How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day to Lose Weight?

Written by Resurchify | Updated on: April 19, 2022

Want to lose weight? Find below the complete information on calories and how many calories should you eat per day to lose weight?

What are Calories?

A calorie is a measuring unit. Calories can also be considered as a way of keeping track of the body's energy budget. A healthy balance occurs in what we put in as much as the energy we lose. If we keep on putting more energy into our bodies than what we have burned, the excess will automatically be stored as fats in our cells, and we'll gain weight. If we burn off more energy than we replenish, we'll lose weight. Therefore, we have to be able to measure the energy we consume as well as use which we do so with a unit known as calorie. One calorie, also known as a large calorie, is defined as the amount of energy it would take to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.

Average Calorie Ranges

Whether one is attempting to shed some weight, put on weight, or maintain their existing weight, knowing how many calories one's body needs may help one to determine how many calories they need to ingest. Both men's and women's calorie intakes differ from one another. The statistics might also vary largely depending on one's degree of exercise as well as one's body composition and performance. The overall quantity of calories that one consumes each day is a significant determinant of their body composition. Once they have established a benchmark for how much energy their body requires, they may propose adjustments to their energy balance and, as a result, their body weight. Consuming a set quantity of calories per day might assist individuals in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. According to research, ingesting the right quantity of calories for themselves will assist in improving their overall health and increase their lifespan, provided they maintain a healthy and balanced diet. There are various calorie ranges for men, women, children, teens, adults, etc. Some of them are as follows:

Average Calorie Ranges for Men

A moderately active male between ages ranging from 45 to 46 years requires approximately around 2,600 calories per day to maintain his body weight. However, to lose one kilogram each week, he must decrease his daily calorie consumption to 2,100 calories per day.
Males between the age of 26 to 40 years of age who are fit, healthy and physically active and jog more than three miles per day require 2,800-3,000 calories per day to maintain their body weight. However, to lose one kilogram every week, he should decrease his caloric intake to 2,300-2,500 calories per day.
Young men ranging from 19 to 25 years of age require more calories compared to the above moderately and physically active males. They require an average of 2,800 calories each day to keep their weight in control and up to 3,000 calories every day if they are athletic or are physically active and healthy. However, to shed one kilogram each week, recreationally active young men should lower their calorie intake to 2,300 calories a day.
As men get older along with time, it is also necessary to keep in mind that their energy requirement also falls. Males ranging between 50 to 65 years old require an average of 2,600 calorie intake per day to be fit and healthy. However, after a certain age, i.e. after 65 years of age, their caloric intake must be reduced to around 2,100 calories per day to remain fit and healthy.

Average Calorie Ranges for Women

To maintain a healthy weight, moderately active women between the age group of 30 to 50 years of age need roughly around 2,000 calories to keep themselves strong and fit. However, to lose 1 kilogram of a calorie per week, it is necessary that they must decrease their calorie intake to 1,500 calories per day.
Women who are in their early 20s need more calories to consume than moderately active ones. To maintain proper health, these women require around 2,200 calories per day.
Physically active women or women who are athletically active, women who do physical exercise or even women who walk at least 3 miles every day needs more calorie than the other groups. They require 2,300 calories per day to be physically fit and to keep themselves healthy. However, if they need to reduce 1 pound per week, it is advisable that they should decrease their calorie intake to 1,700 calories per day.
Women who are above 50 years of age, i.e. between 55 and 65 years or above, need to control their levels of calorie intake because at that time, they do not require calories as much as moderately active women would require. Comparatively, they would require less amount of calorie intake, 1,800 per day. However, if they want to maintain their physical health, then they can reduce it to a 1,600 calorie intake per day.
Calorie intake for pregnant or breastfeeding women is generally high. This is because they require a high amount of nutrients or any other materials in their body, which would help in the development of their infants. Thus, their calorie intake varies depending upon their conditions and necessities.

Average Calorie Ranges for Children

Toddlers between the age group of 1 to 2 years need about 45 calories per pound, i.e. 1,000-1,400 calories per day, which might vary a little depending upon their body weight. Their calorie intake also varies depending upon how active they are at this stage.
Preschoolers between 3 to 4 years of age also need about 45 calories per pound of body weight, which is between 1,000 and 1,400 calories per day. However, since 4-year-old children do not mature very fast, they only require roughly 41 calories per pound of body weight, i.e. 1,200 to 2,000 calories per day. Preschoolers can be fussy and easily swayed, so it might take a bit longer for them to eat and some persuasion to encourage them to consume a healthy and balanced diet.
School going children who are between 5 to 11 years of age require slight more amount of calories compared to toddlers and preschoolers. They need around 1,600 to 2,500 calories per day. Children during this age consume only when they are hungry. It is advisory to serve healthy foods to children at this age and also parents must keep an eye on their children and advise them not to overeat if they notice their offspring gaining unusual weight at that stage.
At 9 to 13 years of age, the calorie range is between 1,400 to 2,200 calories per day for girls and for boys, it ranges between 1,600 to 2,600 calories per day.

