Answering a common question: how many calories should I eat a day?

One of the most common questions that we get asked in our counselling practice is “how many calories do I need a day?” If you have read a diet magazine that suggests an adult needs only 1200 calories per day, this is likely far too low to be sustainable, enjoyable and helpful to manage a healthy metabolism (after all, a 2 year old needs 1000 calories a day and they are much smaller than an adult!).

Consuming too few or too many calories?

Consuming too few calories compared to what your body requires is a form of stress for the body and will inevitably not help you manage your personal best weight and enjoy flexible eating habits over time.

Your metabolism is like a furnace, if food is in short supply it slows the furnace or metabolism down.  If you are not consuming enough calories your energy, mental health and physical health can be negatively influenced.

On the other hand eating too many calories for what your body requires for weeks and months over time, can increase your weight higher than your personal best weight should be and lead to health issues. 

What factors influence how many calories I need a day?

The total amount of calories you require per day will vary based on:

• gender
• age
• body composition
• activity level
• genetics

The chart below gives you an estimate of how many calories you likely need per day. While there is definitely individual differences, this chart can give you a rough ballpark. For people that are extremely active they will even require even more than what is listed on the chart below.

Activity levels on the chart below can be defined by the following:

• LOW = less than 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities
• MOD. ACTIVE = 30-60 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities
• ACTIVE = 60 or more minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities

Estimated goals for total calories needed per day

*Calorie levels are based on the Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) and activity levels from the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes Macro nutrients Report.

Do I need to track my calories in order to be successful?

None of the Dietitians in our practice routinely recommend tracking calories for our clients as it can become obsessive and steal the joy in everyday eating when you are focused on numbers rather than overall nutritional balance and taste.

Rather than track calories we recommend our clients understand the numbers for general awareness but then move away from the numbers.  Once our clients have an awareness of their overall calorie needs, we feel focusing on what, when, where, how much to eat and why they are eating are more effective strategies to help our clients move to their personal best weight.

We feel the following is more important for long-term success:

• Understanding the science of food and prevention and treatment of medical issues
• Ensuring you plan meals for balance for productivity and satiety
• Developing a bank of meal planning ideas of foods you and your family love
• Being able to eye-ball portion sizes appropriate for you
• Working through barriers in habit formation, cravings and emotional eating
• Understanding hunger and fullness cues and trusting your body as an intuitive eater