A Doctor's Guide To How Many Calories You Should Be Eating To Lose Weight

If you're trying to shed some weight, knowing where to start can be the most daunting part. And one of the most common questions people tend to have is about calorie intake. So when a viewer came to us with that very question, we turned to physician and best-selling author (and our friend!) Dr. Ian Smith.

Q: "How many calories should I be consuming a day if I wanted to lose those extra five pounds?"

A: Now, before we get into it, Dr. Ian stresses that these numbers and his advice are general guidelines. (Every body is different!)

"In the old days, we would say that for a woman, about 1500 calories per day will help you lose about a pound a week," Dr. Ian says. "For a man, about 2000 to 2500 calories will help them lose a pound a week, but let's put that into some easy type of equation for you guys."

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"Take your ideal body weight," the doc breaks it down. "Multiply it by 12 if you are lightly active and increase that number up to 14, depending on your level of activity."

This will give you the rough amount of calories you should be consuming if you're trying to lose weight.

As for the old-fashioned adage of "calories in must be less than calories out," Dr. Ian says that still applies, but his equation gives you an idea of how many calories you should be consuming daily — give or take 10%, the doctor says.

Always consult your doctor before making changes to your diet.