A healthy daily caloric intake seems to vary no matter who you talk to. There's a reason for that. Determining a healthy daily caloric intake depends on body type and lifestyle factors. Lifestyle factors include activity levels and exercise. It is generally accepted, that a healthy daily caloric intake is 1,800 calories for women and 2,200 calories for men. Depending on your age and height that number might be altered further, especially if, for example, you lead a relatively inactive lifestyle.
Finding a healthy daily caloric intake personalized for you is easier than you think. There are several sites that will do the math for you, including one managed by the US government. Other sites offer libraries of foods and their associated nutrition facts, as well as diaries that help you track your daily intake and activity levels. Online discussion forums are also abundant.
If you do decide to start cutting calories, you probably shouldn't cut more than 500 each day. It's also not usually a good idea to take in fewer than 1,200 calories a day. Your body needs those calories just for daily organ and muscle functions. You'll lose muscle and over time risk injuring vital organs when you eat less than your daily healthy caloric intake. It's not maintainable without your body going into starvation mode which could hinder weight loss.
There's a delicate balance that effects everyone, too many calories and you gain weight, too few and your body starts to horde the energy as it goes into starvation mode. Ideally, you should not be hungry but you should also not be stuffed. When you sit down to eat a meal you should eat slowly so that when you get to the point that you're satisfied you can stop. In the end, though, it's a basic balance of input (eating) versus output (activity).
Lifestyle changes are difficult, but not impossible. Take each day or even each meal as a chance to make changes and make the best choices you can. Steady and consistent changes win the race. Making a meal plan that meets your healthy daily caloric intake is another way to keep track of your calories when getting started so that you have a good idea of what you should be eating. Stick to your plan as close as possible and be sure to include daily exercise.
