Calorie Needs for Weight Loss

Calorie consumption is an important factor in the battle to lose weight. The amount of calories you need is determined by a variety of factors, including activity levels, sex and types of calories consumed. You can lose weight by determining your caloric needs and adjusting them as necessary to encourage weight loss.

Calorie Recommendations

• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends calorie intake or women between the ages of 19 to 30 as 1,800 per day if they are sedentary, 2,000 to 2,200 if they are moderately active and 2,400 per day if they are active. For girls and women ages 14 to 15 and 31 to 50, subtract 200 from each of those recommendations. Men aged 19 to 30 should consume 2,400 calories daily if they are sedentary, 2,600 to 2,800 if moderately active and 3,000 per day if active. Again subtract 200 calories per day for boys and men aged 14 to 18 or 31 to 50. The USDA defines sedentary as typical daily activities such as light housecleaning or watching television. Keep track of your calorie consumption in a journal for a week to determine your individual daily caloric intake.

Fat-Free Foods

• Be careful about your consumption of foods that are labeled "fat free." Because fat has 9 calories per gram, and carbohydrates and protein have only 4 calories per gram, many people assume that eating fat-free foods will help them to lose weight. This is true to some extent, as long as you are careful of portion size. Read labels to determine the calorie content and the serving size of fat-free foods to ensure you are not consuming more calories than the recommended amount necessary to aid in your weight loss.

Calories and Weight Loss

• According to a study performed by the National Institutes of Health, the types of calories you consume do not matter as much as how many calories you ingest. When calorie intake was reduced by 750 calories per day, most participants lost 13 lbs. in a six-month period. Weight loss was not significantly different for dieters who took in fewer calories from protein, carbohydrates or fat, but relatively consistent for each group. Reduce your intake by 500 calories a day to lose a pound per week.

Activity Levels

• Moderate activity is walking 1.5 to 3 miles daily at a moderate pace (you do not lose your breath) as well as typical daily activities, and active is walking at least 3 miles or more every day at an aerobic pace (you may get out of breath) as well as daily activities. Because a pound of fat is 3,500 calories, you will need to eliminate at least this amount to lose one pound weekly. Activities such as basketball, running, circuit training, jump roping and stair climbing often burn 400 or more calories per hour. Perform at least 30 to 60 minutes of intense aerobic exercise three or more times weekly to burn calories and lose weight.