How Many Calories Should I Eat In a Day to Lose Weight

Just How Many Calories Should I Eat In a Day to Lose Weight?

Many people wonder how many calories should I eat in a day to lose weight. It is a simple question, but there is more to the answer than a simple number. The main goal is to lose some weight and while diets and exercise might not be exciting in our minds, everyone has a different reason for going through the actual process.

There are different ways people approach this as well. In some cases, people attempt to only change the exercises they do, but that doesn't remain very effective. In most cases, your diet needs to change to ensure the maximum amount of weight loss. This doesn't mean that it isn't important for you to exercise. Instead, it means that both are required to help you lose weight and get the most out of your life.

With that in mind, you need to understand that every food you consume will have a calorie value attached to it. Calories when they are in excess of what we need to survive are stored in our body and begin leading to weight gain. When we consume enough of these calories, we face obesity and the issues that come along with this as well.

Everyone Is A Little Different

Since we are all different, our demands for calories are different as well. Because we have different genetics and other factors in our bodies, it is impossible to define everyone in the world to a single set of calorie restrictions. There is, however, a general spread of calories that is considered acceptable for people to consume and will generally help you to reach an ideal weight over time. For men, you are looking at a calorie intake of between 2,000 and 2,500 each day. Women in turn should look at 1,500 to 2,400 for their daily needs. When you go above these maximums, you begin to see the weight begin to build up.

Now, it is important that you look at how many calories are in the average pound of fat in your body. Most people will claim you need to burn 3,500 calories to remove a single pound. Keeping that in mind, you need to realize it doesn't mean reducing your intake by that much each week. Instead, you need to actually burn those calories through physical exercise. Essentially, this is 3,500 calories burned above your daily physical needs. So for a single pound of weight to be lost during the course of a week, you need to burn 500 calories each day.

When you are a heavier person, you will use more calories to work out then you are lighter. This is why many people begin to lose weight quickly at the start of their diet, then slow down as it progresses. Just don't let that information discourage you. The more physically fit you become, the more calories you in turn burn when you aren't doing much at all.

As we mentioned different people will have different calorie requirements as well. Take for example a man who does little to no exercise that is in his 20's. This individual will need about 2,400 calories daily to maintain, women on the other hand will need about 2,000. In turn, if they are heavily active, the calorie requirements for their body will greatly increase as the demand for more energy is there. Just keep in mind that when you are dieting, you should never allow your calorie intake to go below 1,200 calories in a single day. This is the bare minimum you can safely eat and still lose weight.

Men Vs Women

Here's a simple formula that will help you to determine what your calorie needs will be on a daily a basis. Remember, you will need to reduce this need to begin losing weight. First, we will look at men. Begin the process by pulling your calculator out. Then add the following up. You will need 66 base calories and then add it to your weight times 6.3. You then add this total to your height broken down into inches and multiplied by 12.9. When that is done, subtract your age multiplied by 6.8 and you will have your calorie requirements.

Women in turn will be very different. They will begin with a base of 655 and then multiply their weight by 4.3 Their height is then multiplied by only 4.7 and then their age times 4.7 is removed from the total. When you follow this guideline, you will understand a more direct calorie requirement to you based on your body and not on industry standards. .

Adding Balance

While you are going through the process of cutting out calories, take a moment to look over the things you currently eat that you can live without. It might be a sugar-filled soda that adds 120 calories to your day or that batch of French fries at lunch. With a number of different options, you will begin to see that your life offers you a number of places to remove calories without having to go on a specific diet.

But there are foods you might need to add to balance out you intake and give you more nutrients than calories. These foods include green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and fruits that are low in sugar. In addition, you will need to increase your protein intake during this time as well. This increase will burn off more calories and have you feeling better at the same time.

Finally, the most important thing you need to consider is that you need as many calories each day as it takes you to remain healthy and happy. This number can change from person to person and you need to find the healthy balance for you as an individual. If you do this, you will find that you do have a shot at not only feeling better about how you look, but how you feel as well. So take a moment and look at your life and determine how many calories you need to remove personally to lose weight.