Losing weight can be confusing, especially when calories are involved. If you are starting to feel like your weight loss plan is more of a complicated math problem, you aren’t alone. So how many calories should you be eating to lose weight?
The number of calories you should consume to lose weight will vary depending on a variety of factors such as your height, weight, age, gender, body composition, and activity level. A calorie range for one person will be different than a calorie range for another. For healthy weight loss and maintenance, practice portion control and incorporate regular physical activity.
There are many tools available online that can help you to identify what a good calorie range for you might be depending on these factors, but they should be taken with a grain of salt. For more personalized needs, consider meeting with a Registered Dietitian. Let’s look at some ways to determine your calorie needs for weight loss.
Based on our research, we found that getting a meal plan helps you remain consistent with your calorie counting and avoids unnecessary snacking.
Contents
- How Many Calories Do You Burn in A Day If You Weigh 200 Pounds?
- How Much Weight Can a 200 Pound Person Lose in a Month?
- How Can I Lose Weight if I’m Over 200 Pounds?
- Is It Healthy to Eat 1,200 Calories a Day?
- How Can I Calculate How Many Calories to Eat in a Day?
- Do I Need to Count Calories to Lose Weight?
- Do I Need to Count Calories to Lose Belly Fat?
- How to Count Calories
- Should You Count Calories Daily or Weekly?
- Is Counting Calories the Best Way to Lose Weight?
- How Else Can I Lose Weight Besides Counting Calories?
- Related Guides
How Many Calories Do You Burn in A Day If You Weigh 200 Pounds?
Your calorie needs for weight loss may fluctuate because your height, weight, gender, age, and body composition determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR). That is the rate of calories your body burns at rest.
For example, a male who is 6-foot 2 inches and weighs 200 pounds but has 6% body fat will burn far more calories at rest than a woman who is 5-foot 2 inches, weighs 200 pounds, and is 40% body fat.
Because of the difference in BMR, the 6-foot 2 male will require significantly higher calories than the 5-foot 2 female.
How Much Weight Can a 200 Pound Person Lose in a Month?
The amount of weight a person will lose in a month will depend on the depth of the changes they are making and would be incredibly difficult to estimate. A healthy weight loss is often a steady weight loss, not a rapid one. This is estimated to be anywhere between 1-2 pounds per week or 4-8 pounds per month for any individual [1].
How Can I Lose Weight if I’m Over 200 Pounds?
A healthy way to lose weight if you are over 200 pounds, or at any weight, is to focus on the quality of your diet, practice portion control, and incorporate regular physical activity. Although restrictive diet plans may be tempting, if it is not a sustainable change then you will likely find yourself gaining the weight back.
Take small steps to create healthy habits. Focus on cutting down on processed foods, such as chips, cookies, crackers, and sweets. Instead, swap out for more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
The key to any weight loss is to have a calorie deficit, which means you are burning more than you are taking in. To do this, work on practicing your portion control during meals and snacks. A good way to balance your plate and your portions is to practice the MyPlate method. This method, created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses a typical dinner plate to break down your meals. This plate should include ½ fruits and veggies, ¼ starch, and ¼ protein [2].
Is It Healthy to Eat 1,200 Calories a Day?
Calorie requirements for weight loss will differ from one person to the next. Most adults will require more than 1,200 calories a day, even during weight loss. Any diet that restricts calories to 1,400 or less is likely too restrictive and should be avoided.
Choosing a low-calorie diet can show weight loss initially. However, they are often not sustainable for the long-term and will inevitably result in rebound weight gain.
If you are curious what a good calorie range for you might be, check out the National Institute of Health’s Body Weight Planner for an easy reference. For more tailored calorie recommendations, consider meeting with a qualified professional, such as a Registered Dietitian
How Can I Calculate How Many Calories to Eat in a Day?
If you are wanting more guidance on what your calorie range should be for weight loss, consider using an online calculator to help you find your numbers. When choosing this online calculator, be sure to choose one from a reputable source, such as the one mentioned above the from National Institute of health.
Avoid using calorie predictors from sources such as MyFitnessPal, Noom or other diet sites. It can be easy to come up with a simple formula but remember that calories for weight loss are not one-size-fits-all.
Do I Need to Count Calories to Lose Weight?
When considering losing weight, counting calories is usually the first place people will start. This stems from the knowledge that we require a calorie deficit to lose weight. However, you don’t need to count calories to have successful weight loss. In fact, more sustainable weight loss results can be best achieved by focusing more on portion control versus counting calories.
Counting calories can be tedious, frustrating, and often results in us focusing more on the number of calories available to consume and less on our hunger and satiety cues. Counting calories has also been found to be associated with disordered eating behaviors and harvesting increased risk for eating disorders. Rest assured that calories are not the most important thing when it comes to weight loss; there are many other ways to create a calorie deficit without counting out your calories each day.
Do I Need to Count Calories to Lose Belly Fat?
Unfortunately, research has proven that there is currently no way to target a specific area for fat loss. Your best bet is to incorporate strength training exercises that focus on that area the help build muscle and tone versus counting calories specifically to lose belly fat.
Although counting calories does help with weight loss for some, and this can include the belly region, those with stubborn belly fat may not have as much luck. Choosing a healthy diet, low in processed foods and rich in fruits and vegetables is the best way to help reduce overall body fat along with regular physical activity
Counting calories can be simple or it can be complex. Either way, it’s pretty tedious. The easiest way to keep track of your calorie intake is to download a calorie tracking app. If you prefer, you can track your calories manually with a notebook, but this is even more tedious than using an app.
Common App people prefer for keeping track of their calorie intake include MyFitnessPal and the LoseIt app. To start, you need to make note of what you are eating, preferrable logging before you sit down and eat to avoid forgetting your portions or forgetting a meal and snack in general. If you typically have a breakfast sandwich, you will need to log the calories in the ingredients of that sandwich to find out how many calories the entire meal contains.
For example, you consumed a breakfast sandwich that was composed of 1 egg, 1 piece of bacon, 1 piece of cheddar cheese, and a sourdough English muffin. Keep in mind that calories per serving will differ for certain foods depending on the brand. Always check the food label for calorie information.
Should You Count Calories Daily or Weekly?
If you are choosing to keep track of your calorie intake for weight loss, you will achieve the best results by counting calories daily versus weekly. This will ensure you are staying within a daily calorie goal and not under-consuming some days and over-consuming others.
If we limit our calorie tracking to weekly, we may find ourselves overdoing it and then restricting too heavily towards the end of the week to make up for it. To achieve healthy weight loss results, it’s important to try and consume around the same amount daily. Of course, there will be some fluctuations, but we don’t want them to be significantly different from day-to-day.
Is Counting Calories the Best Way to Lose Weight?
Counting calories can be helpful for those who have never done it before. Tracking out intake can be eye-opening and allow us to realize where important adjustments need to be made.
However, historically calorie counting is difficult to sustain, and choosing a more suitable long-term approach, such as portion control, is more successful. This means learning what a portion of your foods should look like, while also paying attention to your hunger and satiety cues so you can feel satisfied during your meals without worrying about going over your calorie goal.
How Else Can I Lose Weight Besides Counting Calories?
Instead of counting calories, focus on portion control and choosing high-quality foods that will keep you satisfied. This means reducing highly processed foods, which tend to be higher in calories, carbs, and fat, and often leave us wanting more. Instead, reach for minimally processed whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, etc. Practice the MyPlate method mentioned above to build a balanced plate that will keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Don’t forget about physical activity. Although adding in exercise alone will not result in significant weight loss, when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, exercise provides a tremendous benefit.
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