“How many calories should I eat to lose weight?” This is a question that many people ask.If you can determine how many calories you should eat to lose weight, it is important to determine first how many calories you need on daily basis. The USDA estimates that the caloric intake is 2000 to 3000 calories per day for men and 1600 to 2400 calories per day for women
However, it should be noted that the number of calories you need to lose weight depend on more factors that just one’s gender. Your current weight, your gender, as well as activity levels are some of the factors that determine the many calories that you ought to take. As such, the caloric estimates by USDA are merely average gender-based forecasts that do not have any personal applicability.
How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?
The human body needs to get enough calories for it to function. The body’s basic functions are fundamental and there is a certain amount of calories that go into supporting them. Even people who are sedentary need a great number of calories for rudimentary body functions. Though calories are often perceived as an enemy of those that are pursuing weight loss goals, the truth is that calories are what you need while pursuing your weight loss goals.
By shunning calories in your pursuit for weight loss, you may find that you are consuming too little for your body functions to be executed normally. The body needs to have at least 1200 calories for women and 1800 calories a day for men in order for the body to function. This is the absolute minimum and it’s suggested to stay 200 to 400 calories above that if you want to feel energized for daily activities.
However, the best way to lose weight is to figure out your basal metabolic rate so that you know exactly the amount of calories you need to lose weight. Taking too little calories, you are compromising your body’s health. On the other hand, if you take excess amounts of calories, you may find yourself gaining unwanted weight instead of shedding the fat.
BMR | How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?
As stated earlier, there are many factors that determine the quantity of calories that you should take. The chief among these factors is the basal metabolic rate or BMR of your body. Other factors that determine how much calories you should consume is the thermal effect of the food you take.
The activity of your body is also among the factors that determine the quantity of calories that you should consume every day. The basal metabolic rate is the quantity of calories you need when your body is at rest. The functions that the body performs while at rest include pumping the blood and breathing. You should always avoid consuming calories that are below your BMR.
TYPES OF CALORIES | How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?
Calories that come from foods are mainly from fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. These are known as macronutrients. A gram of carbohydrates or proteins is equal to 4 calories. On the other hand, a gram of fats is tantamount to 9 calories. Any quantity of calories you take on daily basis ought to include all the three categories.
It is important to make sure that you always consume a balanced diet in your nutrition plan. This is very helpful since you are consuming 4-6 moderately portioned meals per day. As such, eating a balanced diet while dieting ensures that your body gets all the nutrients it needs despite the fact that the amounts of food you are consuming on daily basis are minimal.
The USDA food guide holds that you should ensure that you eat about 45 to 65 per cent of your calories come from carbohydrates, about 20 to 35 per cent from fats and about 10 to 35 per cent come from proteins. However, this percentages are adjusted when you take on intense fitness transformation programs such as P90X and Insanity. These programs will have a complete nutrition guide for you all layed out within the 60-90 day program to make sure your body is consuming the proper amounts of foods while you burn excessive calories with these workouts.
WHEN YOU EAT
Another factor that you ought to think seriously about when you are losing weight is when to eat. Despite the quantity of calories you consume on daily basis, the time of the day you consume your calories determines how much you succeed in your weight loss endeavor.
How often you eat is as important as what you eat. Again, to maximize your weight loss efforts, it is advisable to take about four to six meals every day. Breakfast and lunch ought to be the greatest meals of your day. You should consume much of your fats in the morning to avoid storing them in your body.
It is important to pay close attention to anything you eat. Many people set out on the journey to losing weight while monitoring anything that they eat everyday but lose track along the way. The best way to daily watch what you eat is keeping a journal. Remember, everything you put in your mouth counts.
KEEP A JOURNAL
You should also include in your daily journal the fat-burning activities in which you engage in every day. You should have an eye for the hidden calories found in drinks, snacks, and extra servings; a point that should be noted by those still asking “how many calories should I eat to lose weight?”
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