Am I Eating Too Little/Too Many Calories?

February 11, 2013 / Nutrition / Source: Nutrition

The answer to this question is tricky.  For instance, I often have people tell me that when they calculate how many calories they should be eating on a daily basis, the amount seems to be too high and they still feel full when it’s time to eat the next meal or snack.  So, how do you determine if this is your correct amount or not?

Well, I think it is good to have an idea of what calorie range we should be in because many people do not realize how many calories they need in order to help their bodies burn fat more effectively.  However, I tend to take a “listen to your body” approach when it comes to calories and eating.  My reasoning for this is due to the fact that our metabolic activity is affected by several different factors, including current weight and activity level.  So, I believe that we should adjust the amount of calories we consume on a daily basis according to how active we are.  For instance, I would not eat the same amount of food on a rest day that I would on a high-intensity workout day.  My body burns calories more efficiently on the active days than it does on the less active days, so I essentially follow a method that is described as a “zig zag” diet.

The zig zag diet is used to help with increasing or decreasing your current daily calorie consumption or to help you figure out how many calories are best for you.  This method allows you to gradually increase or decrease your calories over a period of time to help you determine your appropriate caloric intake level.  I thought Steve Edwards explained the zig zag diet very well…and rather than duplicate his response, I have included a link to his explanation.  So, if you would like to gain a better understanding of this approach and/or how it is implemented, click on the link below.

For more information: How Zigzag Dieting Can Break Your Weight Loss Plateau