Calories Still Count

Over the past several years we heard less about how many calories you should eat a day to lose weight and more about no carbs/low carbs, high protein, clean eating, gluten free, drink at least 8 glasses of water, juicing, etc. However, the reality still is, as it was years and years ago, you have to eat less calories than you expend to lose weight. I feel like we got lost in behavior modifications on cutting calories. Many of these approaches are primarily aimed at easier ways to reduce calories. Sadly, what has happened is that many of us feel we can have half a chicken or large steak as long as we paired it with just a salad. Or cut out carbs or go gluten free and we'll lose weight. I too fell into that. I avoided bread for years with little to no effect on my weight. I also drank loads of water in the hopes that it would keep me full longer and flush the fat away.

To compound things, most of us hate counting calories. But you really do need to have a sense of how much you should eat. Essentially, you should aim for approximately 500 calories less per day to lose approximately 1 pound per week. This could be a combination of food and exercise. Sometimes I have seen where it's recommended for women to eat 1400 calories and no less than 1200 calories per day. However, YOUR caloric intake should be based on a number of factors, not just gender. Try CalorieKing to see how many calories you should eat daily. This site considers your current weight, age, gender and activity level. Another option is myfitnesspal.

One important point is that as you lose weight you will need to lower your calories. So it's best to base your calories on where you are now rather than go for a lower number that will make it difficult to sustain over time. So bookmark CalorieKing and go back to it every 10 or 20 pounds later.

As you journey to a being healthy and fit keep a keen eye on the number of calories you can consume daily. And don't be confused by strategies, tactics, behavior modification tips to help you do so.



Image courtesy of Naypong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net