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HEALTHY LIVING
Calorie Counting Simplified
April 3, 2024
Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
The path to weight management often passes through the land of calorie counting. Though it's fallen out of favor with some, it remns a useful tool for mming to mntn or adjust their weight.
First step: Determine your dly caloric intake needs based on mntning your current weight. To do this requires simple math:
Multiply your current weight by 15 to get the number of calories per pound needed to sustn that weight if you are moderately active 30 minutes physical exercise a day. For instance, for a woman at 5 feet and four inches tall weighing 155 pounds ming to lose about 15 pounds towards healthy weight range:
155 x 15 = 2,325 calories per day needed to mntn current weight.
To reduce weight by losing 1-2 pounds weekly considered a safe rate, you should intake between 1,325 and 1,825 calories dly.
For sedentary individuals ming to lose at least a pound weekly, m for an additional 30 minutes of physical activity most days while cutting caloric intake by at least 500 calories per day. Caloric intake should not fall below:
1,200 caloriesday for women
1,500 caloriesday for men
Except under medical supervision.
Under-counting calories can anger health due to lack of needed nutrients.
Plan Your Meals
To meet your dly caloric target:
Total the number of calories in regular meals and snacks.
Monitor portions.
Consider tracking with food apps.
Be mindful of low-fat or non-fat foods - sometimes they are not lower in calories if consumed in large quantities due to added sugar for taste.
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor at Harvard Health Publishing and editor-in-chief of Harvard Men’s Health Watch, brings expertise from practice at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
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Calorie Counting for Weight Management Daily Caloric Intake Calculation Method Adjusting Diet for Healthy Weight Tracking Calories with Apps and Food Logs Nutritional Considerations in Low Fat Foods Weight Loss Strategies: Exercise and Nutrition