The Daily Calorie Requirements to Lose Weight

There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" diet. Every person's body is different and has different nutritional needs. Many people, women especially, have wasted so much time trying the diet that worked for their friend's aunt's cousin's hairdressers only to find that they are not losing any weight. The fact is that the only way to lose weight is to cut calories and add exercise. Every person's calorie needs are different, and each person needs to take a close look at her body and activity level when attempting to plan the number of calories needed on a diet. Also, anybody attempting to diet should be aware that eating too few calories is just as detrimental as eating too many. A careful balance must be struck between weight loss and overall health.

Calculating Calories to Maintain Weight

• Before determining how many calories are needed to lose weight, a person must calculate how many calories are needed to maintain the current weight. Every person is different since every body has a different metabolic rate. However, in general, a person can multiply his weight times ten. A person who weighs 150 pounds would multiply 150 times 10 to get 1,500 calories. This is just the base calories a person needs. Other factors must be considered.

Calories Needed To Support Daily Activities

• When calculating calories needed, one should also add in calories for daily activity. This is not exercise, just things like walking down the hall and pouring a glass of milk. Multiply the 1,500 calories by .3 for average (working at a desk job, doing household chores, playing with kids), .2 for very low activity (rarely getting out of bed or working long hours at a desk without getting up), or .4 for higher activity (a job that requires you to be on your feet all day). In the example of 1,500 calories, if the person was average, he would need an additional 450 calories, for a total of 1,950 calories to maintain the weight of 150.

Creating a Calorie Deficit

• In order to lose weight, a person must take in less calories than needed to maintain the current weight. In general, a person should cut out 500 calories per day to lose weight at a rate of one pound per week. A person who needs 1,950 calories to maintain a weight of 150 pounds needs cut back to 1,450 calories in order to lose weight. This is the safest way to lose weight, and it's the best way to ensure that the weight does not creep back on.

Calories and Exercise

• When a person exercises, calories are burned. This means the body needs more calories to have enough energy to do the workout. There is a good way to ensure that the body is getting enough calories to function properly during exercise while still using exercise to burn calories each day. First, determine how many calories will be burned during the workout. If 100 calories will be burned, half of those should be added back to the calorie intake for the day. In the example, the person is eating 1,450 calories per day to lose one pound per week. If that person burns 100 calories exercising, 50 calories should be added back into the diet that day to ensure that the body had enough energy.

All Calories Are Not Equal

• When dieting, it is important to remember that all calories are not equal. A 1,450 calorie diet of soda, chips and fast food will leave the person hungry and unhealthy. Once the person has used up all 1,450 calories and is still hungry, the diet is sure to be ruined. On the other hand, a person who eats 1,450 calories of fruit, vegetables, lean protein, and reasonable snacks will find that 1,450 calories is more than enough to stay full all day. This will lead to weight loss success.