There are pros and cons of using calories to get results as I have discussed previously. If you are using a calorie approach the key question is what should my target calorie intake be?
Though equations exist to predict calorie intake the most sure fire way to find out your needs is through experimentation. Follow a certain calorie intake amount and monitor the results. The body will react in one of a few ways; it will lose fat while feeling ok to good, lose fat but feel awful or you will not lose fat, either maintaining current levels or gaining body. A final option is that you were unable to stick to the plan to test it. Based on these four reactions you simply need to change the calorie intake amount up/down to match your goal. The ultimate aim being that you know your calorie thresholds for maximum intake before gaining fat and ideal fat loss zone. With these two numbers you are in total control of your body shape and diet.
I would not be looking at calorie recommendation too much, be this from the government – They advise 2500 for men, 2000 for women, or from any calorie burning apps for exercise. My experience has been using these numbers are misleading, especially for fat loss. It is much easier to find out what you need in the real world. That being said, the question still remains.
How many Calories should I aim for?
It is difficult to say how many calories you should be eating as this ‘magic’ number is affected by many things. It is affected by –
- How big a person you are in general when not including body fat.
- How much movement you do in life, a postman would walk much further than an office worker.
- How much exercise you do.
- The strength of your metabolism.
- The temperature your body is exposed to for prolonged periods. You burn more calories working in the cold park than the warm office.
Experimentally you can simply pick a calorie number then see your reactions and adjust the diet from there. As an opening position for fat loss could be –
Sedentary women should start at 1200 Calories
Active women should start at 1500 Calories
Sedentary men should start at 1500 Calories
Active Men should start at 1800 Calories
These numbers can vary a lot if you train with high volumes and likewise be much less if you do not move at all. Using a Fit Bit or other types of Pedometer will reveal how active you are. Through following and experimenting with the calorie intake amounts you should be able to find the level at which body fat is lost.
From this threshold you can predict the intake amount for the maximum fat gaining threshold. Where on average it is about 50% more calories than used to lose fat.
Calories to lose fat Max intake calories
900 1350
1200 1800
1400 2100
1600 2400
1800 2700
2000 3000
2200 3300
2500 3750
Once you have the calorie numbers you can work out your ideal macro nutrients as discussed in the articles on protein, carb and fat intake. It does not take too long to find your calorie numbers.
Your Needs Can Change Over Time
Metabolism is not static. If you eat on or above your daily needs your body will begin to increase its metabolic rate and how many calories you need per day will go up. This is especially true if eating “clean”. Which then leads to the problem of not being able to eat enough healthy food (as ‘clean’ eating generally fills you up quickly) to maximise your health. Likewise, when you are undereating, especially for prolonged periods of dieting you will begin to need less calories per day. Other factors also affect the overall calorie needs include exercise and your movement levels etc. If these change in life (buy a car, change jobs, injury etc) then so must your food intake.
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Green Park is a small park right in the middle of London between Buckingham Place and Piccadilly. Green Park is very popular due to the many people arriving at Green Park tube station to visit the Royal Mall and Palace.
