Whether you're trying to lose weight or maintain an already healthy weight, you need to eat the correct number of calories. Whether you maintain body weight, lose it or gain it depends on how much you eat compared to how much you work off. Figure out your basic caloric intake for the day, and you'll be able to calculate how many calories you need for weight loss, for healthy weight gain and for maintaining a successful goal weight once your dieting has finished.
Step 1
Weigh yourself on a digital scale for the most accurate count. Write down this amount.
Step 2
Write down everything you eat or drink for seven days. Include the amounts of the foods as well as details about how they were prepared. If this week includes an unusual day, like a party or other celebration, skip this day and record the first day in the next week instead.
Step 3
Calculate the amount of calories for everything that you ate and drank for the past seven days. Do the math to figure out partial servings and small bites and include these calories into your daily totals.
Step 4
Add up your seven totals and then divide this total by seven. This figure is the average amount of calories that you ate daily in the past seven days.
Step 5
Weigh yourself again on the same digital scale. Wear similar clothing and weigh yourself at the same time of day as last time. Compare the two weights and figure out if you have gained weight, lost it or stayed the same.
Step 6
Adjust your daily calorie intake up or down 500 calories, depending on what results you want in your weight. If your weight remained the same both weeks, cut 500 calories daily to lose weight and add 500 daily calories to gain weight. Each action should result in a 1 lb. change in your weight each week.
Step 7
Cut 1,000 calories daily if you gained at least 1 lb. and you want to lose weight. Add 1,000 calories every day if you lost at least 1 lb. and you need to gain weight. These amounts take into account 500 calories to stabilize your weight and another 500 to affect the weight change.
Things You'll Need
- Digital scale
- Calorie charts or book
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