Women how many calories a day to lose weight

After entering your information into the calorie calculator, you'll receive a daily calorie goal. This is the number of calories you should eat each day to reach your desired weight in the time frame that you set. If weight loss is your goal, a calorie deficit is factored into your recommended daily caloric intake. A calorie deficit is simply an energy shortfall—consuming fewer calories than you use—so your body burns stored fat excess weight for fuel.

You can create a calorie deficit by eating less than your body needs. You can also burn extra calories by increasing your physical activity. Combining the two a balanced diet and exercise is a healthy strategy for losing weight. While it may be tempting to dramatically restrict your calorie intake, a very low-calorie diet fewer than to calories per day can backfire and should only be followed with a doctor's supervision to ensure that it meets your nutritional needs.

Other dietary strategies that can assist with weight loss include:. If you are trying to gain weight, your daily calorie goal will include a calorie surplus. The key to making this gain healthy involves following a few simple guidelines:. Several pieces of research have sought to find the best ways to maintain one's current weight, especially after successful weight loss.

An analysis of many of these studies reports that results are mixed as to what strategies may work best. However, many of these studies did find that following a higher-protein diet might help with weight maintenance.

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols was also suggested as an effective approach to sustaining a healthy weight. You can eat whatever you want and lose weight as long as you stay in your calorie range.

That said, it might be hard to stay in this range if you don't eat nutritious foods. Plus, empty-calorie foods don't provide your body with the nutrients you need to live an active, well life. And when you eat junk food, you're likely to get hungry more often and overeat as a result.

Conversely, healthy foods help you to feel strong, energized, and satiated. If you factored exercise into the equation when using the online calculator, you should not eat more if you exercise. Your daily calorie goal the calculator result has already accounted for the additional physical activity. If you didn't factor in exercise when using the calculator and you added a workout session to your day, the calories burned during exercise will increase your calorie deficit. If you don't eat back your exercise calories, the increased deficit can result in weight loss or greater weight loss.

Be careful, though, because it is very easy to eat more calories than you burn after exercise. This can lead to weight gain versus weight loss or maintenance. There are different ways that you can keep track of your daily calorie intake.

These services allow you to input the food you've eaten along with your portion size and automatically calculate your daily calorie intake. There are also activity trackers, like Fitbit, which help you count daily food calories and daily exercise calories. If you're not a fan of tech gadgets, use a weight loss journal or write your calories in a notebook to keep track of your daily numbers.

There is no "best" diet because we are all so different, with different lifestyles and different needs. The diet that will work best for you is the one you can stick to. For some people, a do-it-yourself program is best. Others benefit from the structured approach of a commercial weight loss program. To determine which is best for you, ask yourself key questions about your lifestyle.

Do you cook? How much time do you have to shop for healthy food? What is your budget? Use your responses to choose a diet that best fits your needs. Even though your total calorie intake matters, all calories are not created equal. Calories from nutritious food sources will help you to feel full longer, provide fuel for your daily activity, and improve your well-being.

So what are nutritious foods? Health experts recommend that you fill your plate with:. Empty calories can leave you feeling hungry, increase your food cravings, and even increase fatigue. You'll find them in processed foods that contain added sugars , trans fat, excess fat, and calories.

They may provide energy but not the fiber , vitamins, and minerals you need. There are many factors that contribute to weight loss success. If you don't lose weight right away, it doesn't mean that you have failed or done something wrong.

It might simply mean that you need to stick to your program longer for weight loss to happen. Evaluate your eating and exercise habits to see if there are adjustments you can make to reach your goal.

There may also be medical reasons that you can't lose weight. So talk to your healthcare provider if you are concerned. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a registered dietitian for personalized nutrition advice.

If you have a higher amount of weight to lose, they might also talk to you about weight loss medications or weight-loss surgeries to help you lose weight. So, if you determine you burn 2, calories per day, you need between 1, and 1, calories per day to lose weight. Larger or more active women can eat more and still lose weight, while more petite women may need to restrict calories further to see results.

For some people, the to 1, calorie deficit is just too aggressive. It requires portion sizes that are just too small, and it leaves you hungry and dissatisfied. Gradual weight loss does tend to be most sustainable in the long run, however. Functional medicine specialist, Dr. Mark Hyman, contends that although all calories are technically processed into the same amount of energy, they're not equal when it comes to satiation and nutrient value. When reducing your calorie intake, cut back first on empty calories such as refined grains, soda, sweets and saturated fats.

Focus instead on getting the calories you do eat from whole, unprocessed foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein, whole grains, dairy and unsaturated fats. Foods with high levels of fiber and water or high-protein foods tend to be most satisfying and filling.

Bakery products and higher fat foods are less likely to fill you up, but they usually contain large amounts of calories. If you're like some women, the only way for you to achieve your weight-loss goal is to eat fewer than 1, calories per day, so it's probably time to reevaluate your goals. You'll likely lose valuable muscle mass, battle extreme hunger, have little energy for daily activity -- let alone exercise -- suffer nutrient deficiencies and slow your metabolism when you try to sustain a diet that's so low in calories.

Instead of trying to subsist on such a low number of calories, increase your daily calorie burn. Energy needs decrease as you get older. In fact, men between the ages of 31—59 need about 2,—3, calories per day to maintain their weight 7. Meanwhile, men who are over 60 generally require 2,—2, calories per day to maintain their weight. Men who are very active or have certain health conditions may require a higher number of calories.

The number of calories that you need can also vary within this range based on your height and weight. Energy needs for children and teens vary based on their sex and age. A 3-year-old child might need only 1, calories, but a teenager can require closer to 3, calories 7. Simply put, a calorie is a unit that measures energy. Calories are usually used to measure the energy content of foods and beverages. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns each day.

Conversely, to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you expend 1. Developing a healthy diet and lifestyle plan that will help you lose weight and keep it off in the long term requires much more than determining your current calorie needs and then eating fewer calories on a daily basis 9. Although decreasing the number of calories you consume can be effective for weight loss, cutting calories without considering which foods you eat is not a sustainable way to lose weight.

For example, choosing more nutrient-dense foods — think whole grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits — will benefit your health more than opting for nutrient-poor ones like soda, donuts, and candy.

When it comes to losing weight, protein is incredibly important. Studies show that increasing your intake of protein may help keep you full and curb your appetite 10 , Protein may also help fight cravings. According to some research, high protein snacks can help enhance feelings of fullness while also decreasing hunger and appetite Plus, in addition to promoting weight loss, some research suggests that maintaining a high protein eating pattern could help prevent or reduce weight regain and help maintain muscle mass 13 , Therefore, if you want to achieve long-lasting, sustainable weight loss, consider increasing your protein intake by adding foods like eggs, meat, poultry, tofu, nuts, seeds, or legumes to your diet.

Increasing your protein intake can help you stay satisfied and consume fewer calories. This may help you lose weight and keep it off.

Another relatively easy change you can make is to limit your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, including sodas, fruit juices , chocolate milk, and other beverages with added sugar. Additionally, studies suggest that consuming sugary drinks is associated with an increased risk of obesity 16 , The harmful effects of sugar also go far beyond weight gain. In fact, added sugar can contribute to other health issues, including heart disease, liver problems, and type 2 diabetes Sugar-sweetened beverages are high in calories and added sugar.

Additionally, they affect your hunger and satiety less significantly than solid foods and have been linked to a higher risk of obesity. One simple thing you can do for your health is drink more water. Adequate hydration is associated with improved brain health and weight management, as well as a reduced kidney stone risk When combined with a healthy diet, drinking more water, especially before meals, appears to be helpful if you need to lose weight.