Are you Asking Yourself How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?
Are you asking yourself how many calories should I eat to lose weight? A lot of people are, and unfortunately, they’re getting the wrong answers. In my essays and blogs, as well as in person with my clients over my 22 years as an Austin personal trainer, I’ve reiterated that there’s a good reason my job is called personal training. Everything in health and fitness is individual. Yes, there are some generalizations that can apply to most everyone, but in order to get the best possible results, we have to look at any fitness goal on a case by case basis and tailor it to the individual.
If we are going to be asking how many calories should I eat to lose weight, we have to weigh in a bunch of different factors. Some are obvious and thus easy to answer, but others, however, are not, if you want to make it as scientific as possible. Let’s start with the basics. How old are you? What kind of shape are you in? Do you have an active or a sedentary lifestyle? Do you have any issues such as hypothyroidism, high blood sugar levels, etc? Those are the easily answered questions in the formula needed to answer the greater question of how many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Nothing in health and fitness is as simple as it sounds, and there are a few questions you’ll need to know the answer to if you wish to be able to truly quantify your ideal caloric intake in order to lose weight. Those questions revolve around your metabolism. For example, what is your resting metabolic rate? What is your VO2 max, and so on.
Sometimes, unless it’s an extreme case, or one where you need to lose weight for a photo shoot, a sporting event with a specific weight limit, such as a MMA match, etc, it’s easier to stick with the basics. Let’s assume you are a 30 or 40 ish person in pretty good health and a decent diet. Not perfect, but decent. The first thing you want to look at is your overall water consumption total every day. Our body’s are comprised mostly of water, so if you are able to manipulate the amount of water you store, it will greatly effect your body weight. Carbohydrates effect the amount of water you will store, as well. That said, it’s imperative to have the proper amount of carbs in your diet, the right kind, and from a good source. That can be said for any macronutrient, for that matter. Along with that, you’ll also need to be taking in the proper amount of water every day as well.
There are general statements all over the internet stating that men need to consume 2500 calories per day and women should be ingesting 2000 per day, but is that correct? How could it be? Generally speaking if you are of a certain size, and have a certain activity level, are a certain age, etc. They go on to say that if you introduce a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day, you will lose 1 pound per week. This again, is nonsense. Some people will, and others will not, just like any other numerical figure one could introduce as a fitness equation.
The best thing to do if you want to lose weight is to not worry so much about calories in a numerical sense, but rather to consider the source from which they come. We all need protein for our muscles, whether we’re building or maintaining them, but there’s certainly a big difference between chicken fried steak, and a lean piece of steak with small side of brown rice, and a side salad with olive oil and vinegar. To effectively lose weight, you’ll have to eat the right amount of the right foods. Most people can simply cut down the sodas, beers, or desserts and see a measurable difference. If you have your nutrition in order, you’ll need to be looking at your cardiovascular exercise levels. You’ll want to be getting up early and going for walks, jogs, swims, or bike rides on an empty stomach and then returning to a healthy meal. You’ll be burning body fat and oxygen when you do empty stomach cardio and then refueling your body with nutritious sustenance when you refuel with a proper breakfast that includes a proper mix of all 3 of the macronutrients.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight? Add up what you’re currently eating, once you’ve cleaned up your diet, and then subtract by a bit. You can also amp up your cardiovascular workouts instead, or in conjunction. Let the scale as well as how your clothes fit you be your guide. Subscribing to a generic formula will likely leave you frustrated and keep you from reaching your fitness goals.
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Andy
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