Calorie is a unit of measuring food energy and 1 calorie is used in reference to the energy required by the body. When we ask ourselves “how many calories should I eat today”, you are referring to the unit of energy required by your body per day in order to perform your daily activities.
You can track your calories in two ways. Firstly, how many calories do you consume or how much energy are you taking in. Secondly, how many calories do you burn while exercising or how much energy do you take out.
When you consume more calories than needed for metabolic functions, then the excess calories are stored as fat in your body. If your calorie consumption is less than what you need, then your body burns fat to get extra energy.
Ideally, women should consume 2,000 calories a day & men 2,500. But if you are on a weight loss program, you should consume between 1,300 to 1,900 calories per day.
However, it would be prudent not to get obsessed with counting calories as there are many low calorie foods with questionable nutritional content and could be potentially harmful. Instead, exercise consistently, make healthy food choices and change your lifestyle.
You can choose how many calories you should eat with sensible eating and keeping your body well hydrated always.