If you’ve been researching how to lose fat or gain muscle, you have no doubt stumbled upon the topic of calories; after all, that’s why you’re here.
If you type “how many calories should I eat” into Google, you’ll be flooded with results written by people who don’t really know what they’re talking about. They’ll tell you that it doesn’t matter, or that you don’t need to count calories, but, how many of them can say they have washboard abs? I’m willing to bet that not one of them can.
Let me reassure you that you’re on the right track, despite any conflicting information you see out there. No matter if your goal is to lose 150 lbs and look stunning on the beach, or gain 30 lbs of muscle for football camp, you must pay close attention to the calories you’re putting into your body – at least for a little while.
If anyone tries to tell you that you don’t have to count calories, they either lack sufficient knowledge on the subject, or they’re just plain old lying to you in order to make a dollar (it’s sad, but i’m sorry to say it happens all the time).
Calories In vs. Calories Out
Indeed, the old ‘calories in vs. calories out’ theory is the most important concept to remember when it comes to nutrition. What this theory states is quite simple:
- If you eat more calories than your body uses during a day, you will gain weight.
- If you eat less calories than your body uses during a day, you will lose weight.
- If you eat the same amount of calories that your body uses during a day, you will maintain your weight.
This concept is simple, but I really want to drive it home, as it is the bottom line when it comes to changing your body’s composition. If you don’t master this concept, you will more than likely fail at your attempts to improve your physique. It helps to visualize your body as a storage tank.
Your body uses calories in food to obtain the energy it needs to carry out the cellular processes that are necessary to sustain life. If you consume more calories than you need, these extra calories will be stored in fat tissue. When you eat fewer calories than you need, your body will need extra energy so it breaks down the deposits of fat tissue (adipose tissue) already present on the body to get the energy it needs.
When people say they’re “burning” fat, they simply mean that they’re releasing the stored calories from their storage tank (body). On the other hand, if you’re consuming more calories than you need, your storage tank (body) will only become larger.
[The milkshake on the left has more calories than the turkey burger and ice cream on the right. Which do you think will fill you up and satisfy you more? It's not just calorie quantity that counts, it's also calorie quality]
Counting Calories Saves Time
If you’re not counting calories, there is no way for you to know for sure if you’re eating more or less calories than your body needs. You’re basically shooting for a target in the dark… without a flashlight, or night vision, or infrared… you get my point.
What’s the point in going to the gym and spending an hour on a treadmill.. or working your butt off in the weight room if you don’t know for sure that it will pay off? I don’t care how long you do cardio for, if you aren’t getting a calorie deficit by the end of the day, you are not going to lose weight. Period. This is the bottom line when it comes to weight loss.
It doesn’t matter if you’re eating nothing but healthy food either, the ‘calories in vs. calories out’ rule supersedes all. You could eat only apples all day long, but if you have too many, you’ll still gain weight.
My Point? Stop wasting your time and start counting calories. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month and not after your birthday. Now.
A problem that lots of people come across is finding out just how many calories are in the foods that they normally eat. I too had this problem when I started counting calories, until I found ‘The Complete Book of Food Counts: The Book That Counts It All’ by Corrine T. Netzer. It’s by far the most comprehensive and all-encompassing calorie counter that I’ve seen. I’ve yet to come across a food item (even from popular fast food chains and restaurants) that it doesn’t have nutritional information on. It’s available in most major book stores, or you can get it here
How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day?
Now, in order for any of this information to be useful to you, you’ll need to determine the number of calories that you require on a daily basis. This is your maintenance level. Then you’ll need to adjust this number depending on your goal (i.e. if you want to lose weight, build muscle, etc.).
Your daily caloric needs depend on a number of factors including height, body mass, muscle to fat ratio (lean body mass), age, gender, genetics, health, and your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is simply the total number of calories required to keep your body functioning while at rest over the course of a single day. Things like digestion and respiration function are included in this, but not your activity level.
Your BMR usually consists of two-thirds of your total daily calorie expenditure (TDEE), the other one-third is from activity and movement throughout the day.
Don’t Let the Math Scare You
The following looks a little bit like math class, but don’t let that scare you off. It’s not hard, and you’ll be extremely glad you took the time to figure it out.
