One of the most common questions Precision Nutrition certified nutrition coaches receive from their new clients is:
“We are trying to regulate our calorie intake as much as we possibly can. So, why doesn’t it work?!?”
Yes, the traditional wisdom is that reducing your calorie intake (or increasing your calorie intake) by losing 500 calories per day should result in a loss of about 1 pound of fat per week. (Formula: 500 cals / day x 7 days = 3500 cals / week = 1 pound.)
But this traditional wisdom is wrong. As discussed in this article on the myth of metabolic damage, your metabolism is applicable. When you eat less, your metabolism slows down, which breaks common assumptions about calorie balance. Our calculator lets you calculate calories needed to lose weight.
The Benefits of Weight Loss Calculator
Just like we already said, calculator lets you calculate calories needed to lose weight.
In order to understand the working and application of calculator, let us give you an example of Vanessa, who is one of our clients.
She is 40 years old, 1.65 meters tall, weighs 185 pounds, has very little activity at work and moderate physical activity.
Based on this information, the calculator found that she needed about 2,245 calories a day to lose weight.
Let’s say Vanessa wants to lose 40 pounds (145 pounds) over the next year without any extra exercise.
The calculator recommends that you reduce your food intake to about 1,770 calories per day. (675 calories less than what is needed for care.)
If you are calculating traditional calories, these numbers do not make sense.
A daily loss of 675 calories would be a loss of 246,375 calories for the whole year. (Formula: 675 cals deficit x 365 days = 246,375 cals.)
This would theoretically result in a 70-pound weight loss for Vanessa. (Math: 246,375 calorie loss per 1 pound weight / 3,500 calories = 70 pounds lost.)
But the body does not work that way. Instead, Vanessa will lose only 40 pounds. (Which is still great.)
Why This Big Contradiction?
As we have already talked about above, when you start eating less and losing weight, your metabolism automatically adjusts. And traditional mathematics does not account for this complex nature of human evolution.
Because of this, it is important to make sure that your expectations for weight loss and body changes are in line with the way your body works.
Calculator helps. This makes it easier to set appropriate behavioral goals and gives you a more realistic idea of ​​what your potential progress might be.
