specific person. To do this, take into account the calorie content of 1 gram of the substance in kcal. This value is for protein - 4, fat - 9, and carbohydrates - 4. The basis is the minimum values of the standard percentage of each substance and calorie content (K), which was calculated earlier. According to the formulas for calculating BZHU, the minimum daily amount in grams is determined:
- proteins – B = Kx30%. 4;
- fat – F = Kx20%. 9;
- carbohydrates – Y = Kx40%. 4.
Daily norm
The daily norm of KBJU for each person is calculated individually. It tends to change over time and depends on the following factors:
- Your age;
- Floor;
- Lifestyle;
- Metabolism;
- Desired result (weight loss/weight gain/maintenance).
Thus, if you already calculated the KBZHU norm for yourself several years ago, this does not mean at all that it will remain unchanged. Don't be lazy and do the calculations again. The result depends on this.
Calculation of body drying: basal metabolic rate
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which your body burns calories when it is at rest and performing only normal vital bodily functions. An example is breathing. It's important to know what this level means to you so you can understand what factors affect your metabolism the most. After this, you can make changes to your diet in terms of calories and achieve weight loss.
Age is one of the factors for calculating this level. The older you get, the fewer calories your body needs. Your gender also matters: men need 5 to 10% more calories than women. This is because men naturally have more muscle mass, while women tend to retain fat. Muscle mass requires more calories to maintain.
Contraindications
Protein-carbohydrate alternation has a number of contraindications, which, if ignored, can harm your body.
- This diet is not suitable for obese people. Active sports while overweight can lead to problems with joints, heart and lungs. But a diet with contrasting calories requires going to the gym or any other physical activity, otherwise the body simply will not be able to cope with the increased amount of carbohydrates and the weight will begin to grow.
- If protein is calculated incorrectly and there is a lack of fiber, the function of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, the body can become sludge, and intoxication will occur. This means your health will worsen, headaches and nausea will appear.
- For those who have problems with veins (varicose veins, risk of thrombosis, etc.), such nutrition is contraindicated. Excess protein changes the chemical composition of the blood, acidifying it, which can lead to the formation of blood clots.
- Dangerous for pyelonephritis and other kidney diseases.
- Not recommended for pregnant and lactating women.
- Not suitable for diabetics.
A diet with a floating calorie content is a complex nutrition system that is not easy for a beginner the first time. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to seek help from professional nutrition consultants.
