How Many Calories Should I be Eating?

Food. It's so good. If you don't think so you are crazy. It is a huge part of our lifestyle. So many of our social events revolve around food; parties, meetings, celebrations, etc. It's absolutely impossible to get away from it. So, stop trying to. Instead learn to get along with it. Developing a positive relationship with food is essential to a happy, healthy life.

I have had several people ask me how many calories they should be consuming, so I figured I'd offer some help.
Because you see; I love food...

 My mouth is watering as we speak.

Seee....told you. I love it.

Caloric consumption has always been a huge topic of concern for my clients. How much should I be eating? I hate counting calories, but I still want to lose weight. I work out a ton, but I don't see any changes. These are some previous posts on calorie consumption that I've written for your literary enjoyment.

Click HERE to read about finding your basal metabolic rate and how to create a caloric deficit.
Click HERE to read about finding the right calorie balance dealing with losing weight and getting the correct amount of calories for your expenditure needs. 

Hopefully that helps some! If you still have questions let me know.

My disclaimer...calorie counting is not for everyone. It is all a matter of your goals. For those who are looking to lose weight I think that it's very important. Many people don't realize their bad eating habits and food journaling is the best way to determine these habits. If you are working out like a fiend and you aren't showing it on the scale, the chances are you are sabotaging your work efforts with your diet. This doesn't mean you have to become calorie obsessed, just food aware. Finding that healthy balance IS possible. For healthy eating purposes achieving intuitive eating as a habit is optimal. Being able to pay attention to your hunger levels and not just eat whatever you see is not easy to do, and getting to that point is like reaching the top of a very big mountain. The basic truth of the matter; MOST people underestimate the amount of food they are eating. Just because it is "good food" doesn't mean you can eat and eat all day long. This is where the journaling comes in again. It's about learning what works for you and for your body.

Do you count calories? I would like to say that I don't...but I am at the point that I know basic calories of most foods. Even when I'm not writing it down I'm mentally keeping track. Are you an intuitive eater? If you are that is a great! Keep it up :) Have you always been this way, or is this a learned habit?