Ideal Calorie Intake for Faster Weight Loss

What Are Calories?

Calories are a measure of energy. They are used to measure the expenditure of energy by our body for every task. Taken in the reference of foods or drinks, it is the unit of measuring nutrition in most parts of the world.

Most manufacturers label food nutrients as the following:

1. Fats (or lipids): 9 kilocalories per gram (kcal/g),

2. Carbohydrate (like sugar): 4 kilocalories per gram (kcal/g)

3. Proteins: 4 kilocalories per gram (kcal/g)

You may check the calorie rating for any canned or packaged food before eating it. Such figures are mentioned as ‘calories per serving’ or ‘kcal per 100 g.’ It is important to consult a dietitian to know what your ideal nutritional requirements are as per a personalized diet plan.

Importance of calories: Health needs and functionality

There isn’t a specific amount of calories every person should eat for the rest of their lives or for a certain period to lose, gain, or simply maintain weight. Your caloric needs would be different from most of the people around you and only a professional nutritionist can help you cope with them.

It should be noted that the number of calories required by a person every day depends on his or her fitness or weight loss goals, gender, age, current weight, and current level of activity. It is advisable to use a calorie counter for a few days to get an idea of how much you are eating right now.

To gain or lose some weight, it is important to change one’s energy intake. It means that you should change your eating and drinking preferences to meet your energy deficit or surplus. Most of the time, an excessive weight gain is not always due to improper food habits, it could also be due to genetic factors, illness, or the medications being taken.

What Is a Food Calorie Calculator?

It is a smartphone-based fitness app that measures your intake of calories daily. You can also rely on it to follow a date- and time-based plan to gain or lose weight. It is mighty easy to input in it the details of what you plan to eat in a day and it would help you know if it is in line with your fitness requirements. It will help you measure your progress and make changes promptly.

Persisting with such an app-based outlook is one of the most effective ways of monitoring your energy intake and expenditure, and managing your Body Mass Index (BMI) profile. We also recommend that you maintain a journal and note the readings of the calculator every time you eat something to quantify your progress.

Note: Here is a free calorie counter that you can use to gain or lose weight. It is available as an app and you can install it on your Android phone.

Calorie intake to lose weight

“How many calories should I eat a day to lose weight?”

It depends on your lifestyle, eating habits, fitness habits, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Your daily caloric intake will be higher if you have an active lifestyle, though it could be affected by many other factors too.

- If you’re a woman over 20 and have a sedentary lifestyle, you may need around 1600 to 1800 calories to maintain your weight. You might need 1000 to 1200 calories per day to lose weight.
- For men, it's 2000 to 2200 to maintain weight and 1800 to 2000 to lose weight if you have a sedentary lifestyle.
For children less than 20 years of age, there are two groups. One is of age 1 to 12 years and the other of 13 to 19 years of age.

Those less than 12 years of age should do well with 1200 to 1400 calories in a day. Teenagers should take 2000 to 2800 calories in a day.

Regardless of what your gender is, you should stay away from crash dieting and starving yourself. A lot of people begin to starve themselves when they go on strict diets, especially if it involves calorie counting. This is grossly inappropriate and can cause serious health issues.

Note: You can also go ahead with these delicious low-calorie soups for weight loss. They have a high protein and vitamin content but a near-zero carb or fatty value.

How many calories should you burn a day to lose weight?

A weight loss calculator can only provide you with numbers but they won’t always give you the most comprehensive and accurate view of your progress. This is just why we recommend checking with a qualified nutritionist and a fitness expert for the best results. Going for a simple, on-demand online consultation with these experts could help you have a better roadmap for your success.

Caution: It is not a straightforward calculation to know the exact number of calories you’d need to burn or eat to be fit. Another folly that most people commit is to go ahead with someone else’s personalized fitness plan, least realizing that every person has a unique energy requirement. No one size fits all and your dietary requirements are no exception.

What is dieting?

Dieting refers to following a specialized eating plan and inculcating certain habits to gain, lose, or maintain one’s weight or BMI profile. It may also be done to reduce the bad effects of commonplace health issues like diabetes, thyroid, or obesity.

Since our weight usually depends on the foods we eat, a personalized diet and supporting food habits can help us achieve results faster. Dieting may include calorie-reduced, calorie-rich, or protein-rich diets or may have further divisions like low-fat or low-carbohydrate.

Crash Dieting food addiction

Nothing is usually worse than following a specialized very-low-calorie diet to lose weight in very little time. Also known as a Semi-starvation diet or a Crash diet, it is a set of dietary preferences and practices that should not be followed except under expert guidance.

It requires the person to eat a diet of fewer than 800 kilocalories in a day. Such a diet can help someone lose weight rather quickly but is also sure to court several long-term health issues. People supporting such diets often claim to lose as much as 20 pounds in a month, but such claims are usually false.

Side effects of crash dieting

Most people like to start their weight loss journey by counting the calories they consume so that they have a rough idea of how to control their portions. This does more harm than good and it will only make you feel weak and tired.

Doing crash dieting and following unhealthy practices may also lead to psychological disorders like bulimia and anorexia. Similarly, stress and boredom too can eat into your daily lifestyle and can have serious consequences.

The don’ts of calorie counting

We caution you against falling into the trap of counting your calories every now and then. It is a much better approach to cut your calories sensibly than just eating whatever you feel like or starving yourself. It may work for some people, but most people begin to feel hungry and end up giving up midway.

Permanent lifestyle changes that are healthy and enjoyable will help you sustain your current diet better. Eat more protein and drink more water. Adding more protein and vitamins into your diet will leave less room for carbohydrates and fatty food items. This effect could be boosted by resisting your , if any.

Note: Protein elevates your metabolic rate and reduces your appetite because it digests slowly in your stomach. Unlike carbohydrates, it doesn’t lead to major insulin spikes or causes any cravings.

How much water should I drink in a day?

Drinking 2 liters of water per day can burn about 96 calories in your body, besides keeping you hydrated. Your body would be able to carry out its requisite biological functions properly, maintain proper levels of blood sugar and blood pressure, and drive out the toxins easily.

Some bad things about sugary drinks are that they are packed with unprocessed sugar and calories, and that they have zero nutritional value. They also come with artificial flavoring, coloring, additives, food stabilizers, and chemical preservatives.

It makes more sense to drink tea and coffee without sugar if you are looking to lose weight. Both these health drinks help you lose weight because of near-zero calories and fats. The most important thing to lose weight is to have enough willpower to stay away from indulgence and temptations, conquering them is more than half the battle!

To change the way you look, just change the way you cook (and workout)!

Merely cutting down on calorie intake in an unplanned way would only make the matters worse for you. It is thus advisable to add more protein to your diet and to go for a fitness-centric lifestyle to maximize the benefits. Remember, the trick is not to stay hungry but to eat more nutritious foods to match your daily energy requirements.

You won’t always need to lift heavyweights in the gym and you can rather start with some simple no-equipment exercises at your home under professional guidance. You may also choose to do some easy Yoga asanas exercises every day to calm your mind.

Tip: If you do not prefer exercising every day, here’s some motivation for you.

Consulting a personal trainer would help you get across both these health issues. Then there is the momentum effect- you would love working out more once you see the results coming your way. That’s just why you need to start with a bang and the best day to do so is today!