How many calories do you need??
The answer is….I do not know. It is true that when managing your weight it does come down to calories in vs. calories out. So how many calories do you need? Calorie needs vary a lot person to person based on activity level, height, age, gender, genetics, stress, inflammation, hormones and muscle mass. It is tricky to figure out!
There are a few things I do know when it comes to the calorie game.
– Spread your calories out throughout the day – eat within an hour of waking and every 3-4 hours thereafter. You do not want to overeat at one meal and take in too many calories at one time.
– If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If you are eating in a way that is helping you reach your goals then keep doing what you are doing! Don’t over think things too much.
– If you are not reaching your goals lets do some digging. Take some time to figure out what is working and what isn’t. Consider logging your food and activity for a week and see if you notice some trends and habits.
– Know what is in your food! Do not waste precious calories on empty calories such as junk food or caloric beverages. Eat whole, real, nutrient dense foods to keep you satiated.
While I do not know a magic calorie level for everyone, I will say that 1600 calories per day seems to be a magic number for a lot of people. It is the most common plan I put my clients on – 4, four hundred calorie meals per day. This is not easy to do because 400 calories is a tricky number to hit – it seems too big for a breakfast or snack and way too small for a lunch or dinner. However, my clients who master the 400-calorie meal seem to have a successful experience.
Please note 1600 calories may be too small for someone with a lot of muscle mass, an endurance athlete or someone very tall or way too high for someone who is sedentary, has a low metabolism or is petite. This just seems to be a good place for many individuals to start to figure out how much they should be eating in a day.
Do you know how many calories you need? What is your magic number?