for the majority of people - the exact number isn't critical -however, at the beginning of the weight loss expedition -- it's helpful to know what range you should be in -and what range is most effective for you..

Close enough is usually good enough...

BUT... there are people -myself being one of them -who suffer from calorie amnesia -where they will forget about things they've eaten... or measure incorrectly and underestimate what hey think they're eating... planning helps me tremendously in that aspect...

there is no one size fits all measurement that you, at age xx, at height xx, and weight xx, exercisging xx minutes per day at xx intensity... you should consume xxxx calories in a day - I do not believe it's that cut and dried - every body is different and every body arrives where they are from a different place... you have to adjust...

What worked when a person was xxx weight -isn't going to be effective when tehy are at xxx weight - as the weight drops - so should the calories because the body doesn't need as many to sustain it..

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