Life was good when we didn’t have to track calories but now as we have started calculating it, there has been a lot of misconception on the fact that how to calculate your calories and the deficit that you need.
Calories are the unit of energy that is commonly used to measure the energy content of foods and beverages, as well as the energy expenditure of the body. If a person needs to lose weight, he/she has to eat in a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit is a situation where a person consumes calories less than what they burn.
What is a Calorie Deficit?
We consume calories from the food that we eat and our body burns those calories to keep functioning the difference between that is known as a calorie that has to be cut to lose weight. Losing weight can be sometimes a complex problem as it is difficult to ascertain how much less calories you should eat to lose eat.
Usually, it is recommended that you should only cut 500 calories from your diet if you want to lose weight but it keeps on fluctuating according to the condition and needs of a person.
Let’s understand this with the help of some maths. Suppose you are a person of 5’7’ height and of 72 kg weight, eating approx 2500 calories a day. So, if you want to lose weight then you would have to probably cut your calorie consumption to 2000 calories a day.
It is often recommended to calculate your calories by taking the help of a nutritionist or an experienced person.
How to Calculate Calorie Needs?
You can find several ways to calculate your calorie needs. You can do it manually or through an online calculator.
If you want to calculate your calorie needs in a day and the amount of calories to be cut, you can use an online calculator.
If you choose to do it manually then calculate your daily Maintenance Calorie Intake and deduct it from Target Calorie Expenditure. Always aim for at least a 400-500 calorie deficit.
Let us understand this with the help of an example:
Suppose you are a person of age 18-22. First figure out your daily maintenance calorie. You can find the chart online.
Then deduct that calorie from target calorie expenditure. Always take the aim for at least 500 calorie reduction from daily Maintenance Calorie.
daily Maintenance Calorie: 2500
Target calorie expenditure: 2000
2500 – 2000: 500 Calories.
It means you have to least eat 500 calories less than the usual calorie consumption.
How to Create a Calorie Deficit:
There are several ways to create a calorie deficit. Once you know how many calories you have to consume, you can easily work on creating a deficit.
Diet:
As said, development starts from home. If you want to lose weight, you have to first control your mouth. You have to stop eating junk foods, street foods, or any processed food. Prefer to eat more healthy foods like Vegetables, fruits, and grains that contain protein, Vitamins and Minerals.
Physical Activity:
The more you move, the more you will burn your calories. Prefer to add some physical activity in day-to-day life. Choose to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. Perform functions manually instead of asking some help. This will help you to burn more calories.
Exercise:
It is an important part of weight loss. The diet and exercise complement each other. Exercise makes your weight loss journey more easy and fast. The research suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate activity and at least exercise 2 times a week if you want to maintain a healthy weight.
Conclusion:
In today’s world, everyone wants to be fit and active. Obesity has become a disease in this generation. If you are in a good weight condition it is considered that you are safe from most chronic diseases.
It is better to lose weight and maintain a good body rather than lying on a hospital bed contemplating about the bad choices of your life.