The following formula calculates your BMR based on height, weight, age, and gender. It also considers the amount of calories you burn by exercise. For the average person, this formula will do the trick nicely:
Step 1
First, calculate your BMR according to this formula:
Men
BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
Or
BMR = 655 + (4.354 X weight in lbs) + (4.569 X height in inches) – (4.7 X age in years)
Women
BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)
Or
BMR = 655 + (4.354 X weight in lbs) + (4.569 X height in inches) – (4.7 X age in years)
Step 2
Once you’ve calculated your BMR, you need to then multiply your BMR by one of the following activity factors to find out your TDEE (total daily calorie expenditure).
- Sedentary = BMR x 1.2 (little or no exercise, probably a desk job)
- Lightly Active = BMR x 1.375 (Light exercise or sports 1-3 days a week)
- Mod. Active = BMR x 1.55 (Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week)
- Very Active = BMR x 1.725 (Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
The final value is your TDEE, or your maintenance level. This is the amount of calories you should eat per day to stay at your current weight.
Do You Want to Lose Fat, or gain Muscle? Adjusting Your Calorie Intake According To Your Goal
Once you’ve discovered your personal daily caloric requirements from the above formula, you then need to adjust your calorie intake to meet your specific goal. It is very important that you establish one goal and to stick to it. When I talk to many people, their goal is to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. While it is possible to lose a lot of fat and gain a tiny amount of muscle, or gain a lot of muscle and lose a tiny amount of fat at the same time; it’s more or less physiologically impossible to gain a lot of muscle and lose a lot of fat at the same time. The only situations where it is possible to lose a lot of fat and gain a lot of muscle are as follows:
- If fat burning drugs or anabolic steroids are used.
- In advanced bodybuilders or athletes after a long lay off. This simply implies that these individuals are regaining what muscle they had previously lost. Regained muscle is often easier built than new muscle.
- In genetic “superiors”.
- In the beginner. Individuals who are starting to exercise for the first time are often extremely responsive to this training. It’s common to see very rapid strength and size gains in this period.
For the average person, it is a wise idea to commit yourself 100% to your most important goal. If you have a lot of fat to lose, I suggest adjusting your calories for fat loss. Once you’ve lost this fat you can then reanalyze your goals and adjust your calorie intake from there. If it’s more important to you to gain lean muscle mass, I suggest adjusting your calories for muscle gain. Just how much should you adjust your daily caloric intake for your specific goal? Let’s have a look:
- For fat loss, you need to create a calorie deficit. The recommended amount would be to aim for 500 calories below your TDEE, or maintenance level (remember, that’s the final number from the above calculation). For example, If you have a TDEE of 2300 calories a day, creating a deficit of 500 calories (either through calorie cutting in your diet, or through exercise) will allow your body to safely and steadily lose fat. It will accomplish this while not providing a big enough calorie deficit to have a significant negative affect on your metabolism.
- To gain lean muscle mass, you need to create a calorie surplus. Aim for 500 calories above your maintenance level and engage in a progressive weight-training program.
- If your goal is simply to maintain your weight, you should aim to simply keep your caloric intake at your maintenance level, or TDEE.
Extreme Cases
For some, it may be necessary to create a calorie deficit larger than 500 calories to see good results. If you have an extremely large amount of fat to lose, you can create a deficit of up to 1000 calories.
It is very important that you never create a deficit that’s larger than this. Further reduction in calories would start a severe slowing of the body’s metabolism, and your fat loss along with it. For a more specific caloric value that is tailored to your body weight, try reducing calories by 15-20% below your maintenance level.
It’s also important to never have a calorie deficit so large that you surpass the minimum recommended daily caloric intake levels that the American College of Sports Medicine have outlined. These minimum levels are 1200 calories per day for women, and 1800 calories per day for men.
If you’re a man, and you have a TDEE of 2500 calories, creating a deficit of 1000 calories would bring you below your minimum recommended level, which will do you more harm than good in the long run (due to a rapidly slowing metabolic rate). As long as you have a daily deficit no greater than 1000 calories, and never cross your minimum levels of calorie intake, you will achieve steady and predictable fat loss.