Average Calorie Ranges for Teenagers

Calorie intake for teens varies based on their age, sex, and activity level. A 13-year-old boy's calorie intake ranges from 2,000 to 2,600 calories per day. It differs for teenage girls, i.e. a 13-year-old girl comparatively requires less calorie intake than boys. It ranges from 1,600 to 2,300 calories per day.
Boys aged between 14 to 18 years of age require 2,000 to 3,200 calories per day. For teenage boys between 14 to 18 years of age require 1,800 to 2,400 calories per day. The number of calories required for later teens is slightly higher than for early teens.

Some Ways to Reduce Calorie Intake to Lose Weight

Although reducing daily calorie consumption might help one to lose weight, doing so without evaluating what meals one eats isn't a sustainable approach to reducing weight. For this reason, physicians strongly recommend making modifications in one's diet to sustain a calorie deficit in the long run without feeling food-deprived or hungry. Picking more nutritionally rich food items, such as whole grains, carbohydrates, almonds and various other nuts, green vegetables, fruits, etc., helps boost one's health and well-being more than choosing nutrient-poor meals such as junk foods including sweets, drinks etc.

Some of the ways that an individual can follow in reducing calorie intake for weight loss are as follows:

Recording Daily Calorie Intake

One of the most common ways in reducing the average calorie intake is to keep a food diary and record the daily intake. This can be a handwritten journal entry or even maintaining a daily diary. During the testing time, monitoring and recording whatever one eats and drinks will provide them with the most reliable information to operate with. Some of the ways that can be followed to record daily intake of the calorie are as follows:

Measuring the size of the portion: It is necessary to recognize the distinction between portion size and serving size. Using a digital balance is advisable to achieve the exact measurements of the portions one needs to consume. It might be time-consuming, but the more one does it, the simpler it becomes.
Recording the intake of junk foods such as snacks and drinks: consuming an excess amount of junk food outside without realizing the amount of intake is necessary to keep in mind. It is also important to know that beverages and drinks count too in case of calorie intake. Hence, just changing the drink type and lessening the junk food intake can help an individual keep the calorie intake in check.
Being truthful about what one consumes: Underestimating (or overestimating) the calorie intake serves no purpose. Changing one's diet while one is keeping a record is also unhelpful. Because then one won't be able to calculate one's energy balance for losing weight, excess weight, or maintaining a healthy body weight unless one keeps an accurate record of anything and everything one consumes on a regular basis.
Taking one's time: just merely jotting down the number of calories won't help. Taking note of the macronutrients is also important. Keeping track of the quantity of cholesterol, glucose, and proteins in each food can help one identify or uncover micronutrient deficiencies or abnormalities. Some people spontaneously reduce their calorie consumption after altering their macronutrient consumption. Simply by boosting satisfaction, adjustments such as consuming more proteins and lesser carbohydrates can contribute to weight loss in a very proper way.Starting the day by drinking plenty of warm water: since dehydration is common to occur just after waking up from a night of sleep. Hence, it is very necessary to keep the body filled with water. Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning and before meals can prevent an individual from eating too much.

Reducing the Intake of Excess Amount of Salt

Consuming a great quantity of salt can cause water retention in the body. This, however, might lead to bloating and weight gain. Hence, for weight loss, it is necessary that the amount of salt must be taken at a considerable rate which is healthy for the diet as well as the body. Replacing sugar with honey: too much sugar consumption can also lead to weight gain. A very good alternative to sugar can be honey. Honey can also be used as a natural sweetener in juices, teas, and desserts and is less fattening than white sugar.

Drinking Coffee

Some studies show that caffeine can decrease appetite as well as boost energy and the overall mood of an individual. It is also advisable to avoid adding more calories to one's cup of coffee with high-fat milk or white sugar. Coffee should always be consumed alone without any add-ons.

Getting Enough Amount of Sleep

Sleep is directly related to the body's weight gain or loss. This is because when an individual sleeps over time, it is highly possible that he/she can gain more weight which might lead to overweight or obesity. Also, sleep deprivation can cause serious health issues, which can again lead to loss of weight and weakness, fatigue, headaches, chronic pains, etc. Thus, getting the proper amount of sleep without any external disturbances is very necessary for weight loss. This can help in choosing the amount of calorie intake that one has to take to maintain body weight.

