How Many Calories Should You Eat? | Dr. Neal Barnard
The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee
Physicians Committee
4.9 • 3.3K Ratings
🗓️ 6 January 2025
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Do you need to eat 2,000 calories per day? Is it more? Perhaps less?
Despite what you may think, there is no "one size fits all" approach to daily caloric needs. Learn how to determine how many calories you need with Dr. Neal Barnard, author of The Power Foods Diet. He joins "The Weight Loss Champion" Chuck Carroll who has lost and kept off nearly 300 pounds for over 15 years.
Key points discussed include:
Caloric needs: Dr. Barnard explains that while 2,000 calories is a common benchmark for a typical American adult, caloric needs vary based on factors such as body size, metabolism, and physical activity levels. Taller and heavier individuals generally require more calories.
Weight loss plateaus: The conversation addresses the common issue of weight loss plateaus, where individuals stop losing weight despite efforts. Dr. Barnard emphasizes the importance of monitoring caloric intake and suggests that if weight loss stalls for two weeks, it may be time to reassess dietary habits.
Dietary guidelines: Dr. Barnard shares practical tips for maintaining a healthy diet, including focusing on high-fiber foods, avoiding added fats, and incorporating power foods like fruits and vegetables that promote weight loss.
Mindset around food: The discussion touches on the psychological aspect of dieting, highlighting that individuals can still enjoy their favorite foods by making healthier versions, which can help reduce the fear of abstaining from certain foods altogether.
This episode is sponsored by The Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund, which supports organizations like the Physicians Committee that carry on Greg’s passion and love for animals through rescue efforts, veganism, and wildlife conservation.
— — BOOKS — —
The Power Foods Diet: https://amzn.to/3GmCxUj
— — EVENTS — —
Dr. Bulsiewicz and Chuck Live Show
Where: Dr. Barnard's Bon Voyage Bash in Miami
Date: March 7, 2025
Tickets: https://www.pcrm.org/events/bon-voyage-party-2025
— — SHOW LINKS — —
Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund
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Chuck Carroll
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Today, on the exam room. |
| 0:04.8 | 2,000 calories is a really good round number. |
| 0:07.1 | That's the number of calories that a typical, say, American adult is going to consume. |
| 0:11.4 | That said, no, there is not a one-size-fits-all because it depends on a lot of other factors. |
| 0:16.3 | First of all, what am I taking in calories for? |
| 0:22.9 | Welcome to the exam room podcast, brought to you by the Physicians Committee. |
| 0:27.1 | Hi, I'm the weight loss champion Chuck Carroll, raising health IQs coast to coast and around the world. |
| 0:33.1 | Hi, to the exam room, he's listening in San Jose, California, Fort Myers, Florida, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. |
| 0:41.8 | Wherever you are, we appreciate you helping to make the world a healthier place. |
| 0:46.2 | This is episode four of season eight, number 603 overall. |
| 0:51.6 | And as we continue our new Healthy You in the new year series, we will be looking at |
| 0:57.5 | a critical topic for anyone who is trying to lose weight. And answering the question, |
| 1:04.3 | how many calories should you actually eat in a day? Is it 2000? Well, joining us is Dr. Neil Barnard, author of the Power Foods diet, |
| 1:13.0 | and he is here to explore the misconception that there's a one-size-fits-all calorie limit, |
| 1:19.7 | like the often-sided 2,000 calories per day that we see on the side of literally every nutrition |
| 1:25.5 | label on every food that is sold in stores practically. |
| 1:29.3 | So Dr. Barnard will explain how factors such as your resting metabolism and physical activity |
| 1:35.6 | and even your height and weight all play significant roles in determining your caloric needs. |
| 1:41.5 | It's not a one-size-fits-all plan, guys. |
| 1:44.0 | We are also going to discuss what to do |
| 1:46.6 | when you hit that dreaded weight loss plateau and the importance of focusing on the quality |
| 1:53.5 | of your diet. He's going to be giving us tips on how to avoid added fats in the food and |
... |
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