Recalculate your Total Daily Calorie Expenditure (TDEE) Every 2-3 Months
Use the same equation from above to recalculate your your TDEE every 2-3 months. As you work out and your body changes, your TDEE will naturally change as well. If you continue to use a calorie deficit or surplus that was calculated for the body you had 6 months or a year ago, you may well be eating the incorrect amount of calories for your new body to see optimal results. It’s better to be safe and quickly recalculate your TDEE with your new bodyweight/activity level everyone once in a while.
Don’t Count Calories Forever
It’s important for you to know that you don’t have to count calories forever. My recommendation is to count calories for 6 months. At first, this may seem tedious. After a while you’ll get used to it, and it will become more of a habit that doesn’t interfere in your life.
After counting calories for a few months, you’ll get a hang for it and will be able to eyeball the amount of food that you require instead of weighing it out. You’ll know what I mean when you get there. When you get to that point you can safely stop counting calories. Just remember to continue using the same amount of the foods you normally eat.
If you can become the master of the calories that you put in your body, you will be ahead of 90% of people you see in the gym. It’s worth the time and effort if you’re serious about your body.
What Happens If I Just Can’t Fit Counting Calories Into My Life?
I highly recommend counting calories for at least 6 months, but if you honestly feel like you just couldn’t do it or your busy life is already jam-packed and you don’t think you can find the time, then I’d say that your best bet would be a complete nutrition and weight loss program like The Diet Solution. This guide is based on real foods and doesn’t require you to count calories to be successful.
Here’s to your success,
Josh
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
Responded to your inbox, Andrew
Josh
Hi Josh,
I am 30 yrs old, I weigh 113 lbs. I recently retired from a long career of dancing, and even though I exercise 6 days a week, I have packed some pounds (6 lbs to be exact). I know I am not overweight nor fat but I just want to prove myself that I can keep my shape without my ballet class. My BMR is 1,297.6… should I just cut those 97.6 calories from my diet? Or should I increase my exercise? I’m trying out the HIIT since my problem area is the fat around my tummy. Should that do?
Thank you ! And thank you for this wonderful site!
Yes, I would only cut those 100 or so calories. There is a minimum threshold that you definitely shouldn’t cross. I’d also increase your exercise, ideally, a combination of HIIT, low intensity cardio, and weight training would do the trick. And thank you for the compliment! Hope this helps,
Josh
Hey Josh,
I’m an 18 year old male who eats healthy and works out every day. Does the above equation for BMR apply to late teenagers too? Perhaps it finds the BMR for the average person – but what about those with extremely high metabolisms? It surely can’t apply to everyone!
Hey Mike,
The BMR will apply to everyone, since it takes into consideration nearly every factor influencing someones BMR. The only way you could possibly get a more accurate calculation would be if you knew your LBM (lean body mass percentage). However, even with that, the difference between the calculation in the article and a calculation including your LBM is usually statistically insignificant. Since you workout all the time, you should use a very high activity level in your calculation, and all should be well.
Hope this helps,
Josh
Hi Josh,
I’m an 18 year old male, I work out every day, and I keep a strict healthy diet. I have my doubts about the above equation to find your BMR. I feel like peoples’ BMR can vary drastically from the given equation. Some of my friends definitely eat more calories than they should, yet do not gain weight.
My main question is, at 18 years old, shouldn’t it be unnecessary to count calories because my metabolism is high enough to eat all of the healthy food that my body craves?
Thanks.
At 18 years old, if you have an extremely fast metabolism, it may not be necessary to count calories for you to achieve the body you want. If that’s the case, you (and your friends) are definitely the minority, and may not (probably won’t) be able to keep that up as you age. To have the most control over weight loss, or weight gain, it’s definitely best to count calories. Without it, you’re trying to aim in the dark. If you get great results without counting, you either have a sky-high metabolism, or you’ve gotten lucky. Hope this helps,
Josh
Love your articals! They put everything that can be so complicated into easy simple terms. Just a tip for others out there trying to count calories I have an app on my phone I use that has every restaurant and item I find in the food store already programmed into it, sounds a lot like a digital version of the book you mentioned. I have found it really helpful because I always have my phone on me and it will help you track every thing from the day, even subtract calories for working out.
Sounds like a good idea! Thanks for the tip.
