Calorie counter how much to eat

Use this calorie calculator to find out how many calories you really need! Match it to your goals and activity level to help you make better nutritional choices. Reading a food label could give you the impression that everybody needs more or less the same things, in the same quantities, to be healthy.

Not so! We all have different bodies , different goals, and different lifestyles, and the way we eat should reflect that. This calorie calculator will help you estimate the number of calories you're burning each day, plus a daily calorie target to help you lose weight, add muscle, or maintain your current weight. This can be your launch pad to gain better control of your nutrition and better results while working toward your goals! Your calorie count should put you in a slight caloric deficit of around calories.

This can help you establish a consistent, sustainable pace of weight loss. Here are your next steps to lose weight:. A well-designed program is an essential part of turning hard numbers like calories into hard-body results! Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:. Calories aren't just calories! They're actually values that come from the macronutrients of protein, fats, and carbohydrates as well as alcohol.

Supplements can help you accelerate your results once you have your calories and training in place. Krissy Kendall, Ph. For over 10 years, members of BodySpace have been helping each other build their best bodies. Join a fitness community that's over 2 million people strong! Your calorie count should put you in a slight caloric surplus of around calories. This can help you establish a consistent, sustainable pace of weight gain. Here are your next steps to gain muscle:.

Supplements can help you accelerate your muscle-building results once you have your calories and training nailed. Your calorie count should put you close to a level where you maintain your current weight.

Here are the next steps on your journey to customize your nutrition:. A well-designed program is an essential part of staying motivated and seeing results.

Here are some of our most popular programs from BodyFit:. Supplements can help you accelerate your results and support your training once you have your calories and training in place. Chris Lockwood, Ph. First time counting calories?

Or not sure which goal is right for you? Then start with "maintenance. Many nutritionists say before you start cutting calories, you should spend some time at maintenance and get more comfortable with tracking your foods and portion sizes. If you know that you're ready to lose a few pounds and you've counted calories before, select "lose weight. This is a popular "sweet spot" for healthy, sustainable weight loss. Gaining weight—especially as muscle—sounds easy enough. Train hard, eat big, right?

But you may be surprised at how much more you need to eat to grow! Selecting "gain weight" will put you a few hundred calories above maintenance. If this doesn't make the scale go up after a couple of weeks, you may need to add a few hundred more.

Nutritional researchers agree calorie estimates should take more into account than just the amount you exercise. Don't forget to record snacks or nibbles. For example, you might visit a restaurant with a friend and choose to skip dessert in an effort to keep your calorie and fat intake low. But if you grab a fork and eat a few bites of your dining partner's dessert, those calories count. Instead, make a habit of writing down everything.

If it goes in your mouth, it gets written down. Make this habit your rule for calorie counting. You might be surprised how the small indulgences throughout your day add up to a big change in your weight loss results. You don't have to break the bank to buy expensive tools. The best calorie tracking tool for you isn't necessarily the most expensive one. You'll find different gadgets and tools at every price point. The one that works is the one you actually use.

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a tool that is effective. You might also want to consider your lifestyle before making a purchase.

Online tools might work for people who are in front of a computer all day. And for people who like using the traditional pen and paper method, a small notepad works well. Make sure that the notebook you choose is small enough to carry with you in a pocket or purse. Don't limit yourself to just tracking calories.

Depending on the tool you use, you can track other nutrients things like fiber and sodium intake. Eating adequate amounts of fiber can improve your health. In addition to recording your total calories, consider tracking macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, and fat grams. This can be especially important if you are trying to eat a lower carbohydrate or lower fat diet.

If you use a food app, these numbers will automatically be recorded for you when you input your food. It doesn't matter how you count calories, whether you use high tech apps or a simple pen or paper method. Try to be as consistent as possible. An accurate number will help you get the health or weight loss results you want. Looking to lose weight? Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track.

Sign up for our newsletter and get it free! Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Be honest. Over time, as you lose weight you will need to recalculate based on your new weight. Also, if you make big changes to your workout reducing or increasing you should also recalculate. Science tells us that 1 pound of fat is equal to calories, so a daily calorie deficit of should result in 1 pound per week fat loss. The amount of food intake that once resulted in weight loss, will now only maintain 2.

Need help with the basics of weight loss? Read our straight-forward guide. The "Extreme Fat Loss" level is effectively a rock bottom calorie level.

Do not attempt to immediately drop your calories to this level hoping for the quick fix. This may ultimately backfire. The Extreme Fat Loss level shows the lowest calorie amount that can be considered. It should be seen as the exception rather than the rule. It becomes more efficient at using energy lowered metabolism , and therefore burns less fat.

This is why most of us reach a weight loss plateau. You often find that the nearer you get to your goal weight or body fat percentage — the harder things get!

The 7 Day zig-zag provides a suggestion for daily calories that will keep your body guessing — and increase your chances of continual weight loss. It is difficult to set absolute bottom calorie levels, because everyone has different body composition and activity levels.

Health authorities do set some baselines — these are calories per day for women, and calories per day for men. Or someone who is tall, muscular, and exercises a lot? Try not to lower your calorie intake by more than calories below maintenance. Doing so may invoke the bodies starvation response, which can lead to the Yo-yo dieting effect.

Try to gradually lower calories. A sudden drop such as calories or more can cause your metabolism to slow.