Counting calories is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. The average female needs between 1,800 and 2,400 calories a day, depending on her activity level. The average male needs between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day. There are approximately 3,500 calories in a pound, so cutting 3,500 calories a week from your diet will enable you to lose a pound a week.
Step 1
Check with your doctor to calculate how many calories you should eat a day in order to maintain your weight. You can also get a rough sense by knowing your own daily activity level. A female athlete needs around 2,400 calories, whereas a sedentary female needs 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day. A male athlete needs around 3,000 calories a day, whereas a sedentary male needs 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day.
Step 2
Start by cutting out 500 calories a day from your diet. When counting calories be sure to keep in mind the serving size. Keeping a food journal will help you keep track of your caloric intake as well as help you prepare meals for the day.
Step 3
Divide 500 by three so that you can subtract an even amount of calories from each meal. Five-hundred divided by three is 167 (rounded up from 166.666667). For each meal--assuming on a three-meal-a-day diet--cut out 167 calories.
Step 4
Try starting with your daily caloric requirement and then subtract 500 calories. Divide that amount by three (or the number of meals you have a day), and that figure will be your caloric requirement for each meal to lose weight. For example, if your daily calorie requirement is 2,000 calories, subtract 500 from 2,000 to get 1,500. Then divide that by three to get 500. So each meal, if you're doing a three-meal-a-day diet, should not exceed 500 calories.
Step 5
Record snacks in your food journal. Be sure to record the calories you consume from these items.
Tips and Warnings
- When eating out, you can check most restaurant menus online to prepare your meal beforehand and make sure you're not going over your calorie limit. Also, a lot of restaurants now have the calorie amount of each dish on their menu. You can always ask the manager of the restaurant about the number of calories in a certain entree.
- Depending on how many calories you get daily, reducing that intake by 500 may be too drastic. Consult your doctor before cutting out calories to establish a healthy plan for your personal needs. Never consume fewer than 1,000 calories a day.
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