Guide
How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?
The short answer is about 300 to 500 calories less than your body burns each day. The useful answer depends on you, so here's how to find your own number in three steps.
Step 1: Find out what you burn
Everything starts with your TDEE, your total daily energy expenditure. It's the calories you burn at rest plus everything you do in a day: walking, working, training and even digesting food. Eat roughly your TDEE and your weight stays the same.
The quickest way to estimate it is with the TDEE calculator. If you sit at a desk most of the day, the desk job TDEE calculator builds the number from your steps, which is usually more honest than picking an activity level.
Step 2: Pick a deficit you can live with
| Daily deficit | Loss per week | How it feels |
|---|---|---|
| 250 kcal | ≈ 0.25 kg (½ lb) | Barely noticeable |
| 500 kcal | ≈ 0.45 kg (1 lb) | Some hunger, very doable |
| 750 kcal | ≈ 0.7 kg (1½ lb) | Noticeable, needs planning |
| 1,000 kcal | ≈ 0.9 kg (2 lb) | Hard, best for larger bodies short term |
For most people, 500 a day is the sweet spot. It's big enough to see steady progress and small enough that you don't feel miserable.
Step 3: Do the math
Subtract your deficit from your TDEE. Here are two examples:
- A 30-year-old woman, 165 cm, 75 kg, lightly active, has a TDEE around 2,020. With a 500 deficit, her target is about 1,520 calories.
- A 35-year-old man, 178 cm, 90 kg, exercising 3 to 5 days a week, has a TDEE around 2,850. With a 500 deficit, his target is about 2,350 calories.
Don't go below 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,500 for men without a doctor's guidance. Very low intakes make it hard to get enough protein and nutrients, and they rarely last.
Step 4: Check and adjust
Every calculator gives an estimate. Your body gives the real answer. Weigh yourself a few mornings a week and look at the average. After two or three weeks:
- Losing about what you expected? Keep going.
- Not losing? Drop 100 to 200 calories, or add a daily walk.
- Losing much faster than planned and feeling tired? Eat a bit more.
Recalculate every 4 to 5 kg you lose. A lighter body burns less, so your target slowly comes down. The calorie deficit calculator does this week by week and shows the date you're likely to reach your goal.
What to eat inside your calories
Calories decide whether you lose weight. What you eat decides how easy it feels. Aim for protein at every meal, plenty of vegetables, and fewer sugary drinks and fried snacks. Those choices keep you full on fewer calories, which is the whole game.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, check with your doctor before changing how you eat.