Your basal metabolic rate and calorie requirement are two important factors when it comes to a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet.
With the help of a proven formula, you can calculate your personal basal metabolic rate: this is how many calories your body burns when you are completely at rest.
Your daily calorie requirement is calculated based on your basal metabolic rate and your individual level of physical activity.
People who exercise frequently have a higher calorie requirement than those who sit a lot.
For a healthy lifestyle, it is not only crucial that you burn exactly the right number of calories.
It is also important that your daily calorie requirement is met with wholesome food.
In this article, you will learn how to calculate your calorie requirement and basal metabolic rate. You will also get some tips on how to meet your calorie needs in a healthy way.
The calorie calculator from VERIVAL
Basal metabolic rate versus calorie requirement
Everyone needs a certain number of kcal per day. The basal metabolic rate is a value that hardly changes.
It is the total amount of calories that the body needs for all vital processes within 24 hours.
In short: what it needs to survive. The daily calorie requirement is higher than the basal metabolic rate.
It depends on what you do besides sleeping. Therefore, it can sometimes be higher and sometimes lower.
Calorie calculator – how is calorie requirement calculated?
To determine your calorie requirement, you have to calculate your basal metabolic rate. This is then multiplied by a number that corresponds to your level of physical activity.
You can calculate your calorie requirement online, for example using our VERIVAL calorie calculator.
Now calculate your requirement with the calorie calculator
The basis is all the personal data we use to calculate your basal metabolic rate.
You can also choose from seven activity levels. This is how you place yourself on the scale between couch potato and professional athlete.
Your basal metabolic rate is multiplied by a value between 1 and 2.4 according to your ‘physical activity level’.
This is the PAL value. It is high with a lot of physical activity. By contrast, it is low with a quiet lifestyle.
This is always a guideline value. Your body also sends signals about its needs: so pay attention to feelings such as hunger or fullness.
How is basal metabolic rate calculated?
With a basal metabolic rate calculator, your basal metabolic rate is calculated based on a formula. It is called the Harris-Benedict formula after its two inventors.
Actually, there are two formulas: we calculate the basal metabolic rate differently for women and men because their calorie needs are different.
Basal metabolic rate formula for men:
66.47 + (13.7 x height in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
Basal metabolic rate formula for women:
655.1 + (9.6 x height in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)
Harris-Benedict formula
This is because men have more muscle mass than women . Their basal metabolic rate is therefore a little higher. This is because muscles burn quite a few calories just by existing.
Your basal metabolic rate also depends on your height, weight and age. You have your highest basal metabolic rate between the ages of 15 and 19, after which it gradually decreases.
What is the basal metabolic rate?
The basal metabolic rate is the number of calories your body needs in a 24-hour period while you are completely at rest.
The body burns plenty of calories just to maintain all the important functions such as breathing and circulation.
The basal metabolic rate is therefore quite high. For a less active person, it even accounts for the lion's share of calorie requirements.
Click here for the VERIVAL calorie calculator.
What does calorie requirement depend on?
Your calorie requirement depends primarily on how active you are. A person who has an office job and otherwise moves very little burns hardly any additional calories. Sporting activities increase the calorie requirement.
Someone with a physically demanding job needs a particularly large number of calories.
If you want to lose weight, you have to consume fewer calories than your body needs. Or you have to burn significantly more calories.
It is important to maintain your body weight and avoid the yo-yo effect. Therefore, you should not reduce your intake by more than 500 calories a day.
Because when you experience ravenous hunger, your body is soon under stress. And in this state, it stores more fat. 1
Cover your calorie needs healthily with VERIVAL
A healthy lifestyle is not just about knowing your calorie requirements exactly. You should also cover them with the healthiest food possible.
The basis is complex carbohydrates, such as those found in wholegrain bread, potatoes or oats.
If you are reducing your calorie intake to lose weight, make sure you have a full, healthy breakfast. This should look like this:
- Carbohydrates, for example in the form of porridge, muesli or delicious overnight oats from VERIVAL
- Proteins and healthy fats, such as chia seeds or nuts
- Vitamins from fruit – fresh or dried berries are suitable
This way you will start the day healthily and sustainably.
Buy healthy breakfast from VERIVAL
- Tomiyama AJ, Mann T, Vinas D, Hunger JM, DeJager J, Taylor SE. Low Calorie Dieting Increases Cortisol. Psychosomatic Medicine. Published online May 2010:357-364. doi: 10.1097/psy.0b013e3181d9523c
