How Many Calories Should I Eat Daily to Lose Weight?
Wondering how many calories to eat a day to lose weight? Find your maintenance calories, pick a safe deficit, and see worked examples for men and women both.
The honest answer to “how many calories should I eat daily to lose weight?” is: about 500 calories less than you burn. For most adults that means roughly 1,400 to 1,800 calories a day for women and 1,800 to 2,400 for men. The right daily calorie intake for weight loss depends on your age, height, weight, sex, and how active you are.
This guide shows you how to work out your own daily calorie target for weight loss in three steps, with real examples. If you want the number right now, use the Calorie Calculator.
Quick answer: find your maintenance calories (TDEE), subtract 250 to 500 calories, and stay above 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) a day. That gives a steady loss of about 0.25 to 0.5 kg (0.5 to 1 lb) a week.
How weight loss and calories work
Your body burns energy all day, even at rest. Eat less energy than that and it draws on stored fat to cover the gap. This gap is called a calorie deficit, and it is the one requirement for fat loss. Food choice, meal timing, and exercise all matter, but they work mainly by making a deficit easier to reach and keep.
A pound of body fat holds about 3,500 calories (around 7,700 per kilogram). So a daily deficit of 500 calories adds up to 3,500 a week, or about one pound lost. It is an estimate, because the body adapts, but it is accurate enough to plan with.
Step 1: Find your maintenance calories
Maintenance calories, also called TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), are what you burn in a typical day. It has two parts: your BMR (the energy needed just to stay alive) multiplied by an activity factor.
Calculate your BMR
The most widely used method is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. You can run it instantly with the BMR Calculator, or by hand:
Men: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161Multiply by your activity level
| Activity level | Multiplier | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | Desk job, little exercise |
| Lightly active | × 1.375 | Exercise 1–3 days a week |
| Moderately active | × 1.55 | Exercise 3–5 days a week |
| Very active | × 1.725 | Hard exercise 6–7 days a week |
| Extremely active | × 1.9 | Physical job plus daily training |
Most people overestimate their activity. If you are unsure between two levels, choose the lower one. The TDEE Calculator does both steps for you.
Step 2: Choose a safe calorie deficit
A bigger deficit means faster loss, but also more hunger, more muscle loss, and a plan that is harder to stick to.
| Daily deficit | Approx. loss per week | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 250 calories | 0.25 kg (0.5 lb) | Small, steady change; people near their goal weight |
| 500 calories | 0.5 kg (1 lb) | The best starting point for most adults |
| 750 calories | 0.75 kg (1.5 lb) | People with more weight to lose |
| 1,000 calories | 1 kg (2 lb) | Large amounts of weight to lose, ideally with medical advice |
A good rule is to lose about 0.5% to 1% of your body weight per week. Go slower if you are lean or want to keep muscle. Try different deficits in the Calorie Deficit Calculator to see how long your goal will take.
Typical calories per day to lose weight
These are rough starting ranges for adults aiming to lose about 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week. Use them as a sanity check, then calculate your own.
| Activity level | Women (calories/day) | Men (calories/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1,200–1,500 | 1,500–1,800 |
| Moderately active | 1,500–1,800 | 1,800–2,200 |
| Very active | 1,800–2,000+ | 2,200–2,600+ |
Step 3: Subtract the deficit from your TDEE
Daily calories to lose weight = TDEE − daily deficitExample 1: a woman, 35 years old
Weight 70 kg, height 165 cm, lightly active.
- BMR = (10 × 70) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 35) − 161 = about 1,395
- TDEE = 1,395 × 1.375 = about 1,919 calories
- Target for 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week: 1,919 − 500 = about 1,419 calories a day
Example 2: a man, 30 years old
Weight 90 kg, height 178 cm, moderately active.
- BMR = (10 × 90) + (6.25 × 178) − (5 × 30) + 5 = about 1,868
- TDEE = 1,868 × 1.55 = about 2,895 calories
- Target for 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week: 2,895 − 500 = about 2,395 calories a day
Notice how far apart these two numbers are. That is why a single “eat 1,500 calories” rule fails so many people. Your own result may differ, so run your numbers in the Weight Loss Calculator to see a timeline for your goal.
How many calories is too few?
Eating too little backfires. The usual safe floor without medical supervision is:
- Women: not below about 1,200 calories a day
- Men: not below about 1,500 calories a day
Going lower makes it hard to get enough protein, iron, calcium, and fibre. It can also cause fatigue, hair loss, poor sleep, and strong cravings that end in a binge. Very low calorie diets should only be done with a doctor or registered dietitian.
What to eat when you are cutting calories
Calories set the pace of weight loss, but food quality decides how you feel while doing it. A few habits make the same calories go much further:
- Prioritize protein. Aim for about 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg of body weight. It keeps you full and protects muscle. Check your number with the Protein Calculator.
- Eat plenty of fibre. Vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole grains add volume for few calories.
- Limit liquid calories. Soda, juice, sweet coffee drinks, and alcohol add up quickly without filling you up.
- Choose mostly whole foods. They are harder to overeat than ultra-processed snacks.
- Plan your macros. The Macro Calculator splits your calories into protein, carbs, and fat.
Why weight loss slows down (and what to do)
Almost everyone hits a slower patch. The common reasons are simple:
- You weigh less, so your maintenance calories have dropped. Recalculate every 5 kg (10 lb) lost.
- Portion sizes have crept up. Weigh your food for a week to reset your eye.
- Daily movement has fallen. Steps often drop on a diet without you noticing.
- Water weight is hiding fat loss. Look at a two to three week average, not one morning.
If your average weight has not moved in three weeks, trim 100 to 200 calories or add 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Small changes are easier to keep than a big cut.
Common calorie-counting mistakes
- Guessing portions instead of weighing them, especially oils, nut butters, and cereal.
- Forgetting drinks, sauces, and “just a taste” bites.
- Trusting the calories burned shown on fitness machines and watches, which are often too high.
- Cutting calories hard on weekdays, then overeating on weekends.
- Setting the target once and never updating it as your weight changes.
When to talk to a doctor first
See a doctor or registered dietitian before starting a diet if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes or a heart condition, take regular medication, have a history of disordered eating, or are under 18. This guide is general information, not medical advice.
The bottom line
The number of calories you should eat daily to lose weight is your TDEE minus 250 to 500 calories. For most women that is about 1,400 to 1,800 a day and for most men about 1,800 to 2,400, never below 1,200 or 1,500. Calculate yours, track your average for a few weeks, and adjust. Steady beats fast, because the plan you can stick to is the plan that works.
Ready to get your number? Start with the Calorie Calculator, then explore the TDEE and Calorie Deficit calculators.
Frequently asked questions
Most adults lose weight steadily by eating about 500 calories below their maintenance level. For many women that lands around 1,400 to 1,800 calories a day, and for many men around 1,800 to 2,400. Your exact number depends on your age, size, and activity level, so calculate it instead of copying a round figure.
This result is an estimate for informational and educational purposes. It isn’t a diagnosis and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor, registered dietitian, or other qualified professional. See our methodology and sources for the formula used and its limitations.
