When it comes to weight loss, there are lots of factors that can make things easier or harder, but at the end of the day, in order to lose weight, we must consume fewer calories than we burn. This is called a “caloric deficit”, and it is 100% necessary for weight loss. But how do we know how many calories to eat? We don’t want to eat too few calories and feel bad, but at the same time, we don’t want to eat too many and gain weight.
Here’s a simple formula to figure out exactly how many calories you should aim for in order to lose weight:
Daily Calorie Intake = Goal Weight x 12.
It’s easy! If you have a goal weight that you are working toward, simply multiply that weight by 12, and that should give you a reasonable estimate of the number of calories you need to consume every day in order to reach that goal. For example, if my goal is to weigh 140 pounds, I’ll multiply 140 by 12 to get 1,680 calories. So my goal is to consume 1,680 calories every day.
Now, this formula works under a couple of assumptions. The first is that you are exercising regularly. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to be doing some form of consistent, dedicated exercise, especially resistance training, at least 3 times weekly. If you aren’t doing anything to burn extra calories, then your daily calorie intake requirement is going to go down. In other words, if you aren’t exercising, you’ll have to eat even less in order to lose weight. I do not recommend this! Not only is exercise important for many other aspects of your health, but if you are losing weight without exercise, chances are you are burning up lean body mass instead of fat. No bueno!
The next assumption is that you don’t have a metabolic disease that is preventing you from burning a normal number of calories. If you have untreated hypothyroidism or menopausal hormone decline, your body may not burn as many calories at rest. Therefore, your daily intake requirement will go down. If your goal is to lose weight, and you suffer from a metabolic problem, you should talk to your doctor about treatment in order to maximize your chances of success.
What happens if I hit my daily calorie goal, but I still don’t lose weight?
Don’t worry. The daily calorie formula is a starting point, but that doesn’t mean we have to be completely rigid with it. If you are sticking to your daily calorie goal using the Intake = Goal Weight x12 formula, and you don’t lose any weight after 2 weeks, simply decrease your daily calorie goal by 200, and keep going. Everyone’s body is a little different, so there’s no true one-size-fits-all formula. If you need to adjust your intake after the first couple of weeks, no problem!
Tips to stay on track with your daily calorie goal
- The first step in hitting your daily calorie goal is to track your intake! It sounds simple, but if you aren’t keeping meticulous records of the type and quantity of food you’re eating, there’s no way to know how many calories you’re actually consuming. Gut estimates and educated guesses do not work! And remember, Every. Single. Bite. Counts. If you lick the peanut butter knife after you make your kid’s sandwich, you have to track it. If you graze 3 potato chips, you have to track it. If you use a flavor packet in your water that contains 50 calories, you have to track it! Small things add up to big differences over time.
- Aim for nutrient-dense foods. These tend to be whole, natural foods, like fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. When we eat high quality foods like these, which are rich in natural vitamins, minerals, and fiber, we stay full for much longer, and we feel better overall. This leads to fewer food cravings and reduces the likelihood of overeating. On the other hand, processed foods, like chips, candy, cereal, etc. tend to be so hyper-delicious that we overeat them before we even realize it. Plus, these processed foods typically have a much greater caloric density, meaning they have more calories for the same amount of food, so not only do we eat too much of them, but we get a disproportionately large number of calories from them too!
- Forget about cheat days. Losing weight isn’t about starving yourself throughout the week so that you can reward yourself with unhealthy foods on the weekends. Losing weight is about building lifelong healthy habits and becoming a person who makes consistent healthy choices. Remember, to lose weight, we have to consume fewer calories than we burn on average over time. One bad weekend can ruin all your hard work through the week. For example, if our goal is to consume 1600 calories per day, we might hit that goal Monday-Friday. But then if we have a “cheat day” on Saturday and eat half a pizza, drink 3 glasses of wine or beer, and have two scoops of ice cream for dessert, we’ve just consumed nearly 2000 calories in one meal! Then if we add the calories from breakfast, lunch, and a snack that day, we’re easily over 3000 calories in a single day. If we have a similar eating day on Sunday, then that’s 6000 calories over the weekend. Remember, our goal was to consume 1600 calories per day, so 1600 x 7 = 11,200 calories for the week. Instead, because of our cheat weekend, we took in 14,000 calories, which is like having a whole extra day and a half of eating! Those extra 2800 calories per week from cheat days can add almost a pound of body fat per week.
The answer to how many calories you should eat every day depends on your personal weight loss goals, but no matter what your number is, the keys to success are tracking, consistency, and continual progress. If you’d like to have help and accountability along the way, we would love to have you in our New Leaf Online Medical Weight Loss Program. Click here to join today!
Dr. Kyle Adams, MD
CEO and Medical Director
New Leaf Online
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. You should always consult your doctor before starting or changing any medications or to discuss any health concerns you may have.
