I have been working out and tracking my calories for 7 months. I have lost 29 lbs. and met my original goal of 25 lbs. I created a new goal in with my fitness and nutritional planner app, and it recommended that I drop my calorie intake from 1600 to 1480 calories. I have heard different opinions on this. For instance, I have heard that I should lower my calories because my body may have adjusted to the higher one, or that I burn fewer calories now that I weigh less. I’ve also heard that I can stay at 1600 and be ok. How many calories should I be eating? Thank you, Jenna C.
Kudos to you! While it’s true that the new smaller you requires fewer calories to maintain your current weight, your tissues are now more efficient at burning fat for energy. You should be careful cutting your intake back further as you don’t want your body to adapt to an even lower calorie level and require less for maintenance in the future. Stay at 1600 or drop to 1480… the 120 calorie difference might be negligible, as tracking caloric intake generally has a margin of error up to 30% anyway. Perhaps only time will tell how your body responds to continued intake at present level. Since you’ve not plateaued, it seems logical to put off restricting intake further.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
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