how many calories?

The most common question I have been asked over the past couple of weeks is “How many calories should I be eating to lose weight?”

It’s such a very open ended question. It is true that calories matter but, calorie counting, isn’t always necessary.
There are numerous positives and negatives to counting the calories we consume. Having been a HUGE counter of every morsel of food that entered my mouth in the past, it’s a bold statement for me to say that there ARE negatives because I used to think it was the only solution. It worked. Yes. But remember everyone is so individual. Plus having to weigh or count everything you eat can be very tedious.
Your metabolic rate depends on so many factors.

Age, sex, activity level, current weight, height, body fat levels, hormones... but a few. It changes over time and will drop during long periods of calorie restriction.
Most of us know what foods are empty calories, the foods laden with sugar, salt and fat - and those which are nutrient dense. And what portion sizes are appropriate. So we need to become not necessarily calorie counters but calorie CONSCIOUS.
However, if you have a lot of weight to lose or weight loss is your primary goal then the number of calories you eat is important. A general rule of thumb is NEVER go under 1,200 calories a day as a female, and 1,800 calories for males. Anything under these amounts and you force your body into starvation mode. To lose weight it’s not necessary to be continually hungry, or energy deprived!  Neither is it a pleasant place to be nor good for long term results. And often detrimental.
Weight loss is not just about calories, it’s about eating the types of foods that encourage weight loss. So the question is perhaps not how many calories do I need to eat a day to lose weight, the right question would be - what foods should I be eating to lose weight naturally and to sustain a healthy lifestyle?
I am a big believer that keeping a food diary can certainly work. For a short period, keep one. Maybe a week of each month is enough to keep yourself on track? They can make you accountable. Often we can get to the end of the day and think we have eaten hardly anything, but have forgotten about all the ‘little’ absent minded hand to mouth fills along the course of the day.
A final thought - some weeks our results don’t necessarily show a kg loss. Don’t focus on that. KNOW, we are on the journey towards becoming a fitter and healthier version of ourselves! It WILL still reflect as we go along if we continue on the right path. Look at ALL the positives eating with optimum  nutrition, exercising consistently and working towards a positive mindset does for us - and be really proud of ourselves for heading in a proactive direction for an amazing wellbeing.
Let’s get healthy, together. Ann