Daily Caloric Needs For Weight Loss

Counting calories is an important part of any weight loss plan. Counting calories can help you lose weight and reduce unhealthy foods or portion sizes. For safe and gradual weight loss, you need to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet without drastically reducing your caloric intake. Drastically cutting calories can have a negative effect on your health. Always consult a doctor prior to beginning a weight loss program.

Calories and Fat

Healthy weight loss occurs at a rate of 1 to 2 lb. per week. One pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories, so you need to reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories per day to lose 1 lb. of fat per week.

Recommended Calories

The National Academy of Sports Medicine indicates women should never drop below 1,200 calories per day. Men should consume at least 1,500 calories per day. These numbers are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Numbers vary depending on your age, health and fitness level. Talk to your doctor about the appropriate number of calories for weight loss given your individual situation.

Cutting Calories

Cutting calories does not have to be overly challenging. Keep a journal of all the foods you eat on a daily basis as well as the number of calories in each of the foods you consume. This can help you determine where to make cuts in your diet. Cutting calories may be as simple as lowering portion sizes, skipping dessert, or replacing high-calorie drinks -- such as soda or alcohol -- with water or low-fat milk. Keep the diet well balanced. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and whole grains should make up the vast majority of your diet.

Risks

You should never drop below the recommended minimum number of calories. This causes your body to go into survival mode. Your body needs calories to function, and if it does not get enough, it "believes" you are starving. As a result, your metabolism slows down in an effort to conserve calories. When your metabolism slows down, you are unable to burn fat and weight loss becomes very challenging.

Considerations

Diet and calorie counting are not the only ways to go about losing weight. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends participation in 60 to 90 minutes of cardiovascular activity, five days per week, to help with weight loss. Cardiovascular exercise, any form of exercise that gets your heart pumping and causes you to break a sweat, helps to burn calories. Exampes of cardiovascular exercise are running, walking, sports, dancing, jogging, aerobics, jumping rope, cycling, swimming, gardening and performing household chores.