How Many Calories Should You Eat In a Day?

Maintaining the calorie count is the key whether you are en route to losing weight or gaining some muscles. According to nutritionists, consuming the correct calorie count daily helps overall health and boosts longevity.

Reducing the calorie count is helpful for effective weight loss and vice versa to gain weight. But how many calories should you eat in a day? This guide will highlight the calories you should consume daily for overall wellness.

What Should Be Your Daily Calorie Intake?

Determining the average calorie count depends on several factors, including your age, current weight, height, gender, age, metabolic health, and activity level. Ideally, reducing the calorie intake helps reduce weight, while increasing it helps in effective weight gain.

For Children:

What should be the daily calorie intake for children? Children between the ages of 2-3 should intake 1000-1400 calories daily. For the 4-8 years old age group, the recommended calorie intake per day is 1200 minimum. Girls should consume 1800 calories at max, while boys 2000 calories.

For the 9-13 years old, the range is 1400-2200 for girls, while for boys, 1600-2600 calories. However, this average range depends on their activity level as well.

For Teens:

Teenagers are more active than kids of other age groups. Teenagers’ calorie intake will vary based on gender and activity level. The recommended calorie intake for a 13-year-old girl is 1600-2200 per day, while 2000-2600 for a 13 years old boy.

As the age increases, the calorie intake will also increase. The recommended calorie intake per day for 14-18-year-old girls is 1800-2400 calories, while 2000-3200 calories for boys in the same age group boys to maintain their health.

For Adults:

The metabolic activities of adults are more active than kids or teenagers. Women between the age group 19-30 should consume 2000-2400 calories per day to maintain their health, while men of the same age group should consume 2400-3000 calories daily. 

31-59 age group women have slightly higher energy needs and should consume 1800-2200 calories daily. Men, on the other hand, should consume 2200-3000 calories.

As the age grows, the calories count decreases. Women over 60 should consume 1,600–2,000 calories daily, while men of the same age group should consume 2,000–2,600 calories to maintain their health.

Reaching your Goals:

The calorie, as mentioned earlier, intake is to maintain a healthy body and improve longevity. However, if you want to lose weight or gain muscles, you must change your diet plan.

For Weight Loss:

The earlier you understand the calorie-to-calorie equation, the more effectively you will lose weight. The goal is to reduce the calorie count consumed in a day so that your body uses the stored fat as an energy source.

According to nutritionists, a calorie deficit of 500 calories from your daily caloric needs is effective for weight loss. You can create this deficit by eating less or increasing your physical activities.

Eat more protein to fight cravings, and limit drinking sugary drinks and alcohol. Drink more water to speed up the fat-burning process. Walk at least 1400 steps per day to burn fat faster. Moreover, swimming and jogging will also help speed up the process.

For Weight Gain:

To gain weight, you need to reverse the weight loss cycle. Consume a surplus of 300-500 calories daily to gain weight. Drink sugary drinks like smoothies, cold drinks, coffee, and tea.

Consume alcohol if you can tolerate it. Eat high-calorie foods, like peanut butter, puddings, sauces, oils, custards, pancakes, muffins, honey, butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, whole milk, and yogurt.

Eat more often if you can. Avoid walking, jogging, and swimming to reduce your activity level. Add oatmeal and nuts to your breakfast for extra calorie intake. Perform strength training exercises for even weight gain.

Use Weight Loss Calculators to Find Your Calories

Sometimes even after spending weeks calculating your calorie count, you need help finding effective results. Use TDEE calculators to find your calories. 

The weight loss calculator determines your age, gender, current weight, ideal weight, height, activity level, and body fat. The calculator then adds or subtracts the calories required for effective weight loss or gain.

Inputting your correct data will help you find your daily caloric needs. You maintain a journal for a week to estimate your activity level. Set realistic goals to reach your goals effectively.

Final Words:

Not only for weight loss or gain, but every individual should also know his daily caloric needs to maintain overall wellness. In short, determining your calorie count is an intelligent way to be mindful of your nutrition. 

The TDEE calculator runs several test engines based on gender, age, weight, height, and activity level to find suitable daily caloric needs. 

Lastly, pay attention to what you eat. Eat mindfully to maintain overall wellness instead of attaining a smart or bulky body.v