Hi,
I had a New Year’s Resolution at the start of the year to begin losing weight. I am currently 19 years old and when I began 245 pounds. Ever since the start of my diet and exercise, I have lost only 10 pounds and I have been strict with my diet and workouts but I seem to be struck at the same weight. I count my calories and drink a lot of water. I workout about 4 times a week but I feel like I’m not losing any weight. I’m starting to feel like no matter what I do that I will not lose the weight. Is there anything that I may do to pass this “plateau.”
I’ve also been attending this weight training program and they have been helping me lose weight but I don’t think I’m getting too optimistic anymore. Basically I have cut out carbs and sugars from my daily intake. I also take a gnc multivitamin everyday. Is there anything you may suggest me to do?
Thanks.
Cut out all drinks that aren’t water for starters. People often underestimate the effects of juices, sodas, and other high calorie beverages.
I know it can be difficult, and at times you may feel like giving up. Don’t. It’s not impossible to lose the weight. Another thing is, I’d recommend staying away from the scale. It’s not useful in tracking progress for the simple reason that it doesn’t take into account the changes in your body composition. You see, muscle weighs much more than fat. While it’s more than likely that you’re losing much more fat than 10lbs in this time, you’ll also be gaining muscle. This muscle will throw off your scale readings, making you think that you’re progressing more slowly than you are. For this reason, keeping track of your lean body mass (with a body caliper) is beneficial, if for nothing else than boosting your morale.
Keep your head up and keep at it. Look for difference you see in the mirror, take photos every couple weeks and track your progress. Also, perhaps most important, be extremely diligent in tracking your calories. Make sure you’re not eating more than you need.
Also, what do you do for you workouts 4 times a week?
Josh
Thank you so much for your reply. I have been reading your blog and taking some of the advice. I have only been drinking water since I’ve began my resolution. I have been doing cardio about 45 mins where I run and walk intervals on the treadmill for 30 minutes then use the elliptical for another 15-20 minutes. I have been avoiding lifting any weights to avoid gaining muscle which I know if almost impossible. I have just introduced the running into my workout about 2 weeks ago when I read your post regarding the best way to lose weight in the lower area of your body. I have found it very helpful and I truly do see the change.
Thank you so much for your quick reply I appreciate your advice very much. Good work on your blog. Filled with extensive beneficial info.
Great work Carmela! Keep up the good work and keep me updated
Josh
Hi Josh,
Need some serious help.
I am a personal trainer and have went from 134lbs last fall to 146lbs now. I guess I didn’t realize that I needed to be more careful.
I have working out with my clients, to give them the form to watch. Well I guess I have really messed up. Up until 6 weeks ago I was doing weights with them. Then I changed to no weights but still did the exercise. This last week I took out all my leg exercise and started doing a ton of cardio. I guess my question is how long will this take? 2nd question is how many calories do I eat. With the calulations from above I should be eating 3583.00 a day to stay the same.
I am wondering how I gained that much “muscle” weight. I know I haven’t ate nearly as much as I have burned. I generally eat around 1800-2000 cal a day. Is it possible that I have screwed up my metabolism by not eating enough. I am a girl and eat a ton of veggies, protein and healthy carbs.
I want to be my regular weight again….Now!!!
My brain tells me to eat less, exercise more. But I exercise 10 times more than any person. I would really like some help.
I will be running everyday like you said….No more bike…I am a cycler also.
Thankyou Melissa
P.S. Last week bought visual impact for women. (been doing cardio and no legs all week)
Hey Melissa,
Not to worry, often times people are caught off guard by changes to their body which make what they had previously been doing not work as well anymore. Often times, that we’re taking what we were doing for granted.
As far as your question about how long this will take. The first results that you’ll see in the mirror should be in about 3 weeks. After that you should see progressive improvement.
3500 calories seems like way to many, especially for a woman at your weight. I think that’s high, is there anyway you could have goofed on the equation? I wouldn’t be surprised if your body didn’t need something like 2000-2500 calories a day, which might very well explain why you have been gaining weight.
If you haven’t found any problems with the equation, then just try lowering you calorie intake to around 1500 a day anyways. Don’t worry, you haven’t screwed up your metabolism, you’d need to be eating a lot less than you are to have any significant negative effect on your metabolism.
