The lifestyles of today do not adhere to the natural elements of general wellbeing. Most people have habits of eating too much without being physically active enough. Nearly two-thirds of adults in the west are obese. Obesity can be harmful in the long run as obese people are more prone to getting chronic diseases. Type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiac diseases, and stroke are just a few diseases that overweight people are at high risk of catching. It is of utmost significance for every human to keep themselves fit and healthy in order to live a happy stress-free life.

Calories play a huge role in accumulating the unnecessary fat on your body. If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, it is important to get familiar with the concept of calories and their per day consumptions.

What is a Calorie?

A calorie is an energy measurement unit. It measures the energy content that is present in your foods and beverages. People who want to lose weight measure their calories intake every day and try to consume fewer calories than their body burns every day. This is because when we consume more calories than we require, excess of it is stored as body fat. A person becomes obese or overweight over time if this overconsumption of calories is persistent.

How many calories should you consume?

The human body requires a certain amount of energy to keep it working healthily. The organs function normally through this energy. Hence, you can cut off all your food when trying to lose weight. It is important to understand how the body works to make wise diet decisions. The amount of calories that you require every day for energy depends on a number of factors such as your size, age, gender, or how physically active you are.

Maintaining a stable weight means consuming the same amount of energy required for our daily normal body functions and physical activities. The right amount of calories means you can balance the energy that you consume with the energy that you use throughout the day.

Typically it is advised to keep your weekly aim to 0.5 to 1 kg until you reach your desired weight. You can easily achieve this goal by consuming about 500 to 650 kcal lesser calories than you need on a daily basis. You must calculate your BMI first in order to know if you are normal or overweight.

Here is a comprehensive calorie ranges to help you formulate your diet plan.

Women

A moderately active woman from ages between 26 to 50 almost requires 2000 calories per day in order to maintain the ideal weight. However, she would have to consume around 1500 calories each day if she aims to lose 0.45 kg of weight per week.

Women who are more active throughout the day and walk at least 3 miles per day have a higher need of daily calories. They require around 2200 calories to maintain the weight and 1700 calories to lose 0.5 kg per week.

Younger women need more calories than older ones. Women above the age of 50 require around 1800 calories per day to function healthily. Whereas, they need 1300 calories every day to lose 0.5 kg per week.

It should be kept in mind that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have higher needs of daily calories. These estimates do not apply to them.

Men

According to health sciences, men require more calories per day than women. Their average daily need is about 2600 calories to maintain weight. However, these calories can be reduced to 2100 per day if you want to lose 0.5 kg per week.

Men who are more active and walk at least 3 miles every day have a requirement of about 2800 to 3000 calories per day. This can be reduced to 2300 to 2500 calories per day if you are on a weight-loss mission.

Younger men aged from 19 to 25 usually have higher needs for daily energy. Their average daily calorie consumption could be from 2800 to 3000 to maintain their weight. Moderately active young men have to reduce their calorie intake to 2300 to 2500 every day in order to lose 0.5kg per week.

With the passage of age, the energy needs decrease. Men aged from 46 to 65 who are moderately active require around 2400 calories per day. After the age of 66, the calorie need of an average man decreases to 2200 per day.

Children

The energy requirements of children depend on various factors such as age, size, and activity level. Usually, an average toddler requires around 1200 to 1400 calories per day to function healthily. A moderately active teenager requires 2000 to 2800 calories per day. A teenage boy would require more energy than a teenage girl.

Children in their growing age do not really require counting their calories. This is because they are usually engaged in regular physical activities. Whenever they are provided with healthy food, they would naturally eat enough or more than the required amount of food. It is not advised for children to lose weight through hectic dieting. Losing weight should only be normalized in children who are excessively overweight. Other than that, providing them with healthier food options is the only option you should opt for.

Conclusion

It is important to understand calories and your body’s daily requirement of them before you jump onto formulating a diet plan for yourself. Knowing your body type and its daily energy needs plays a crucial role in the weight loss process.