The recommended calorie intake, or TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), depends on many factors. They are quite easy to measure, and you (hopefully) already know some: your age, height, weight, and sex. There are others, like the level of your physical activity, which are more qualitative than quantitative, but it's still possible to measure and classify them. Others, like your metabolism and overall health, are very difficult to estimate. That's why, even though our calorie calculator takes into account most factors that influence the number of calories you need every day, it may not give results that are 100% accurate. Consider it more of a guideline than a rigorous directive.

For example, a 40-year-old man who has a physical job (equivalent to exercising six days a week) and has the average American height (5 ft 9 in) and weight (194.7 lbs) should ingest 3567 calories a day. On the other hand, his daughter, an average 18-year-old girl (5 ft 4 in, 117 lbs) who exercises once a week only, needs only 1814 calories a day – over a thousand calories less than her father.

Eggs are a safe bet if you are on a diet or you just want to eat healthily. They are loaded with nutrients, contain no harmful additives, are relatively cheap, leave you feeling much fuller than other foods, and, most importantly – are low in calories. A small egg (38 g) contains only 54 calories, while a medium-sized one (44 g) has around 63 kcal. Inside a large egg (50 g), there is approximately 72 kcal, with the egg yolk containing around 55 calories and the remaining 17 kcal in the white. That's nothing! Especially if you are comparing it to the nutritional bomb you get with every single egg:

There are about 3500 calories stored in each pound of body fat (of course, this is the average amount). If you want to lose a pound a week, you can easily work out that you need to cut out 500 calories from your daily intake. Similarly, if you're going to gain weight, taking in an additional 500 calories a day will help you gain one pound per week. Remember that you can create this calorie deficit either by eating less or increasing the TDEE by exercising. Check out our calorie deficit calculator to learn more.

You should never cut more than 1000 calories a day from your diet. As a rule of thumb, you should never go below 1200 calories a day if you're a woman and 1800 if you're a man.

Additionally, it's a good idea to divide the food calories between all meals in a healthy way. Our meal calorie calculator will surely be of help!

Before you start a rigorous diet, it's a good idea to make sure whether you're really overweight or underweight. Our BMI calculator can be of use to you.

What to eat to lose weight

Calories are not the only thing we get from food. Eating 1000 calories in popcorn is definitely not the same as eating 1000 calories in fruit and vegetables. We also need a proper amount of macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, iron, and others. If you want to lose weight, the best thing you can do is burn calories by exercising. You can also reduce the calorie intake, but you must be very careful and double-check whether you won't deprive your body of important substances.

The best idea is always to consult a specialist. A good plan is to find a dietitian who will create a diet plan perfectly suited to your needs. In no case should you blindly follow any diet plan taken from an anonymous source. The list below provides some rules that can become an inspiration for your diet. They are taken from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If you are interested in the topic of healthy nutrition, you should give them a look – this document is full of valuable information.