How Many Calories Do I Need?

by Marie Keith, MS, RD, LN

Well, the number of calories you need depends on a lot of different things - if you are a male or female, your age, how tall you are, how much you weigh, if you want to lose weight or maintain, and how active you are. There is no "one size fits all" number of calories to get - everyone's need are different. To get you started, aim for 1800 calories per day Check out the sample meal plan below. If you want to lose weight, the best thing you can do is be more active!

Do you know how many calories you have to burn to lose a pound? 3500! There are 3500 calories in a pound - that's a lot! Healthy weight loss should be about 1/2 - 2 pounds a week, not much more. If you lose more than that, you not only lose fat, but also muscle, whit is not a good thing. So by counting calories and being more active, you should be well on your way to a new you! Check out Jake's fitness tips for great ideas to be more active!

Breakfast:    

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1 slice whole wheat toast

1 scrambled egg (made with cooking spray)

1 1/4 cup strawberries

1 cup 1% milk

1 teaspoon margarine

Lunch:       

2 slices whole wheat bread

2 ounces turkey

lettuce, tomato, mustard

2 cups salad mix

1 tablespoon regular dressing (or 2 tablespoons light dressing)

6 ounces light yogurt

small orange

Dinner:       

3 ounces sirloin steak

medium baked potato

1 cup green beans

small roll

2 teaspoons margarine

Snack:    

1 cup 1% milk

1 ounce nuts

baby carrots with 1 tablespoon ranch dip