A calorie is described as a unit of energy which our body needs to function. However, too many calories can be bad, but how many calories should we be consuming each day? Different amounts of daily calories do different things and the amounts vary from person to person. It all depends on things like your gender, weight, height, age, and activity level.
To maintain:
To maintain the weight you are currently, you need to consume enough calories to balance out the calories you are burning.
- For women- on average about 2000 calories a day
- For men- on average about 2500 calories a day
To lose:
To lose weight you need to consume less calories than the amount that you burn each day.
- For women- on average about 1500 calories to lose 1 pound a week
- For men- on average about 2000 calories to lose 1 pound a week.
Every food has a calorie count, some are very high in calories and others are low in calories. It is important to know what these foods are, so you can better track your calories if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight. Even foods that are healthy for you can be high in calories.
- High calorie foods- oils, butters, fried foods, sugary sweets, avocadoes, quinoa, nuts, whole grains, dark chocolate, and raisins.
- Low calorie foods- fruits and vegetables such as romaine lettuce, spinach, celery, corn, broccoli, and oranges.