The average woman needs an intake of 2000 calories per day, while men on average need as much as 2500 calories per day. To lose weight, ideally you only need to reduce 500 calories per day. So, women need 1500 calories and men need 2000 calories per day to lose weight. With a reduction of 500 calories per day, you can lose 0.5-1 kg of your body weight per week.
However, sometimes a reduction of 500 calories per day is not great enough to be able to lose weight quickly. So, many people, especially women who limit their calorie intake below 1500 calories. When referring to what was said by Michelle Davenport, Ph.D, a nutritionist, active women need a minimum calorie of 1200-1400 calories per day. By meeting these minimal calorie needs, you can ensure that you eat enough food so that your body's metabolism is not disturbed.
However, if you exercise actively, you must add your calorie intake to compensate for your calories burned while exercising, continued Davenport, as reported by Women’s Health.
However, it's still a rough count. If you want to be calculated correctly, there are factors that need to be considered, such as age, height and current weight, level of activity, metabolic health, and others. To find out exactly how many calories you need every day, you should visit your nutritionist.
What if my calorie intake is less than the recommended minimum?
Very low calorie intake is usually in the range of 800-1000 calories per day or it could be less than that.
If your calorie intake is in this range for approximately 4-16 weeks, this will cause mild side effects, such as:
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
A very low calorie diet can also cause serious side effects, such as gallstones. Gallstones can occur if you experience very fast weight loss (very high risk for women). However, it is not yet clear whether a very low calorie diet can directly cause gallstones or whether gallstones occur due to the amount of weight lost.
If your calorie intake is too low per day, the body will break down muscle tissue (not fat) as a source of energy and this is certainly not good for everyone. Very low calorie diets are not recommended for teenagers, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Most teenagers go on the wrong diet, even though they are in need of a lot of nutrients for their growth and development.
Tips to reduce calorie intake in a healthy way
Calories are what you need as an energy source to do your daily activities. For that reason, fulfilling enough calories per day for bodily functions is needed, even if you are on a diet.
The following are tips for those of you who want to lose weight, but still meet calorie needs.
Eat more protein
Protein can reduce your appetite and can also increase the number of calories you burn. The body needs a lot of energy to metabolize proteins, so that it indirectly burns calories in your body.
Avoid sweet drinks
Such as soft drinks, soft drinks, fruit juices, and others. Sweet drinks can be one of the factors that can cause you to gain weight. Liquid calories obtained from sugary drinks do not make the brain aware that many calories have entered your body, because they are not the same as solid calories from food. This keeps you hungry so you will continue to eat other foods.
Drink a lot of water
It can also help you lose weight. Drinking water before eating may help reduce hunger so you will eat less. In addition, drinking lots of water can also increase the number of calories you burn per day.
Exercise regularly
Of course, because doing regular exercise can balance the incoming and outgoing calories from your body. Weight training is also important because it can inhibit the loss of muscle mass and can prevent the metabolic rate from slowing down in your body.
Reduce carbohydrate intake
Especially carbohydrates and sugars that have gone through the process. Research shows that limiting carbohydrate intake can lose weight 2-3 times more like when you limit your fat intake. Your appetite tends to go down, so you eat less.