Diet strategies and weight management are not possible with the intake of high calories. Weight management is linked with the calories that we intake for more energy. Intake of fewer calories can lose weight, fat, and muscle mass. Therefore, we need to know how many calories to lose weight required.
For that purpose, a calorie calculator is the best way to monitor how many calories per day we needed or how many calories should I eat to lose weight. Eating a mountain of carbs and eating fewer calories can shed pounds of weight.
How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?
According to Dietary guidelines 2015-2020 for Americans, Women need 1600-2400 calories per day, and men need from 2000 to 3000. These could be adjusted according to height, weight, age, physical activity. We should always know how many calories I need to lose weight for every age group.
The recommended calories for infants of 2 years are 1000 per day, 3200 for an active male aged 16 to 18 years. Well, the calories reduce after the age of 51 years and reach 1600 approximately.
Almost 20 percent of energy uses for brain metabolism and remaining for basal metabolism. Basal energy is the state of energy that we need for other functions such as blood circulation, digestion, and breathing.
In every environment, we should have knowledge about that how many calories should I eat a day to lose weight,such as in a cold environment, our metabolism increases to produce heat and our body needs the energy to maintain constant body temperature.
Our skeletal muscles need mechanical energy that maintains posture and movement of joints. In short, we need calories to fuel bodily functions like thinking, breathing, maintaining a posture, and other movements.
What Are Calories?
Calories are the unit of energy, and our bodies require constant demand for energy for every function.
In our food, protein, fats, and carbohydrates are the nutrients that contain calories and our major energy sources. Some energy stores as fat in our body, and by increasing physical activity, more calories burned.
If you are overweight or obese, then the first question that should come in your mind is how many calories I should eat a day to lose weight.
How Many Calories To Lose Weight Without Starving?
We know that calories are energy, we need calories for weight gain. Cutting calories without taking foods is not a sustainable way to lose weight.
Most people end up hungry and give up on their diets. Therefore, the best lifestyle is highly recommended to make permanent changes to help you maintain calorie deficit without feeling starved.
We are sharing 5 lifestyle changes that help to lose weight.
#1 Eat More Protein
Protein is the major nutrient in our diet and important for weight loss. Taking more protein is the simplest, effective, and delicious way to lose weight without any hard work. Protein increases metabolic rate and lowers your appetite.
Moreover, it requires energy to metabolize, and a high protein diet burns more calories per day. Studies show that by adding more protein in diet automatically reduce calories.
Besides, there are also many other benefits like protein diet helps to fight cravings and 25% daily calories from protein reduced obsessive thoughts as well as cut the desire to eat of late-night snacking.
#2 Avoid Sugary Drinks
To eliminate sugar calories from the diet is a helpful way to lose weight. In these sugary drinks, fruit juices, chocolate milk, and many more are included.
All these drinks increase the risk of obesity, especially in children. Sugary drinks also have more harmful effects beyond weight gain, such as the risk of many diseases.
#3 Drink more water
Intake of more water is the best way to increase weight loss because water burns our calories. According to an estimation, drinking about 8-10 glasses of water burn 96 more calories.
Drink 17 ounces of water before meals made people lose 44% weight. Moreover, coffee, and green tea are also excellent to lose weight because it boosts metabolism.
#4 Physical Activity
Long term calorie restriction can reduce metabolism because when you eat fewer calories less fat burn that leads to loss of muscle mass too.
To prevent this effect, exert your muscles by lifting weights are important. When you want to lose weight, you must also be careful about your muscle weight.
Physical activity is important in weight loss, and if you are unable to get to the gym, then you can try some exercises at home, such as squats, sit-ups, push-ups, etc.
Moreover, many people say walking, swimming, jogging are best to lose weight and for getting optimal health and well-being. These physical exercises not only beneficial to lose weight but also reduce the risk of disease, and you feel better every day.
#5 Carbs Intake
When you think of how many calories do I need to lose weight; first, you should start taking less carb.
Intake of less carb can be an effective way to lose weight that reduces appetite, and you eat fewer calories. Eating less carb gives you a feeling of fullness as well as other health benefits, especially for type 2 diabetic people.
6 Ways To Cutting Calories in Different Ways
Cutting calories can contribute to weight loss, and it’s not so difficult. It has a great impact on your health and well-being. You can do this by following these points.
- Skip high-calorie foods such as energy-dense foods
- Swap high-calorie foods
- Reduce the portion size
- Eat from plates not packages
- Check food labels
- Calorie Calculator
#1 Skipping High Calorie Foods
Skip one or two high-calorie food is good such as you can skip morning latter, ice cream, soda beverages, etc. Be conscious before eating a meal and identify always which items you can skip which is giving you high calories.
You can use alternative foods that give you more nutrients and fewer calories such as take cup of coffee instead of latte, take bowl of strawberries instead of ice-cream, drink fresh water instead of soda.
#2 Swap High Calories Foods
Simple changes have a great impact when we talk about cutting calories. For instance, the intake of fat-free milk instead of whole milk because it reduces 60 calories. Instead of eating pizza, you can enjoy popcorn or pasta.
#3 Reduce Portion Size
Twice the food means you are consuming double calories, therefore, controlling portion size is a good way to control calories.
Well, a small portion of food is highly recommended to lose weight. But some people say it is difficult, but It is very easy to follow these tips.
At the start of the meal, take fewer meals than what you think you will eat. After finishing it, if you feel hungry, then eat any vegetable or fruit.
#4 Eat from plates not packages
When you eat in a container or directly in packages, it gives you no sense how much calories you are consuming; therefore, always take food in the bowl that keeps your eating portion small.
#5 Check food labels
If you are conscious about your weight and want to reduce the weight, then you must check the nutrition facts for the serving size and number of calories per serving.
#6 Calorie Calculator
You need a weight loss calculator for regular monitoring. Many reputable sources give us tools to count calories, such as smartphone applications.
Besides, one simple calorie counter method is also available, called the basal metabolic rate. By using this method, you can estimate on your own how much calories to lose weight are required.
Basal Metabolic Rate
This equation gives you an estimation of your daily needs.
For Men: 10 x Weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age +5
For Women: 10 x Weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age – 161
Activity Factor
After calculating the BMR, you multiple the answer with the activity factor. It is important because you need calories according to your daily routine or according to your lifestyle.
If you follow a sedentary lifestyle, your activity factor will be 1.2, for slightly active lifestyle 1.375, for moderate1.55, for active lifestyle 1.725 and for very active is 1.9.
After multiplying with activity factor and BMR, you now have a rough idea of your daily calorie requirement. For weight loss, you subtract 500 calories from these daily intakes of total calories.
Final Thoughts
How many calories need to lose weight, it all depends on whether you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight. It is a smart way towards a healthier lifestyle. People who say how many calories should I eat to lose weight they must have information about various factors such as age, height, gender, weight, activity level and overall health.
To lose weight or reducing calories do not mean starving yourself. By following the simple lifestyle changes or diet control along with physical activity, you can achieve your desired result.
Reducing the high calories foods and reduce the portion size of a meal could be helpful to reduce weight. Physical activity is always necessary to maintain a healthy weight.
For more weight lose tips, please visit our Health & Lifestyle sections.
Author: Sadia Nazir