Keep up the low intensity long duration running, and stick with visual impact for women. You’ll get the results you desire. If you have any questions at all a long the way, please don’t hesitate to ask. You know where to find me
Josh
No, I haven’t been eating 3500 cal. a day. I posted that I have been eating 1800-2000 a day. As of 6 weeks ago I was working out 5-7 hrs a day (with my clients, I train 2 people at a time, lots of plyos and lifting while moving). I was burning a ton of calories a day (at least 3500 cal). I am still training 5-7 hrs a day, I have just taken out all my legs, and added in the running (burning around 2500 cal a day).
My real concern is WHY I gained 12 lbs when I would eat super healthy, way under the calories I burned and gained weight. I have that “gym” look you talk about. I get a lot of comments about my arms…which is ok at the moment. But I want my legs to go down.
So with this added information do you really think I need only 1500 calories a day. I feel like that is a good number since I have stopped the leg training. How does the theory work, calories in calories out….but I gained big leg muscles. I got my fat tested about 3 months ago at a university in a bodpod. It was 12%. Which I know is really good.
One more thing about me…I have had 6 children. I have gained 60-70 lbs with all of them and get it off pretty fast because I work my tail off. My little is almost 2 and I have been very happy being in the low 130′s and then pow….Muscle.
I really appreiate posting back to me. I know how to lose weight as a normal person who works out 6-9 hrs a week. But don’t know how to lose it when I work out 33 hrs a week.
Thankyou for listening, melissa
It may be simply that your body as hit a large plateau and you’re suffering from overtraining at the moment. When was the last time you took a good week or two off from any form of working out?
Also, sometimes changes to the metabolism as we age can catch us off guard, and what was previously working for us no longer does. This could be playing into the equation a little bit as well.
I would go with 1500 calories per day and see if that gets you any visible changes in the next 3 to 4 weeks. I understand your case is different than most people given that you work out so many hours per week. I can definitely see how it would be frustrating and a little unnerving. Keep me updated with your progress, and let me know if you have any questions along the way.
Ideally, I think taking a full break, then doing frequent long, low intensity running while cutting out all weight training for a period of time would be the solution. Hope this helps,
Josh
Thanks,
I think it is amazing that you are taking the time to read these. It’s crazy that I am personal trainer and need to go backwards.. I never really thought I would be able to over train. I was just excited to be able to work out as much as I wanted. I haven’t taken a break from training this hard for over a yr and a half. And the hours just keep growing. Now because of this over muscle growth I am learning to sculp my body…So yes last week I trained my clients with hardly a squat, lunge, or jumping squats etc. It was nice. This week I have tracked my calories to be no more than 1600 a day. I have seen the scale go down 3 lbs. Do you suggest a larger calorie day soon or maybe a zig-zag on calories. Like maybe a day larger then smaller. I have noticed I am a little bit more hungier (which I am not afraid of). Because my days start at 5:30am and end around 11:00pm. I am running 60 mins a day, slow and steady. I will let you know how I am doing in a week or so. Again I love all this, it is really taking my training of myself and others to a new height. I don’t like running, can’t wait to be in maintainance. Thanks melissa
Not a problem Melissa. I would definitely recommend a zig sag approach when it comes to calories. Try 3 days of eating 1500 calories per day, and follow it with 1 day of eating at your maintenance level (or about 5% above it). This is like insurance that your metabolism is not slowing down while in a calorie-reduced phase. Please keep me updated!
