Calorie Needs Change
I read an interesting article recently on one of my favorite news websites, MSNBC.com, about how calorie needs change as people change, age and evolve. Remember the days the good ol’ 2000 calorie rule was the rule of thumb for a calorie allowance to not go over, and for some it seemed like it was too much? Well, that same 2000 calorie rule definitely doesn’t apply for everyone.
Think of how many variables there are between individuals, and you will see the answer. People vary in metabolism, height, build, physical activity levels, and so many other factors that it is no longer appropriate to assign a calorie allowance to everyone. It’s simply not practical or relevant any more.
But how are we supposed to know what our individual calorie needs are for dailly consumption? I mean, I know when I feel as though I’ve eaten too much or too little, but I certainly don’t sit there and count calories. I don’t have the time or the patience to do that, and I doubt that anyone else does either. Most Americans, in fact, when surveyed on this same subject had no clue what their average calorie consumption was in a given day. So, I’m not alone and neither are you. We’re all pretty clueless!
Factors that decipher what your caloric intake should be as set forth by physicians and a panel put together to determine this kind of stuff say that exercise levels make a difference, gender, age, height, and your personal metabolism as well. But how do we know what our metabolism is like? I mean, I can venture a rough guess that mine’s middle of the road, as in not too fast where I burn all my calories off in no time, but I also do not gain weight easily.
Nor do I lose it easily when I’m watching what I eat any more (age be damned!). I would have no clue if someone asked me, what my metabolism was like. I’d say it used to be fast when I was younger, but now it’s just average. But I don’t really “know” what it is. Oh, and age does matter too. They say, on average, you should subtract about 200 calories per day from your daily allowance of calories. This accounts for the slowing of the metabolism as well as naturally declining activity levels that we usually see as we progress in age.
Also though, our appetites are naturally more suppressed as we age, so thankfully we have one thing in our corner as we age! It’s just that some people don’t psychologically cut down their appetites according to their natural appetite suppression, so although their appetites should have slowed down, they still are so used to mentally consuming that amount, they continue to eat the same way, and still put weight on.
