Joe's Journal - How many calories do I need?
So you want to lose weight, and you want to know where you can start. This is the right place. In this post we will take a look into what it takes to lose, or gain weight at a relatively consistent rate.
The numbers will be general, and an estimate. This will help you start your own journey to your health and fitness goals. You are certainly capable of doing it, many others have done it and many others are in this journey with you. A group of people to support you is the most useful thing you can have in this process. Let’s dive into it!
What is my current calorie intake?
Body weight(lbs) x (11 if male, 10 if female) + 500 = Daily calories for current body weight
This is a great start, if you don’t already know your total calorie intake. This number is a ballpark number. This number will fluctuate higher or lower, but is a great place to start.
Here is an important number, 3,500. That is the general number of calories in 1 pound of body tissue (7,700 = 1kg). Now let’s go into the goals.
I want to lose weight, what do I do?
First:
3,500 / 7 = 500 calories
Second:
Daily calories - 500 = New calorie goal
This is your new calorie goal each day. Try to meet, but do not exceed this number on a daily basis. Reducing your daily intake by 500 calories will lead up to a loss of 1 lb over a 7-day period.
I want to gain weight, so is it the reverse? Yes!
Daily calories + 500 = New calorie goal
Let’s walk through this with an example. Sarah is a female that weighs 130 lbs (59kg). She wants to lose weight.
Total calories: 130 x 10 + 500 = 1,800 total calories
New calorie goal: 1,800 - 500 = 1,300 calories
An important note, losing 1 pound for Sarah feels much different than someone who weighs 180 lbs losing 1 lb (approximately 500 calories difference). So perhaps Sarah doesn’t want to lose 1 lb per week, rather 0.5 lb per week. Let’s look at that example:
Total calories: 130 x 10 + 500 = 1,800 total calories
New calorie goal: 1,800 - 250 = 1,550
This latter example helps with keeping sanity in the process! It isn’t necessarily about how fast you lose the weight, rather you get to your goal in a healthy and sustainable way.
Congratulations, this is the beginning of your weight goal! I highly recommend an app to help you track your calories. My Fitness Pal is a commonly used app, and a great start. A spreadsheet works just as well. Do what fits you the most! Remember, it’s about reaching your goal, be honest with yourself and find a rate that works for you!
If you’d like to learn more, or would like a deeper dive into more granular information, feel free to head over to our Instagram page to leave feedback!