Determining the right number of calories to consume depends on many factors. Your current weight, your age, your physical condition, your goals and any chronic health conditions are all considerations in planning a healthy diet. What may be healthy for one individual is not always healthy for all and someone who wants to lose weight will need to consume fewer calories than someone wishing to maintain or gain weight.
Calories
Calories are simply a measurement of energy, which is the ability to do work. When we consume too much energy that we do not use to perform work, it is stored as fat in our bodies. Reducing the total amount of energy you consume while increasing the amount of work you do produces weight loss because you allow your body to tap into its storage form of energy to fuel the work you do including conventional exercise, housework, walking, breathing, digesting, and everything else your body does.
Target Intake
Your target intake can be obtained by using one of several methods. The easiest method is to use an Internet calorie calculator. This is a convenient method of measurement, but it is a crude estimation and is less accurate than other methods. Indirect calorimetry is a more accurate method, but is typically performed by a health professional such as a physician, dietitian or personal trainer. This method involves using a metabolic analyzer to measure the amount of carbon dioxide and other gasses in each exhalation. The machine uses this data to compute the rate at which your metabolism is working, thus indicating how many calories you need per day. You can contact your local health club to schedule a metabolic analysis.
Healthy Diet
A healthy diet can be defined as a daily variety of nutrient rich foods that supply the necessary vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and macronutrients required for optimal physiological function. For someone who is already at a healthy weight, this would include maintaining a calorie balance, while someone that is overweight will need to create a calorie deficit to achieve a healthy weight. To lose weight at a healthy rate, you should create a deficit of about 800 to 1000 calories per day, half of which is the result of a reduction of intake, while the other half should result from an increase in activity.
Choosing the Right Foods
Choosing the right foods is just as important as choosing the right amount of foods. Your target caloric intake only describes the amount of calories you should consume and hitting that target does not mean that your diet consists of healthy food. Choosing healthy foods, however, will usually mean that you can consume a greater volume of foods for the same amount of calories. For example, you can eat two skinless grilled chicken breasts for roughly the same number of calories as one fried chicken breast with skin and breading. Choosing the right foods allows you to eat more, feel fuller, and protects you from the harmful effects of a high fat or high sugar diet. Aim to consume plenty of non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits rather than fruit juices, low fat dairy, lean proteins, and whole grain breads.
References
- United States Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Balancing Calories
- United States Department of Agriculture: Nutrient Database, Fried Chicken Breast
- United States Department of Agriculture: Nutrient Database, Boneless Skinless Cooked Chicken Breast
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