How many calories should I eat per day?

Question

I just want to lose five or ten pounds. I decided to eat what I want, just in small portions, 3 or 4 meals a day, and do some type of exercise each day (walk a mile, pilates, bike, etc.).

I'm 5'4", 118 lbs, 15 years old. I'm by no means fat, I just want to look better in a bathing suit and not have that belly bulge. My BMI is 20. How many calories can I eat every day and still lose some weight with exercising?

Thank you!

Answer 1

You should eat about 2000 calories in a day. You sound like you're in pretty good shape, so you don't need to worry too much. Just watch out for fats, carbs, sugars, etc too. You can't just watch calories and forget about everything else. But since you sound like you're in pretty good shape and are just doing it for your health and toning, 2000 calories is fine. That's an average healthy intake for a healthy person. If you consume too little calories, then your body goes into "starvation" mode and tries to store all the calories it can, and that can make you gain weight or make your "belly bulge" get bigger. But you're also still growing a little bit since you're only 15. So if you cut back on things your body needs, that's not good either. You're still in puberty (like it or not lol) so you'll burn calories a lot faster than if you were 30. Enjoy it while you can!

Just stick with the smaller portions and excercise and you'll be fine. Try to do excercises targeting your stomache and abdominal area though, like crunches and sit-ups and stuff in addition to running or biking.

Good luck!!!

Answer 2

Here is what you need to do, if you are serious about losing weight and keeping it off. Eat 6 small meals a day about every 4 hours. Here what that will do for you, your metabolism will increase (i.e. Loose weight) and you will have more engry. If you go on a diet and eat less, your metabolism will slow down and store to fat. That is why diets dont work. Only the size of your fist, carbs (examples:baked potato, pasta, oatmeal, beans, corn, melon, apples, fat free yogurt, whole wheat breads)in one and protien (examples:chicken breast, swordfish, shrimp, turkey breast) in the other. You can also eat vegetables and salads with any meal, they dont have none or little fat). 30min cardo exercise every day. Any of these(examples: walking, jogging, swimming,running, biking, ect), Monday cardo, tues upper body (arms: curls, tricep extensions,pull ups, front press)(abdominals: leg pull crunch, leg raises), (chest: bench press, butterfly, pullover)(shoulders: front press, arm pullover, cross county skier machine)(back:seated row, lat pull downs, back extension)(YOU DONT HAVE TO DO IN ONE DAY, mix it up) wed cardo, thurs lower body (legs: leg pull,leg press, squats, lounges) fri cardo, sat upper. Sunday eat anything you want and dont exercising, you do this on sunday so your body doesnt go into starvation mode. YOU NEED TO TAKE SUNDAY OFF. If you stilck with this you will have a great body. also drink aleast 8oz of water daily! Stay away from Mcdonals, Wendys, ect because there is nothing good for you on the menu's even the salads are bad (beaon bits, cheeze, dressing, ect) Good Luck :)

Answer 3

no its now not great. you're going to place your frame into hunger mode which you're going to remorse seeing that while you conclude the nutrition your going to place on ALL the load plus a lot more seeing that you may have bogged down your metabolism. ALSO YOUR NOT LOSING FAT!!! Your wasting muscle (which you're going to most of the time by no means regain) and WATER weight. now not fats. your frame is storing the fats from the whole thing you devour seeing that it is aware of its now not getting adequate power and meals. You will lose a few weight, however it'll regularly be from the muscle seeing that muscle weighs A LOT greater than fats and also you wont detect it as so much within the reflect seeing that certainly, its muscle youve misplaced. Trust me, you dont wish to do it. Just devour healthful in smaller quantities and activity extra.

Answer 4

some dieticians will tell you multiply your weight x 15 and that is the number of calories you should eat everyday to maintain your weight. If you want to lose weight you subtract 52 calories a day for each pound you want to lose a week.

Answer 5

Well, your weight sounds good to me with what you are eating. I would suggest eating between 1000 and 2000 calories for a healthy life style. Good Luck!

Answer 6

It's not important how much you eat. Important is how to lose gained energy. More you eat - more exercising you need :)

Answer 7

800-1,000 calories a day is good