I ‘m a nutritionist from Brazil. Now I have a lot of clients online all those are children and teenagers. Sometimes they ‘re overweight or underweight. The last one sends me questions about energy values, to keep right weight.
My question is: For a teen who is 11 years old, 85 pounds, height 5 feet 0′ inches, gymnast, eat 1000 calories/day. – One year more eat 100 calories more than 1000 calories. Tell me if this is the right calculation for her.
No, 1000 calories would be way too low. Her basal metabolic rate is 1340 calories. If she just sits or stands the rest of the day, she will need approximately 300 – 400 calories more per day for sedentary activities. At her current weight, she burns approximately 121 calories per hour in gymnastics. To calculate her calories burned during gymnastics, multiply 121 times the number of hours she works out and add that to her basal calories (1340) and activity calories (300 – 400) to get a more accurate number.
Underestimating her calorie requirement would negatively affect her athletic performance and cause her to lose weight. If she loses any weight, then she is probably not eating enough calories and should eat more food, more often. It is reasonable for her to weigh herself every week to make sure she isn’t losing weight over time. She should pick a regular private time to weigh herself. Furthermore, since she is still growing she needs sufficient calories to fuel her adolescent growth spurt and reach her genetically determined height.
