Calories are a basic unit of energy you get from food. Carbohydrates, protein and fat are your primary food sources of calories, and you need enough of these nutrients on a daily basis to function properly. To lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit through reducing the amount of calories you consume from food and the calories you burn from physical activity.
Daily Calorie Intake
The standard diet is based on 2,000 calories, but this varies depending on your weight, gender and activity level. Before you determine the amount of calories you need to reduce, calculate your daily need for normal functioning. If you are an active male, multiply your current weight by 15, or if you are inactive multiply by 13. If you are an active female, multiply your weight by 10, or if you are inactive multiply by 12. The result is how many calories your body needs on a daily basis to sustain its current weight.
Daily Calorie Deficit Goal
It takes 3,500 calories to gain or lose 1 lb. of fat. Set a goal for safe and long-term weight loss of no more than 2 lbs. per week. Achieve this goal by creating a calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 per day. If you need 2,200 calories per day to sustain your current weight, then reduce your intake from 2,200 to 1,700 per day to lose 1 lb. per week. The healthiest means for creating a daily calorie deficit to lose weight is a combination of eating less calories and burning more through exercise. Do not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day without physician supervision.
Cut Food Calories
Reduce your food consumption calories by eating foods that are naturally low calories, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Produce and grains are types of carbohydrates, which provide four calories per gram. Increase your daily servings of fresh vegetables, eat fruit as a snack instead of packaged or processed foods and add whole grains like wheat bread or bran cereal instead of white grains. Consume protein from lean lower-fat sources like baked chicken, fish, nuts or beans instead of fatty red meat and fried foods. Protein has four calories per gram, and fat provides nine calories per gram. Reduce fat and protein calories from dairy by choosing low or no-fat versions of milk, yogurt and cheese. Limit your portion sizes and feel full longer by eating small yet frequent meals five to six times a day. Avoid fast food and junk food to cut your food calories.
Burn Calories
Aerobic activity increases the amount of calories you burn while also helping you to improve your cardiovascular health. Strength training helps you tone muscles, which burns fat. If you are sedentary, gradually incorporate exercise into your routine by walking for 20 to 30 minutes a day for one week. Walk at a moderate pace to burn 120 to 178 calories per half hour. Increase the intensity of your workout and add low impact aerobics to burn 165 to 244 calories, or use an elliptical machine to burn 270 to 400 calories per half hour. Add light weights to your workout once or twice a week to burn 90 to 133 calories extra. Vary your workouts to keep you motivated to burn more calories each day. On average, try to work out for 45 to 60 minutes a day for five days a week so you can maximize your calorie deficit for weight loss.
References
- Healthfinder.gov: Manage Your Weight
- MayoClinic.com: Counting Calories; Get Back to Weight-loss Basics
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Balancing Calories
- University of Maryland Medical Center: How Many Calories and Fat Grams Do You Need?
- Medline Plus: Tips for Losing Weight
- Harvard Health Publications: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes
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