Fat loss · 6 min read
How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?
There is no single calorie number that works for everyone, because the right one depends on your body and your activity. The good news is the method is simple and never changes: find the calories that hold your weight steady, then eat a bit below that. Here is how to land on your number, and what each choice means in pounds or kilos per week.
The two-step answer
Every fat-loss plan, however it is dressed up, comes down to the same two steps:
- Find your maintenance calories (your TDEE), the amount that keeps your weight the same.
- Eat a sensible amount below it so your body draws on stored fat for the difference.
That gap is your calorie deficit, and its size decides how fast (and how comfortably) you lose.
Step 1: Find your maintenance calories
Your maintenance level is your TDEE, the total you burn in a day. A calculator estimates it from your age, height, weight and activity in seconds, or you can verify it precisely with the two-week tracking method.
Step 2: Subtract a sensible deficit
Rather than a fixed number of calories, size your deficit as a percentage of your TDEE. That keeps it proportional to your body, so a larger person and a smaller person both get an appropriate target:
A deficit of 10 to 20 percent is the practical sweet spot for most people.
What each deficit looks like
Because roughly 7,700 calories equals about 1 kg of fat (3,500 per pound), your daily gap predicts your weekly loss:
| Deficit | Size vs TDEE | Approx weekly loss |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | about 10% | ~0.25 kg (0.5 lb) |
| Moderate | about 20% | ~0.45 kg (1 lb) |
| Aggressive | about 30% | ~0.7 kg (1.5 lb) |
Faster is not better: the larger the deficit, the more muscle you risk losing and the harder it is to stick with.
A worked example
Someone with a TDEE of 2,400 kcal wanting steady fat loss:
Moderate 20 percent deficit: 2,400 x 0.80 = 1,920 kcal/day.
Daily gap: 480 kcal, or about 0.45 kg (1 lb) per week.
That is a sustainable pace that protects muscle while the fat comes off.
The calculator does this for you: enter your stats and a goal, and it returns a fat-loss calorie target plus the protein, fat and carbs to hit it.
Why smaller is often smarter
A gentler deficit keeps your energy, training and mood intact, preserves more muscle, and is far easier to maintain long enough to actually reach your goal. Crash diets lose weight fast on paper but rebound just as fast in practice. Pair your deficit with enough protein and some resistance training, and most of what you lose will be fat, not muscle.
Do not go too low
Cutting calories far below your BMR for long stretches tends to backfire: more muscle loss, stronger hunger, lower energy, and a metabolism that adapts downward. If your target dips near or below your BMR, choose a smaller deficit and be more patient instead.
Enter your age, weight, height and activity, pick a fat-loss goal, and the calculator returns your daily calories and macros instantly.
Get your fat-loss calorie target →Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Take your maintenance calories (your TDEE) and subtract 10 to 20 percent. For a TDEE of 2,400, that is roughly 1,920 to 2,160 calories a day. The exact number depends on your size and activity, which is why a personalized estimate beats a generic figure.
Is 1,200 calories a day enough?
For many adults 1,200 is very low and often sits below maintenance by too much, which risks muscle loss and is hard to sustain. Rather than defaulting to a round number, base your target on a 10 to 20 percent deficit from your own TDEE, and keep it above your BMR.
How fast should I lose weight?
About 0.5 to 1 percent of your body weight per week is a sustainable pace that protects muscle. For most people that is roughly 0.25 to 0.7 kg (0.5 to 1.5 lb) weekly. Faster loss usually means giving up more muscle and is harder to maintain.
Why am I not losing weight in a deficit?
The most common reasons are underestimating intake, an overestimated TDEE, or water-weight masking fat loss on the scale. Track honestly for two weeks and compare your average weight change; if there is no movement, trim the target slightly or verify your maintenance with the two-week method.
References
- Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012
- Helms ER, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:20. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
- Heymsfield SB, et al. Energy content of weight loss: kinetic features during voluntary caloric restriction. Metabolism. 2012;61(7):937-943. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2011.11.012