This is a question that I struggled with when a coach asked me this back a few months ago. My target calories were 1300 per day. I was bound and determined to lose some fat and thought that this would do it. Well now it’s July and I have finally realized that I wasn’t eating enough calories! Since then, I’ve started eating around 1800 calories for most days. I eat a plant-based vegan diet getting around 100 grams of protein a day. I eat a lot of green leafy veggies, as well as high protein grains, beans, lentils, soy, almond butter in small quantities, some nuts & seeds and rice, hemp and pea protein. I’ve been watching my measurements move in the right direction. The scale is irrelevant to me so I only use that as a tool to check my body fat. This coach also helped break my scale addiction as well. I’m so thankful for the support and encouragement to get my head wrapped around the higher calories, dump the ‘ideal’ scale weight and hit the weights HARD AND HEAVY!

I’m starting to see some definition and I KNOW I am fueling my body, building muscle and melting the fat off. I have more energy than when I was in my 20’s and 30’s! This was a huge revelation to me. My moods are no longer affected by a dumb number on a scale and my clothes are nice and loose! Thank goodness for the sale racks. I just found a pair of new jeans for $26.00 after a $10.00 off coupon! 

All things are possible with God! You just gotta believe Him!

I’m 52, soon to be 53, and there is no turning back from this lifestyle. I LOVE it!

Anyone struggling with the question of calories? Try fueling your body with high quality foods, hit the weights and see what happens. Know that your body will try to hold on to every bit of fat it can when it thinks you’re in starvation mode. Avoid that at all cost! Build up some muscle and the fat will fade away when you get the balance right.  Feel free to email me with any questions.