Most people eat about 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day, but fewer may be needed depending on each person. There are many factors that determine how many calories you should eat each day. Your gender, age, height, weight and physical activity are all major factors you have to consider. The idea behind losing weight is to eat fewer calories a day than your body needs for simple living. Combine this habit with some daily exercise, and you'll be shedding the pounds in no time.
Figure Out Your Basal Metabolic Rate
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which you burn calories while performing daily functions such as sleeping and breathing. These are the calories your body needs just to lie down all day. This is the largest factor in understanding how many calories you need to eat to maintain, gain or lose weight in a healthy way.
There are several different formulas that are used to calculate BMR, as it is based on a number of factors, such as age, sex, weight and height. You can go online and find a BMR calculator that will do this calculation for free. Here is an accurate formula that is widely used.
Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kg) + (5 X height in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)
Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kg) + (1.8 X height in cm) - (4.7 X age in years)
After you find your BMR, you're going to want to take your daily activity into account to get a more accurate reading. Use this formula:
Activity Multiplier
Not active = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise 1-3 days/wk)
Moderately active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise 6-7 days/wk)
Extremely active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise or 2X day training)
Counting Your Calories
In order to lose weight, you have to take in fewer calories a day than your BMR. About 3,500 calories equals one pound of body weight. So if you want to lose one pound in a week, you should eat 500 fewer calories each day. A person who has a BMR of 2,000 should eat about 1,500 calories a day if she wants to lose weight. If you eat 500 fewer calories each day and multiply it by seven days for the week, you'll eat 3,500 fewer calories that week, ultimately losing one pound of body weight. You shouldn't eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day without consulting your doctor first.
Carbohydrates
Many people promise the perfect diet comes by counting your carbs and striving to eat a low-carb diet. The problem is that carbohydrates encompass such a large group of foods that it's difficult to create a healthy diet. Your body breaks down carbs in sugar, fiber, alcohol, bread and soda all differently. Trying to count both your carbs and calories for weight loss may lead to many health problems. It's best to count only one or the other when dieting, but since calories comprise of all types of food, you will get more accurate results by focusing on them.
Exercising
Now that you know how to count your calories, you can begin losing weight. The first thing you should do is set a goal. It's never healthy to lose more than 2 pounds a week, so don't strive for more than that. If you start eating 500 calories less than your BMR every day, you're already on your way to losing one pound a week. A light jog, run, walk or bike ride every day will easily help you burn off an extra 500 calories a day. Incorporate half an hour of light exercise into your daily routine, and you'll be losing two pounds a week in the healthiest way possible.
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