How many calories do I need to lose weight? If you have ever asked yourself the how many calories do I need to lose weight question, you probably already know that the answer could be tricky and confusing. Why is that? Why is it so hard to figure out how many calories a person needs to lose weight?
There are numerous reasons for this ranging from certain misconceptions about calorie needs, to differences in metabolic rates, to variations in activity levels and dietary preferences. But I think the best way to answer this question is by being a little more specific, so let’s get right to it.
How many calories do I need to lose weight if I do not know how many calories I consume daily? If you have not been keeping track of your daily calorie consumption, it is virtually impossible to calculate how many calories you should consume to lose weight. Why? Because to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which obviously means you need to have a starting point. The good news is that it is easy to fix this problem by recording everything you eat for at least one or two weeks. Once you know how many calories you consume daily, start by reducing your daily calorie consumption by about 500 calories. See how you do for about two weeks and make adjustments from there.
How many calories do I need to lose weight if I want to use calorie shifting? Since the purpose of a calorie shifting diet is to keep your body from adapting to certain number of calories, you do not need to be concerned with a fixed number of calories. Focus on staying in a certain calorie range; just make sure that the upper range does not go over your calorie limit. For example, if you have determined that you need to stay in the 1,800-to-2,500 calorie range, do not consume more than 2,500 calories per day.
How many calories do I need to lose weight if I want to lose weight fast? Who does not want to lose weight very fast? I have not met anyone who does not want to lose weight as fast as possible, but few people can accomplish this successfully. Why? Because it usually involves going on unsustainable diets such as the Metamucil weight loss diet. Having said that, you can do a number of things to increase your chances of losing weight quickly. Try a sugar detox!
How many calories do I need to lose weight if I do not want to count calories? It is a tricky one. If you do not want to count calories at all, I cannot give you an exact or even an approximate number, but here is what you can do. It is possible to lose weight without counting calories. Go over what you eat and use your common sense to find which foods contain the most calories. The usual suspects are deep fried foods, fast foods and sweets. If they are part of your diet, to lose weight, you need to take them off your daily menu. Be careful not to assume that just because one food is higher in calories than the other, you need to eliminate it from your diet. In other words, a steak is better for you than a muffin.
How many calories do I need to lose weight if my daily activity levels are very low? If you do not exercise at all and have a desk job, you probably need to consume close to 1,200 calories per day.