QuestionI am confused with how many calories I am supposed to consume. I need to lose about 80 lbs. I have heard of 2 ways to do it. 1st way: consume between between 1000-1800 calories. 2nd way: for me to maintain my weight I am supposed to consume 2590 calories and cut back about 300 calories from eat and lose 200 from exercise to make a 2090 calorie diet. Which one do I use?
AnswerHello Jasmine!
Thank you for your nutrition question. In order to lose weight you should not go below 1,500 calories because it will send your body into starvation mode. The amount of calories you should be consuming depends on your age, height, weight, sex, and activity level. Go to the following website( http://www.wvda.org)and enter your numbers in order to find out your calorie intake.
After you get calorie intake, subtract it by 500 calories in order to lose 1 pound per week.(One pound is equal to 3,500 calories.) So if you can cut back on 500 calories daily you should be able to lose 1 pound per week! (500 calorie x 7 days a week= 3,500 calories)
There is also a great product on my website called Juice Plus which contains the nutrients from 17 fruits and vegetables that will help you crave healthier foods for weight loss. The website for it is http://www.juiceblend.com Many of my patients have had great success with weight loss by using Juice Plus. Let me know if you need help purchasing it.
-George Rapitis, Nutritionist
