Have you ever wondered…
“How many calories should I be eating?”
In this post, we are going to discuss how to find the number of calories your body needs and how to adjust them based on YOUR specific goals.
I won’t lie, this WILL actually take effort.
This is the harsh truth: if you are unwilling to put forth a small amount of effort, in the beginning, you are unwilling to do what it will take to reach your goals. You don’t have to be crazy, and it’s never about being “perfect”, but you do have to actually TRY.
THAT BEING SAID…
Let’s jump right in.
First, we are going to define something called…
T D E E
TDEE stands for: Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
Meaning: the number of calories you burn in a day!
The 4 different pieces that make up your TDEE are; basal metabolic rate (BMR), non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), thermic effect of food (TEF), and exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT).
Your TDEE directly determines how many calories you currently need to maintain your weight.
So how do you find that number?
There are several formulas out there to estimate this number, HOWEVER, our bodies do not always respond like math equations! If you break down the different parts of your TDEE, you can easily see that several of them are highly influenced by your specific daily choices. Overall movement and exercise frequency can vary GREATLY on a day to day basis, and during different times of your life.
This means your TDEE is a “dynamic” or ever changing number.
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
The best way to find what this number is for YOU specifically, is to record and evaluate the amount you are currently eating. I recommend taking 2 weeks, 1 week MINIMUM, and record what you eat every single day. (Spoiler: I have provided an awesome FREE downloadable tool to help you do this!)
The goal with this, is to not change any daily habits, but simply RECORD. We want to get the most accurate view possible of how your body is responding to what you are doing right now.
To show you what this might look like, we are going to use Sally Sue below as an example!
Sally Sue has taken the tool that I am providing and has completed the “homework”.
The charts below show the information she collected over a 2 week period.
She used the following things to collect the data:
Body weight: her scale from Target
Calories: the app MyFitnessPal (free version)
Steps: her iPhone
A few quick things I want to point out from the chart:
Weight: the scale fluctuated throughout the week which is completely NORMAL. Her average weight remained the same! Don’t let those scale fluctuations bother you. Also remember, as women, our cycles play a HUGE role in scale fluctuations. Keep this in mind!
Calories: her calories fluctuated throughout the week as well! This is also NORMAL. Most of us do fun things and go out on the weekends. It is totally normal for your calorie intake to be higher on those days. (Also…YES. It’s extremely easy to surpass 3,000 calories on a day eating out and having drinks!) It is CRITICAL that you are honest with yourself during this process. Lying about how much you eat, or don’t eat, will only hurt you in the end. Don’t forget - all bites, licks, and tastes need to be counted!
Steps: her steps also fluctuated quite a bit! As we learned above, NEAT is about 15% of your TDEE. It is an extremely underutilized piece of the puzzle and can be extremely helpful when trying to work towards a goal.
Now, we are going to look at how Sally Sue can adjust things based on SPECIFIC goals!
IMPORTANT: Always remember that the scale will fluctuate a LOT, no matter what. When it comes to fat loss, trends over TIME, are what matter. Consistency is everything.
Stay the course.
IMPORTANT: Again, always remember the scale will fluctuate! View your maintenance weight as a range VS one set number. Obsessing over a specific number is pointless and will only make you miserable!
IMPORTANT: Prioritizing protein is extremely important for this goal. I recommend anywhere from .7-1.0 grams/pound of body weight to optimize this process! If you want to gain muscle - THE SCALE WILL EVENTUALLY GO UP. Even if it’s just a little bit. Accept this now, and understand that that the body composition changes YOU WANT require this controlled increase. In this context, it is VITAL to shift the way you view weight gain. It is extremely freeing to let go of that number and experience the changes that come from muscle growth/body recomposition! :)
Are you ready to find out how many calories YOu should be eating?
Follow the instructions below to download your FREE tool and then…
GET TO WORK. :)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Download your FREE Calorie Tracking Tool HERE!
For 1-2 weeks, input the information listed in the document just like Sally Sue. The document will automatically update the averages as you do this!
WEIGHT: Use any scale you have at home to monitor your weight. Always weigh first thing in the morning, after you use the restroom, without any clothes. (Click HERE for the scale I use!)
CALORIES: I recommend using the app MyFitnessPal to track your food intake. Don’t forget: if you eat it, you count it. You NEED an accurate assessment of what you are actually doing. Yes…this is a bit “neurotic”, BUT, you need an accurate assessment to be able to make accurate adjustments.
STEPS: You can use your smart phone, Apple watch, Fitbit etc., to keep track of your steps.
Based on the data you collect, adjust according to YOUR specific goals.
Be as consistent as possible and ENJOY the results! ;)