Josh
Hi Im a 24 year old girl, 5,2 weighing 162 pounds. I have already lost about 12 pounds but need to loose about another 20 pounds to be my original healthy weight. I used to row in high school and had muscly legs and arms but loss them when I quit and had a slender figure which was achieved and maintained with lots of walking. While I have been studying the last three years I worked in a fresh produce department at a supermarket it involved alot of heavy lifting, pushing and lots of walking I gained a significant amount of weight (about 18 pounds) possibly through some muscle gain but mainly though from over eating and snacking and doing no other exercise. I gained another 14 pounds after I quit and did no exercise at all for three months. I was then diagnosed as being pre diabetic as it was detected my body was having a hard time metabolising sugar (after going vegetarian I was eating more sweets). Since gaining weight I have struggled with my weight loss it took me three months to loose those 12 pounds even with medication to help with sugar levels and two months on Phentermine. I restrict myself to 1200-1800 calories a day and exercise for an hour 5 times a week. This has been the routine for the last 2 months. I have a gym membership and use the elliptical trainer four times a week for an hour on fat burning mode on level 10 ( the highest level) and go for an hour jog (about 5 miles) once a week. My upper body has obvious weight loss with clothes fitting significantly looser but my arms and legs remain quite big. What I am noticing is there is a good amount of fat loss but noticeable muscle growth/definition. My arms and legs feel toned to touch with a bit of fat to loose. My concern is that they might look more tone but they are not getting any smaller at all (a male friend of mine who does muscle building told me the other day I had the kind of legs men who go to the gym want?! Telling me they were big and muscly). Do you think its the resistance I am using on the elliptical trainer thats causing my muscles to build? Or years of heavy lifting that was hiding under the fat? I know from my rowing days of doing weights and heavy training that my body tends to build muscle but I have never been in a position of having to loose so much weight and want to do it as quickly as possible without building muscle which is apparently happening. What do you think I need to do to increase my weight loss without building muscle and still use my Gym membership? Should I be using the Elliptical trainer on a lower setting? Would swimming be any good? Should I be on a low carbohydrate diet? I plan on increasing my hour run to 3 times a week, when you say low intensity is 5 miles an hour about right? Should I increase to two hours of low intensity when I can?
Sorry this is so long I just wanted to give you as much information as I could. I would really like to return to a healthier slender figure I am prepared to work hard I just dont want to be doing the wrong things and building a body I dont want. Thanks, I’m so glad I stumbled upon this site as Ive had so many people tell me the last few months that women cant build muscle ect.
More than likely the muscle was there before you lost the fat. Now, as you’re working out, the fat is melting away and it’s better showing off your muscle definition. This is a good thing, and shows you’re making progress. Rest assured that the elliptical isn’t building any significant muscle mass.
The best way to lose muscle in your legs is to run at low intensity for a period of 45-60 minutes. 5 miles an around is a good pace, but go as fast as you can while still being able to complete the full hour. I’ve written a couple articles on the subject:
http://www.laststopfatloss.com/how-to-lose-muscle-in-your-legs
http://www.laststopfatloss.com/how-to-lose-weight-in-your-thighs
Swimming is a great exercise, and will definitely contribute to a more feminine body shape. I wouldn’t say that a low carbohydrate diet is necessary, rather, just make sure you’re getting a calorie deficit in every day.
Don’t increase it to 2 hours per run, rather, do 1 hour runs on more days per week. You can up this all the way to 7 days a week if necessary.
Track your progress, measure your legs and arms, and take notes. This way you will know for sure if what you’re doing is working or not. If you have any more questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask. Hope this helps,
Josh
hello. i stumbled upon your blog reading HIIT. I’m a 34 year old Asian male, 5’6″
and currently weighing 191 lbs. Three months ago I was at 220 lbs. My usual workout
consists of 45 min swim then 45 min treadmill and abs workout during Mondays
Wednesdays and Saturdays. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays would be 45 min
swim then 45 min stationary bike or elliptical followed by upper body strength training
My calorie consumption is at 1800 cals per day.
First question, is it ok to do HIIT training on the swim AND run, swim AND bike/elliptical? On a daily basis, too? Second question, I read somewhere that people intentionally eat back calories burned through exercise thereby pegging their calorie consumption at 1800, isn’t this counter productive to the whole weight loss process?
Gino,
I wouldn’t do HIIT everyday, especially if you’re doing it while running, simply for the sake of giving your muscle adequate time to recover. It’s perfectly ok to do it during your Swim and your Run, or on your Swim and Bike/Elliptical days.
No matter how much exercise you do, you shouldn’t be eating less than 1800 calories per day as a male. It is counterproductive to eat back calories burned through exercise however, I’m not sure what the goal of this would be if you’re indeed trying to lose weight.
What you’re doing is definitely working though, as you’ve lost nearly 30 lbs in three months. Great job! Let me know if you have any other questions,
Josh
I am wondering if I should make up the calories I burn with cardio, on top of my daily calorie needs? The app I use to count calories adds that many calories to my daily goal. I can rarely meet that goal. Just wondering.
