There is no precise answer to the question, "How many calories should I eat?" but there are guides in knowing the restriction to one's caloric intake. And the restriction is predisposed to age, sex, lifestyle, and diet. Therefore, to truly know how many calories you should eat, evaluation is a must prior to jumping into conclusions.
First and foremost, think of the query, "How much should I weigh?" this is in fact most important before you start counting calories. Browse over a BMI chart to have an idea of the approximate weight you should be in relation to your height. Compare your current weight with the acceptable weight you should have which should be in accordance to your height. However, one exception to the BMI chart is when you are muscular, because your weight may be due to the mass of your muscle and not fat.
After which, you can now thoroughly evaluate your lifestyle. Look over your daily routine, do you exercise or do you live a sedentary lifestyle. Do you eat vegetables and fruits or do you take in fast food more often. In addition, consider your age and your sex. The reason behind this is that as we age, our basal metabolic rate tends to slow down, especially if we barely exercise, because we lose our muscle mass which is responsible for metabolism while we are at rest. Moreover, women pack in more body fat as opposed to men, and men have more muscle mass and a faster resting metabolic rate.
In figures, it is advised that women take in about 1900 calories in a day while 2500 calories for men per day. However, it is still very dependent to their lifestyle and activity levels. Therefore, to be on the safe side, it is best to take in nutritious foods to give your body the nourishment it needs rather than restricting it with calories. Moreover, portion control is another thing you should keep in mind.
Furthermore, rather than asking the question, "How many calories should I eat in a day" think about what you should eat in a day. If you choose to eat more vegetables and fruits and drink more water throughout your day, this will keep you full and you will crave less food. Moreover, calorie counting and restriction will just lead to a feeling of deprivation, and this may lead to binge eating in the end.