The calorie counts of the foods that you eat every day should add up to reasonable amounts based on your size and other factors. Because your body mass changes when you get too many or too few calories, monitoring your weight is an important part of managing your diet. Daily calorie totals should also reflect your activity level, age and reproductive status. Determine whether your caloric intake is appropriate for your size and for sustaining long-term health.
Body Mass
The size of your waistline and your height will offer insight into your caloric intake. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that men who measure 41 inches or more around the waist and women who measure 36 inches or more in circumference are most likely overweight. If you know your weight in pounds and your height in inches, you can calculate whether your body mass is healthy. Multiply the number of pounds by 703, then divide the result by the number of inches. Divide that answer by your height in inches again. If you get a body mass index of 18.5 to 25, your size is in the healthy range. Under or over those figures denotes underweight or overweight conditions that require a shift in your calorie counts or an increase in physical activity to preserve your health.
Calorie Intake
To evaluate how your diet affects your size and weight, calculate how many calories you consume every day by using the nutrition facts on food labels. Pay special attention to suggested serving sizes. Eating too much of any food, even low-calorie health foods, can create a calorie surplus in your body. Eating too few calories will make your body burn stored fat, causing you to lose body mass. If your weight fluctuates, take a look at the individual calorie counts and nutritional values of the foods that you usually eat.
Food Values
Foods with the greatest nutrition per calorie help you maintain stability in your weight and overall health. The American Heart Association considers low-fat protein and dairy foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables among these nutrient-dense foods. In an average 2,000-calorie diet, food servings of 100 calories or less are low-calorie, and 400 calories or more are high-calorie; calorie counts in between are moderate-calorie intakes.
Considerations
Normal calorie counts for one person may cause weight gain or loss in someone else. Because body size and gender are related, your individual calorie needs are based on both of those factors. Your doctor can help you set the right calorie limit and tell you how to achieve it by selecting healthy foods and controlling portions.
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