Tammy
Tammy,
I don’t really see the point in doing that, since your point in weight loss. I’d say its best to ignore that app.
Josh
Also, I am at my goal weight, but still have fat to lose. Should I continue my decreased calorie intake at this point?
Thanks
Tammy
Absolutely, continue with your decreased calorie intake until you’re at a point where you’re happy with the way you look. It’s not about the scale!
Thanks for your response. All the different info can be confusing and overwhelming.
Tammy
Hi Josh,
Great site! I am a 53 year female. I have been pretty active most of my life although over the past 4 years work and a hip injury (running overuse) has limited my physical activity so I have gained about 7 pounds. Based on your formula above I estimated my current BMI to be 1271.9 (1 am 64.5″ tall and weight 126 pounds). Based on that my caloric intake to maintain my weight is about 1750 calories. To lose a pound, at my current exercise level, if I reduce my caloric intake by 500 calories/day would I expect to loose about a pound a week (assuming you need to burn 3,500 calories extra to loose a pound)?
Thanks.
Hi Josh,
your articles are amazing!! I just have a few questions about this eating thing. First of all, I am a 21 male college student. You know you hear things like college students have bad eating habits and all but I try to eat healthy and work out. Currently, I weigh around 162 to 165lbs. I would like to 10 more pounds and lose mostly body fat. However, my eating routine seems pretty horrible because…
morning – 1 apple, egg whites, a toast
lunch – usually skip or rarely get a sandwich (turkey or chicken) or have a banana
dinner – usually chicken sandwich or just 2 chicken breasts
and I calculated BMR (1822.45) and TDEE (3143.78). According to you I’m having a pretty big change in my calories. Do you have any suggestions? Another thing is that on the rest day from exercise I tend to eat a lot that day or cheat day. Do you think I tend to eat a lot because I’m eating so much less than what I’m supposed to? Also, if I ate a lot the day before should I ease off the next day or eat the amount I need to lose weight?
sorry my questions are jumping around. Thank you.
Take Care
Hey Daniel,
Thanks for dropping by and commenting. No worries about the questions, that’s what I’m here for!
If you’re in a situation where there’s a big difference between your TDEE and what you’re currently eating, you want to break into it gradually. Instead of just nearly doubling your caloric intake, add maybe 500 calories a day per week until you reach your desired level of calories.
To lose weight, you’ll want to eat around 2650 calories per day, according to your TDEE. As for your cheat day, it’s ok to have one. Just try not to go overboard. You’re probably just eating a lot because you’ve been really depriving yourself of calories, but it’s also just natural to crave foods when you’re on your cheat day.
If you eat a lot the day before, you could ease off the following day if you wish. It certainly wouldn’t hurt your efforts to lose weight. Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.
Josh
Hi. I am a 27 year old female and I weigh 133lbs. I recently lost 21 pounds thanks to Weight Watchers. It took awile because I’ve been told that I have a medical condition that contributes to turning most sugars that I take in directly into fat. But my question is, why did I stop losing weight as soon as I started working out.? I’ve been working out 3 times a week for 5 weeks now and have not lost any more weight. My eating habits didnt change much, I’m still watching my sugar and carb intake, as well as watching the number of calories I am eating. I would like to decrease my weight to about 117 but I’m not sure how to do so while working out……It’s starting to seem like an no win battle. Should I just stop working out, lose the amount of weight I am aiming for and then pick back up on my work outs??? I need help!
Tasha,
Working out tends to promote muscle mass retention or building. Muscle, weighs A LOT more than 5 does. So, while you may be looking smaller in the mirror, the scale can actually show an increase of weight. Or, in your case, you’ve stopped losing weight.
For this reason, I don’t recommend using a scale when it comes to tracking your progress. In fact, I would just toss it in the cupboard, permanently.
It’s much better to use the mirror, a camera, or tape measure to track your progress, as once working out plays into the equation, the scale means little. Muscle in general is a good thing, and what you’re going through sounds perfectly normal to me. Hope this helps,
Josh
Thanks Josh!!!
Not a problem!
