How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day?

Whether you count them or not, calories play a big role in your everyday health and fitness.

Calories are the energy units of the food you eat. The more calories an item has, the greater the energy potential. But there’s a catch, and a big one – if you don’t use them up and burn them off, those calories can be stored as fat. And that means weight gain.

This is why calories are important when you’re dieting or trying to lose weight. Low calorie foods are going to have less of an impact.

Generally speaking, higher calorie foods contain more fat and carbohydrates. This is because fat has the highest calories count, at 9 calories per gram of fat. Carbohydrates and protein even out at 4 calories per gram. And alcohol is pretty close to fat at 7 calories per gram.

It’s important to keep in mind these basic principles of caloric content. Avoiding unhealthy fats and simple carbohydrates (sugars) can go a long way to reduce your daily calorie intake and avoid gaining weight.

How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day?

This is a question that’s often debated, but it really shouldn’t be. If you’re living an active lifestyle consisting of both cardiovascular and resistance training, counting calories really isn’t necessary.

What I mean is that you don’t need to worry as much about calories when you’re already burning fat and boosting your metabolism on a regular basis. In fact, there is recent research showing that a more variable calorie intake (having some days where you eat more and some where you eat less) can actually lead to more fat loss over time.

That being said, calorie counting can be useful for some, especially those who have restrictions on their mobility or who need to lose a lot of weight. If you’re one of these people, or if you just want to try a different approach to dieting, here’s what I recommend in terms of daily calorie intake:

Sedentary Lifestyle: 1800 to 2200 calories per day
Moderately Active Lifestyle (~3 days a week exercise): 2200 to 2500 calories per day
Active Lifestyle (5 or more days a week intensive exercise): 2500 to 3000 calories per day or more

These are really rough guidelines, but they offer a pretty decent starting point and should give you an idea of what you need to fuel your body. Other recommendations suggest 2200 calories per day for women and 2700 calories per day for men, on average.

Generally speaking, women require fewer calories than men, and more calories are needed as we get older. But again, these are really rough guidelines. You should always use your body weight and measurements as your primary indicators of health.

Fat Loss Tips and Tricks

If calories aren’t your thing, or if you want to boost your weight loss results even further, here are 3 items you should add to your diet today:

Nutiva Organic Chia Seeds – High in protein and fiber, this super food will help keep your metabolism high and your blood glucose levels stable.
Nutiva Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil – Cooking with this stuff will give you a major fat-burning boost, with its unique healthy fat content.
NOW Spirulina Powder – Another super food, you can add this one to your protein shakes or smoothies and pack a major fat-burning punch!

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How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day?