How Many Calories Per Day to Lose Weight Fast?

How Many Calories Per Day to Lose Weight Fast?

The key to fat loss is first figuring out how many calories you should be taking in each day. Many people skip right over this step and jump straight into “eating healthy” but if you have no idea how many calories you should be eating, how can you ensure you are feeding your body what it needs to function and in turn will allow you to lose the fat you want to shed? Missing this part of the process is what most often causes the dreaded plateau, aka the "fat loss brick wall". So do yourself one huge favor and take a few minutes to do some quick calculations.

Recommended Weight Loss

• While everyone wants to lose weight quickly, it's best to lose weight at a rate of no more than two pounds per week. Most people will experience a larger drop at first while their body is adjusting to healthier eating and losing some water weight.

  It is best to lose weight using a combination of diet and exercise. One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. To lose one pound a week, you'll need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day. This means that you either cut out 500 calories from your diet or burn 500 calories with exercise, or some combination of the two. If you want to lose two pounds a week you need a caloric deficit of 1,000 calories per day.

Minimum Recommended Calories

• The number of calories you should consume to lose weight depends on several things: your activity level (either from your daily activities or actual exercise), your age, your sex and your current weight. Men generally need more calories than women and older people need fewer calories than younger ones. Heavier people burn more calories for the same activities than those who weigh less.

  The minimum amount of calories anyone should consume is roughly 1,500. If you eat less than that you risk putting your body into a starvation mode, which actually hampers your weight-loss efforts. You also risk gaining weight rapidly once you resume eating a normal amount of calories.

  To determine your specific caloric needs, use a calorie calculator like the one at www.ahealthyme.com/topic/calneed. The calorie calculator will tell you based on your determining factors how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. It also can help you calculate the number of calories to consume for specific weight-loss goals.

  When planning your diet, be sure to give yourself enough calories to allow room for an occasional small splurge. If you are too strict on your calories each day with no room for any rewards there is little chance that you'll stick with your weight-loss plan.

  The best way to succeed with weight loss is to make and maintain small changes. Continue making small changes and over time you will have a healthier lifestyle.

Video

Information on how to count calories.

Tips

• You are probably thinking, wait a minute, I don’t want to prolong this, I am going to just go for the gold and lower my calories a ton to get to my goal quicker. That is the fastest way to hit a metabolic brick wall! You go too low with your calories and your body shuts down. So, if you only have a few pounds to lose be patient and do it slowly.
• Bear in mind that approximately 70% of weight loss can be accomplished by modifying one's diet and caloric intake.
• Stay hydrated as water is needed for fat-burning to take place.

Weight Loss Success: Mark D. Rucker Made Small Changes And Lost 100 Pounds

Posted: 01/30/2012 7:12 am

After Weight: 265 pounds. I still want to lose about 60 more, and I know that I'll make it.