What Is The Healthy Amount Of Calories Per Day To Lose Weight?

Losing weight may seem difficult when you are sifting through the information and misinformation that you find while researching weight loss. The truth about weight loss is simple. A reduced calorie diet combined with regular physical activity is the only sure-fire path to achieving a healthy weight. Knowing your caloric needs is the first step.

Factors

Your calorie needs are determined by your age, weight, height, gender and activity level. The average range of calories for women is about 1,600 to 2,400. For men, the range is about 2,000 to 3,000. Never consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 calories per day for men, unless you are on a medically supervised program. The simplest way to figure out your exact needs is to use an online calculator such as the one at USDA's MyPlate.

Weight Loss Basics

A calorie is simply a unit for measuring how much energy is supplied to your body through the foods that you eat. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins and sugars all contain calories. If you eat the exact number of calories that you burn each day through body functions, daily activities and exercise, your weight will remain the same. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Eat fewer, and you will lose weight.

How Many Calories to Cut

To lose 1 lb., you need to cut 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb. a week, you need to achieve a 500-calorie deficit each day. This can be done by reducing your daily calorie intake by 200 calories and burning 300 additional calories through exercise most days of the week. A 35-year-old sedentary woman who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 160-lbs. needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain her weight. She can lose 1 lb. a week by consuming 1,800 calories and burning 300 additional calories each day.

Tracking for Weight Management

For successful and lasting weight loss, turn the practice of tracking into a daily habit. Tracking your food intake, exercise and body weight might seem like a great deal of work, but it becomes easier with time. You can track manually, by writing everything down, or you can use one of the many free online tracking programs. Pay attention to serving and portion sizes. Food labels can be misleading, as many packages contain more than one serving.