Factors that affect daily caloric intake

Calorie requirements depend on six main factors that affect you. These factors are gender, age, weight, basal metabolic rate, lean body mass, and daily activities. Determining the factors that affect your daily caloric intake gives you a clear idea of ​​what your daily caloric needs are. Generic charts that take age, gender, and weight and activity levels are approximations of what your daily calorie intake should be. They are helpful, but to achieve a higher level of precision, basal metabolic rate and lean body mass should also be included in the mix.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the total of all energy used for basic bodily functions. This is unique to physical activities like exercising. It is responsible for digestion, circulation, respiration, temperature regulation, cell building, and all other bodily processes. The BMR included two-thirds or approximately sixty percent of the total daily caloric expenditure. Simply put, your BMR is the total calories you need to stay alive. BMR varies and is affected by genetics. Some have been blessed with a high BMR while others slow down. It is at its lowest point when a person is sleeping. This is the time when the body does not digest anything.

Physical activities must be taken into account when calculating daily caloric needs. Along with BMR, physical activities are the most important determinant of daily calorie intake. This includes exercise and all the other activities that make up your day. A sedentary person is expected to have fewer caloric allowances for physical activities. More activities mean a higher caloric expenditure. Weight is another considerable factor. A heavier weight means more cells to feed and therefore requires a higher calorie intake. This is also the reason why people who weigh more expend more calories during exercise than those who are underweight.

Lean Body Mass (LBM) is a more accurate way to determine your calorie needs. A high LBM means a high BMR. Determining your lean body mass is simply separating the lean body parts from the fat. Muscles are active tissue and require more calories to function properly. Age and gender affect your metabolic rate and therefore affect your daily caloric intake. Males have more muscles and require a higher amount of calories. Older people have a slower metabolic rate than younger people. Also, older people are more likely to engage in less daily physical activity.

Eating adequate amounts of food is one way to ensure you maintain a healthy weight. Choosing the right types of food to meet your daily caloric needs doesn’t just regulate weight. It also provides you with vital nutrients to improve health. Adapting your caloric needs to the factors that affect you will allow you to balance what you eat and what you spend.