Do you know how many calories you should get every day? The number recommended for you is based on your age, gender, height, weight and physical activity level, and whether you’re trying to lose, gain or maintain your weight. Interestingly, even overindulging in “healthy” foods can add pounds and undermine your weight-loss efforts.

What about fats? Many people think that it’s best to eat as little fat as possible, but the American Heart Association recommends that about 25–35 percent of your daily calories come from fats. Less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat and less than 1 percent from trans fat is recommended.  Most of the fats you eat should be monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fats.  

My Fats Translator, our interactive calorie and fat calculator, can help you sort through the facts about fats. Just input your age, gender, height, weight and physical activity level. You’ll get your personalized daily consumption limits for total fat, saturated fat and trans fat.

For example, take Jane Smith:

• Jane is 45 years old, 5-feet 5-inches, weighs 160 pounds and is sedentary.
• My Fats Translator calculates Jane’s body mass index to be 26.6. This means she’s overweight.
• To maintain her weight, Jane should consume 1,980 calories a day, according to My Fats Translator. 
• If she wants to lose about a pound a week, Jane should consume 500 fewer calories a day.
• My Fats Translator calculates Jane’s daily calorie recommendation to be 1,480 calories a day. She should consume less than 11 grams of saturated fat and less than one gram of trans fat.

My Fats Translator also provides fat content for favorite foods and healthier alternatives. Jane can get three examples of "bad," "better" and "best" selections based on calories and fats. 

For example, My Fats Translator suggests that Jane substitute a hamburger for a 500-calorie cheeseburger. Even better, by eating a grilled chicken sandwich, Jane would save more than 100 calories and cut down more than 80 percent of the bad saturated and trans fats. 

Try My Fats Translator to learn your own daily calorie and fat limits. And don’t forget to check out the different food scenarios. With My Fats Translator, you can make better choices for better health.