When most people decide to lose weight, they often put themselves on complicated diets and training programs. A calorie intake calculator for weight loss can provide some clarity to the process!
But, the truth is, weight loss is much more straightforward than most people imagine, and simple tactics tend to work much better.
Today, we’ll go over the importance of a calorie intake calculator for weight loss.
Why We Need a Calorie Intake Calculator For Weight Loss
There is a lot of misinformation out there about losing weight, getting lean, and similar. Everyone seems to have an agenda, and most people try to sell their unique solution to the weight loss ‘problem’ – be it a ‘superior’ diet, training plan, supplement, or something else.
But, the truth is, when you cut through the noise, it all comes down to calories in versus calories out. In simple terms, weight loss comes down to consuming fewer calories than you burn, thus placing yourself in a caloric deficit. That way, you force your body to tap into its stored energy (fat tissue) to get the remaining calories it needs to function.
So having a calorie intake calculator for weight loss makes the whole process much easier and more manageable.
NOTE: It is never advisable to lose more than 2 lbs per week. Trying to lose more than 2 lbs per week can be unhealthy and dangerous.
Counting Calories – The Simplest (and Most Effective) Way to Get Lean
Yes, we know. Counting calories sounds about as appealing as going to the dentist – no offense to any people who enjoy doing both.
But, the truth is, you can treat calorie tracking similarly to finance monitoring. Both habits exist to give you actionable data, help you make better decisions, and achieve better results in the long run.
And the process does not have to be perfect! As long as you have a general idea of the calories you are consuming most days, then you’ll be way ahead of most people.
So if you calculate your BMR to to 2,500 calories (the number of calories you burn in a typical day), then you know you want to consume 500-1,000 calories less on most days if you’re trying to lose weight.
It may seem complicated and unsustainable at first. But, so long as you stick with it, you will gain momentum, and it will become part of your life.
A slightly scientific approach makes this incredibly easy. All you have to do is keep track of the calories you consume and use a calculator for the calories you burn. You don’t have to do it every day, but most of the time.
Click the button below to learn more about counting calories.
Counting Calories Is Also Important As We Age
Many people are under the impression that counting calories is a young person’s game. But, we could argue that having the habit of counting calories is even more critical as we get older. For one, our metabolism tends to slow down as we get older – partly because of sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) and partly because of the decreased physical activity. (1)
Second, we also have sarcopenia, which itself is quite daunting, as it causes muscle loss, impacts our metabolism, and leads to declines in athletic performance—the perfect recipe for fat gain.
So, for example, if you need to consume 3,500 calories to maintain your weight at the age of 25, you might only need to eat 2,500 calories by the time you’re age fifty. So having a solid idea of your calories will act as guardrails to help you control your weight.
And as you get older, having some proven methods to control your weight becomes ultra important. Why? Because a whopping 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese, a subtle stat that has a heavy impact on our healthcare system. (2)
Counting Calories is a Long-Term Solution
Counting calories is one of the best long-term solutions against unwanted weight gain. What’s more, by keeping the habit of tracking our calories, we are also less likely to lose muscle because we are more aware of our protein intake.
Keeping a calorie intake calculator for weight loss is incredibly beneficial because it gives us actionable data, and it forces us to stay honest with ourselves. That way, we can make tweaks and improvements to our nutrition and training on time, and prevent unwanted weight gain, plateaus, and muscle loss.
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David Williams
A diet and fitness enthusiast, David Williams is an ex-Army Airborne Ranger and Infantry soldier with decades of fitness and wellness experience. A West Point graduate with a degree in engineering, he focuses on technical research related to fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He loves the beach, and spending time with his wife and daughters.
References
- MediLexicon International. (n.d.). Sarcopenia: Causes, symptoms, and management. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318501
Sifferlin, A. (2015, June 22). More than two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Time.
https://time.com/3929990/americans-overweight-obese/