I just spent a year doing low carb and not focusing on calories and trying to wrap my head around calories don’t count. I never could completely buy into the argument that our bodies are not a closed system therefore calories are really irrelevant. I did lose weight on LC, but whenever I strayed from the diet the weight came roaring back. It’s not what you might think either straying from diet didn’t mean I went off and had a gorge fest, most of the time it meant I had a meal with carbs in it like a nacho or watched a movie with some popcorn and licorice. After a year of being on a yo-yo ride I started to question the LC diet for I had never been on a diet until LC that had such dramatic fluctuations from just one or two meals.
Now that I have gone back to eating starches and cutting back on the amount of fat I eat I find myself paying more attention to calories and getting results without the yo-yo. This weekend I grilled and had potato salad, baked beans, and chips yet still managed to lose weight. I’m down 2lbs from last week and the reason is I am paying more attention to calories and making sure that I consume less than I need. I even had M&M’s and some Skinny Cow Dream Clusters and still lost weight. If I had been on the LC diet and then ate what I did this weekend I would have gained 3-5lbs.
The other thing that is helping is the amount of exercise I do on a daily basis. I have been walking my dog every day for about 2-2.5 miles. For me that is a lot, I am 366lbs and it takes a lot of energy to move my mass. I have weights at home that I use, but haven’t in a few months. Weightlifting comes and goes for me, I like doing it but did it for so many years that I have shoulder pain and a back that gets periodic spasms for the past 21yrs. I threw my back out when I was 19 while doing squats and it’s never been the same since. Light lifting to, I was warming up with 135lbs and as I was going down I felt something give in my lower back and I went straight down to the floor and didn’t get up. I never new pain until I got spasms, holy sh*t talk about agony.
I’d really like to get back to my athletic build which was around 190-200lbs, I don’t know if that will ever happen, but sh*t right now I’d love to be 300lbs. I guess one step at a time. The times when I have been the most successful was when I counted calories, knowing the amount I was putting in my body kept me focused and on track.
Love your site, and I especially loved your debunking paleo article. Paleo really screwed me up…I was much healthier before paleo. Anyways, my one argument against calories in calories out is raw fruitarians. They eat 3000 + calories a day and are very thin. Possibly because raw food isn’t absorbed as well as cooked foods? I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Stephanie, thanks very much.
I would say that if a “raw fruitarian” is eating 3000 calories per day and not gaining weight, then they are either eating at their maintenance level, or are fairly active. There are no exception to the calorie rule. If, at the end of the day, you’re in a calorie excess, you will gain weight. Fruit is definitely not a magical food group
Josh
I am so confused! My TDEE is 2386.87 (moderate activity). For fat loss, if I calculated correctly, I should be eating 1886.87. I have a sedentary job, however I do Insanity six days a week and burn anywhere from 450-630 calories per workout (hence the moderate activity level). My question is, if I only eat 1887 calories (500 less than TDEE) and still do Insanity, will that take me too low calorie wise?
For the last month I’ve been eating at 2238 and have gained and lost the same two pounds over and over again.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!!
You should aim to be 500 calories below your TDEE when you include both your exercise and your calories. That means you can probably eat 2386 calories on your days that you do insanity, and still have a 500 calorie deficit. This is awesome, and is (in my opinion) better than not doing much exercise and just eating less.
The scale might not be the best measure of your success here, and muscle weighs much more than fat. So while you may well be losing fat consistently, any gains and muscle will make them invisible on a scale. It’s best to use measurements, how your clothes fit, and pictures to follow your progress.
If you’re still not seeing progress, then I’d say to lower your calorie intake a bit, maybe to 2000 calories. You could be overestimating your calorie burn from insanity in this case.
Hope this helps,
Josh
Hi Josh, a very good guide for eating calories daily, I have a question myself, I have gained over 10 pounds since last month, OMG! But I didn’t eat many, I think it is because lack of exercise, right? Eat as normal or less, but no exercise, still gain weight, right?
Denis,
In principle, if you eat the exact amount of calories as you burn per day, but don’t exercise at all, you shouldn’t gain weight. In practise, you might actually gain a small amount of weight as time goes on. This depends on your age, your metabolism, your genetics, etc. Exercise is definitely preferable.
Josh