How to Calculate Calories for Weight Loss

How to Calculate Calories for Weight Loss

Have you ever heard of the term “calories in versus calories out” in reference to weight loss? It is no secret that you must calculate calories for weight loss and successfully reach a daily calorie deficit to see notable results.

However, everyone’s bodies burn calories at a different rate based on their age, gender, current weight, height, and even their lifestyle and daily routines. This is why it is important to become mindful of how much you are consuming and what a calorie deficit diet looks like for your body!

Solely relying on online calculators to help you maintain and keep track of your daily calories may not be the best option as they do not always report the most accurate information.

Health and Nutrition perfectly summarized why calorie counters can be inaccurate when they stated, “Your body is not a robot and can’t be summarized by mathematical equations and one-sized-fits-all targets. There are many factors that influence our weight with some factors we can change and others we can’t change such as our age, gender, family history, personal genetics, and some medical conditions.”

We have uncovered the secret to the perfect weight loss solution! Here, we discuss how to accurately determine your daily calorie intake to achieve a healthy calorie deficit to lose weight.

Adjust Your Eating Habits

Adjusting your daily eating habits can greatly impact your weight with you (or your appetite) barely even noticing a difference. The first step to adjusting your eating habits is to pinpoint why you want to eat at that moment. Are you hungry, or are you just bored?

A study reported on NCBI concluded that their, “findings support our hypothesis about how and why eating may emerge from common experiences like boredom.” That is, when people are bored they often resort to eating when they are not actually hungry. To prevent this, try to pause before you eat to question if you are actually hungry or not.

To further adjust your eating habits, it is important to recognize and cut out calorie-dense foods that may not make you feel full. Only 1gm of fat contains 9 calories while 1 gm of sugar contains 4 calories; that’s a lot for such a little amount! People over consume calorie dense foods, overshooting their daily allotted calories, when they should swap out sugary soft drinks such as Coca-Cola and heavy desserts with fresh juice and delectable fruits.

Drinking more water is also a proven method to help diminish cravings, assist with digestion, and improve weight loss efforts! Healthline reviewed a study about water in relation to weight loss, and the conclusions were impressive! “A study of overweight women examined the effects of increasing water intake to over 1 liter (34 oz) per day. They found that over 12 months, this resulted in an extra 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of weight loss. Since these women didn’t make any lifestyle changes except to drink more water, these results are very impressive.”

Preplanning your meals is a sure way to keep you on track! Putting in the effort to prepare and plot out your next meal is a self-encouraging method many people use to eat healthier and to stay on track. Furthermore, those who know a ready meal is waiting for them in the refrigerator at home are less likely to make a pit stop at a fast-food restaurant and have a healthy balance of variety in their diet (NCBI).

Calculate Your Daily Calorie Intake

Once you have adjusted your daily eating habits and have formed a routine out of removing calorie-dense foods, drinking more water, and planning out your meals, it is time to move on to the next step! Writing down everything you eat on a daily basis is a proven strategy for weight loss.

Not only does it keep you mindful of what you are consuming, but it also helps you visualize how much you have eaten throughout the day. Sometimes, when it is late at night and we are craving ice cream we forget the large stack of pancakes and syrup we had that morning.

Download MyFitnessPal, a daily calorie intake calculator, to determine the calories of all of the foods you are eating as you go through your day. We recommend creating a spreadsheet to help you report your calories as this will also allow you to look back and see where adjustments need to be made!

Weigh Yourself on a Daily Basis

Establish a habit out of calculating your daily calorie intake. Make sure you are eating enough while not overdoing it! Losing weight is a delicate balance between fueling your body but also not packing in so much food that you gain weight.

WEigh yourself each day to see how your daily routine has impacted your weight. If you begin to lose weight at a steady pace, that means that your strategies are working. Maintaining the same weight or even gaining weight is an indicator that you may need to adjust how many calories you are consuming each day.

After all, “A calorie deficit occurs when the number of calories a person consumes in a day is smaller than the number of calories they burn” (Medical News Today). Maintenance calorie intake is how much you can eat to maintain the same weight you are currently at. A deficit calorie intake needs to be as high as 500 calories from your maintenance calorie intake to see significant results. 

Bonus Tip

Making it a point to work out and move throughout your day will further your weight loss efforts! Significant daily movement is a proven method to give your weight loss journey a nudge in the right direction while also improving your overall health. Whether you schedule intense daily workouts or just make it a point to walk an hour on a daily basis, you will be making a significant impact on

Adjusting your daily eating habits, calculating your calorie intake each day, and monitoring your weight are the three keys to successful weight loss! Furthermore, for consistent results, it is essential for you to accurately monitor your weight and make adjustments to the number of calories you eat each day to achieve your desired results.

Need a weight loss plan that is tailored for you? Reach Out to us today to get started!