When you are working to lose fat, gain muscle and to optimize your everyday energy and performance in the gym, there are specific considerations that should be taken into account. The first component to weight management is keeping your energy balance in line with your goals.

Energy Balance: The net difference between the calories you put in your body through food versus the calories that you burn through regular daily activities and exercise.

MORE CALORIES IN THAN OUT = WEIGHT GAIN

MORE CALORIES OUT THAN IN = WEIGHT LOSS

When it comes to dropping fat, it’s about eating the right amount for you and your body, not the least amount.

Women often think that to lose fat they need to eat 1200 calories. The whole idea that the magic number to lose fat is 1200 calories per day for all women is not only inaccurate but ultimately the root of why most women fail at their fitness goals altogether.

Yes, you need to create a deficit, but 1200 calories is extreme! Starvation and elimination diets don’t work because they are too hard to stick to for the amount of time required to see results. Under these extreme conditions, most dieters fail and many gain the weight back and then some. The biggest secret to reaching your fat loss is not trying (and failing) to eat 1,200 calories — the key is finding a plan you can stick to.

When not dieting, most women eat 2000-2500 calories a day on average. Often times this includes some higher calorie days on the weekends and some lower calorie days during the week, but typically their weekly averages are much higher than they realize.

If you add up the daily calories in a week and divide them by 7, it’s almost always going to be MORE than 2000. So, to instantly drop calories to 1200 is a. not necessary and b. not realistic.

The “magic” calorie intake fat loss is closer to 1500-1900 calories for most women and dependent on their metabolic rate, amount of lean muscle mass, age, weight, height, activity level, and other genetic factors.

The more calories you can take in while losing fat, the better.