Using Weight Loss Calculators

A weight loss calculator can assist one whether the aim is to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain their present weight. The calculator calculates the number of calories one needs to nourish their body for daily exercise based on their gender, height, weight, and maturity level. Then it inserts the calories required to increase growth or deducts the calories required to assist in losing the weight. It may also compute how many calories one needs to consume in order to maintain their weight.

Setting Goals and Rewarding Oneself

It is very important to set goals for oneself that can help an individual maintain the necessary amount of calories required in a human's body. Rewarding oneself can also be an effective way of reducing weight. However, rewards should not be food. It can be anything else except food items. Rewards can include buying new clothes, getting a manicure or massage, watching a movie or playing a game. Small rewards each time one chooses healthier options help reinforce the healthy behaviour.

Reducing Stress

One of the very important methods that one can apply for low-calorie intake or weight loss is reducing stress and anxiety. Stress is one of the most important factors for causing any disease in an individual. The stress can trigger eating as well as unhealthy food choices. Some ways to reduce stress are trying to meditate, practising deep breathing, yoga or various other mechanisms to cope with stress. Reducing tension and enjoying oneself can also help in keeping individuals stress free.

Reducing the intake of refined foods as well as ultra-processed foods: Protein helps boost metabolism more than carbs or fat and can lead to more calorie burn. Refined grains are often low in fibre, which aids weight reduction by suppressing hunger and promoting feelings of fullness. Eating fewer carbohydrates, notably lesser refined carbohydrates, may also help weight reduction via modifying levels of appetite-regulating hormones such as peptide YY. While a low carb or keto diet may not be for everyone, substituting refined carbohydrates with carbohydrate, ﬁbers, rich carb sources including whole cereals, green vegetables, nuts, beans, and legumes may be advantageous. It's also good to avoid ultra-processed meals like ready meals, canned goods, confectionery, and sweetened drinks. These foods include not just refined carbohydrates, but also contaminants, sweeteners, unhealthy fats, sodium, and other elements that should be avoided in daily diet.

Some Disadvantages of Lowering Calorie Intake That Should Be Kept in Mind

Everything or every habit has its pros and cons. Cutting down the rate of calorie intake also has some potential pitfalls. Some of them are as follows:

If one continues to restrict the calorie intake, one will only be causing more harm to one's body. Overcoming the progressive weight increase caused by a sluggish metabolic activity by performing more and more exercise continuously and eating very less, becomes a never-ending descending cycle that will only lead to long-term weight issues, loss of muscle mass, and a weakened immune system.
Calorie restriction might also have an impact on one's mental health. When an individual eats too little, he/she loses glucose, which can make him/her feel intellectually lethargic and perhaps lead to cognitive difficulties. If one experiences having difficulty in concentrating, then it might be a sign of restricting calories.
Consuming too few calories might also cause bone degeneration. This is due to the fact that calorie restriction can lower testosterone and estrogen levels. Low levels of these two reproductive hormones are believed to decrease fertility levels as well as bone growth while increasing bone disintegration, culminating in thinner bone fragments. Furthermore, calorie counting, especially when mixed with regular exercise, might raise levels of stress hormones. This may also result in bone loss.
A low-calorie diet generally entails ingesting 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, resulting in a negative energy balance that can result in weight reduction. A low-calorie diet can be beneficial, but it takes a lot of willpower to make things work and ensure safety. There are no typical health hazards linked with a low-calorie diet when established with balanced nutrition in mind and followed carefully. However, failing to acknowledge one's internal feelings of hunger can be troublesome for people who have had an unhealthy relationship with food or are in danger of experiencing one attributable to variables such as body image dissatisfaction. This is the reason why a low-calorie diet is not recommended for everyone, including breastfeeding women or pregnant women who need a huge amount of calorie intake to sustain themselves as well as their growing infants, athletes who need sufficient amount of calories to be physically fit and strong enough to perform tasks.
Low-calorie intake also leads to cause fatigue and tiredness in human beings. For instance, calorie-restricted diets may not provide sufficient amounts of iron, folate or vitamin B12. This can lead to anaemia and extreme fatigue. Thus, to avoid or to prevent fatigue from causing deficiencies it is necessary to keep in mind that the variety of nutrients must be taken and processed food intake must be reduced as far as possible.
The most prevalent significant adverse effect of very-low-calorie diets is stoned forming in the gall bladder, also known as gallstones. Gallstones are more likely whenever people lose a lot of weight suddenly. When the body is deprived of calories, it starts breaking down fat reserves for providing energy to the body. The liver then responds by releasing more lipids, which, when mixed with bile, can result in the formation of gallstones. Apart from that, some other health effects that low-calorie intake can cause are constipation, nausea, diarrhoea, etc.

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