How Many Calories Should You Eat to Lose Weight?
Short answer: most people lose weight sustainably by eating 250–500 kcal below their maintenance calories (TDEE) — enough for roughly 0.25–0.5 kg (0.5–1 lb) per week — while keeping protein high and not dropping below their BMR for long periods.
Step 1: find your maintenance calories
Weight change is driven by the gap between calories in and calories out. Before you can set a deficit, you need to know your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the calories you burn per day at your current size and activity.
Step 2: choose a deficit you can live with
| Deficit | Rate of loss | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| −250 kcal/day | ≈ 0.25 kg/week | Small amounts to lose, minimal hunger |
| −500 kcal/day | ≈ 0.5 kg/week | The standard, sustainable default |
| −750–1000 kcal/day | ≈ 0.75–1 kg/week | Short phases, higher starting weights, ideally with professional support |
Bigger is not better. Very large deficits increase muscle loss, hunger, and the odds of abandoning the plan — and research on dieting consistently shows that adherence predicts results better than diet type.
Step 3: protect muscle while you lose
- Protein: aim for roughly 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight daily. Use the macro calculator to turn your calories into gram targets.
- Resistance training: lifting 2–4× per week signals your body to keep muscle and lose fat.
- Sleep: short sleep measurably shifts weight loss away from fat and toward lean tissue.
When the scale stalls
As you lose weight, your TDEE falls — a lighter body burns less. If weight has not moved for 2–3 weeks despite consistency, recalculate your TDEE at your new weight and adjust intake down by 100–200 kcal, or add daily movement. Avoid stacking cut after cut in the same week; change one variable at a time.
Red flags to avoid
Skip approaches that promise more than about 1 kg per week for a normal-sized adult, require eating far below your BMR, or eliminate entire food groups you enjoy. They produce quick scale drops (mostly water and glycogen) and poor long-term outcomes. If you have a history of disordered eating or a medical condition, set targets with a professional rather than a calculator.