How To Keep Your Calorie Intake In Check?

How many calories should I eat in a day?

An average woman needs about 2000 calories per day, while an average man needs 2500 calories per day to maintain their weight. If you want to lose weight, then for a woman the number of calories per day should be 1500 and for men, it should be 2000. However, the number of calories that you should eat in a day depends on various factors like height, weight, metabolic health, daily activity level, medical history etc.

Calorie Intake Calculator

An effective way to calculate calories is to multiply your body weight (in kg) by 29 for fat loss and multiply it by 40 for muscle gain.

• To lose weight your total calorie intake should be less than what you burn throughout the day. Try to lose weight in a healthy way by shedding one or two kilos per week.
• If you want to maintain your weight, then the trick is to take your current weight and multiply it by 15. That’s the number of calories you need to consume to maintain your weight.
• And if you want to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than what you burn throughout the day.

Fitness trackers are a great way to calculate your daily calorie intake. There are various types available in the market. You can choose one as per your budget, fitness preferences, and style. There are also various apps like step calculator, activity tracker, and calorie calculator. Download them on your smartphones and keep a tab of your daily activity level.

Image Source – MyFitnessPal Blog

Benefits of counting calories

It is important to be aware of what you eat, how is it affecting your body, and what are the side effects. Counting calories is a great way to keep a tab on your weight and know when those cravings seep in. Here are the top 3 benefits of counting calories –

• Increases nutritional awareness

Awareness is the first step towards anything. When you know that amount of calories being consumed every day, you’ll be able to plan your workout schedule and diet plan in a better way.

• Helps to find the right amount of exercise

You know that exercise is beneficial for weight loss. But how much exercise do you need? This can be found when you know the amount of calories you intake and how many do you burn. Tracking your calorie intake will help you find that balance so that you can lose, maintain, or gain weight in a healthy manner.

• Provides correct nutritional targets

It helps you to restrict food in a tangible manner. Instead of eating a bag of chips you can spend far less calories on something healthy and nutritional. That’s the aim, to know where you’re going wrong in your weight loss or weight management journey.

Some of the cons of calorie measurement include the following –

• It can be time-consuming
• Inaccurate food labels
• Not all calories are treated equally
• Takes the emphasis off food quality
• Can be stressful

What food sources to choose?

Experts say that the food sources you choose to get daily calories matters a lot. Your diet should comprise of a healthy mix of vegetables, nuts, lean meat. In addition to these, your body also needs a daily of about 25 -30g of fiber for proper digestion.

Reduce calorie intake without starving yourself

Calories are a measure of energy. If you need more energy you need to increase your calorie intake and to cut down excess weight calorie reduction is needed. For those who indulge in intensive workout sessions, a high-calorie diet is recommended, and when you’re trying to shed off those extra kilos, it is suggested you have a low calorie and low carb diet. One of the prime rules of weight loss is to reduce your overall calorie intake. But you don’t have to starve yourself.

Follow these 5 tips to reduce calorie intake without starving yourself

• Eat a high protein diet to curb cravings and burn more calories

When you’re trying to lose weight protein is the key ingredient. Having a diet with high protein helps increase your metabolic rate and curbs appetite as well. Protein requires energy to metabolize, so, when you have a high protein diet you burn at least 80 – 100 more calories.

Protein is also considered to be the most fulfilling ingredient. When you have a high protein diet it keeps to satiated for a longer time. It also helps fight cravings. So lesser cravings mean less junk and indeed weight loss.

• Drink a lot of water

One of the simplest tricks to lose weight – drink more water. Increasing your water intake can help in your weight loss journey. Drinking 8 glasses of water per day can help you burn up to 96 calories.

The one thing to keep in mind is the timing of drinking water. Try to have at least a glass of water before each meal. This will fill you up and you’ll tend to eat less and automatically consume lesser calories.

Image Source – uchealth

• Avoid packaged juices and sodas

Another great way to reduce weight and counting your calories is by eliminating liquid sugar from. Packed juices, fizzy drinks, or cold drinks have an excess amount of sugar that add to the overall calories. These are considered to be most fattening because your brain doesn’t register liquid calories as it does solid calories.

• Reduced carbohydrate intake

Cutting carbohydrates from your diet is an effective way to lose weight. It helps in losing weight, and also reduces appetite. A low carb diet has various other health benefits, especially for people with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. When you have a low carb until you are full, you tend to lose 2 – 3 times more weight than when you have a low cal diet.

• Exercise and more exercise

If there’s one way to lose weight without starving yourself is to exercise. When you consume fewer calories, your body tends to save energy and in turn you burn lesser calories. This is the reason why long-term calorie restriction can slow your metabolic rate. When you’re trying to lose weight, the aim is not just to shed extra kilos but to tone your body. Doing some form of cardio like walking, jogging, dance, or even swimming is great not just for weight loss but for overall well being as well.