To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns, creating a calorie deficit. A common guideline is to reduce your daily calorie intake by about 500 calories less than the amount needed to maintain your current weight, which typically results in losing about 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week since 1 pound of fat equals roughly 3,500 calories
How to determine your calorie needs for weight loss:
- Calculate your maintenance calories : This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, factoring in your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. This can be estimated using formulas like the Mifflin-St Jeor equation or online calorie calculators
- Create a calorie deficit : Subtract about 500 calories from your maintenance calories per day to aim for a safe weight loss of about 1 pound per week. For faster weight loss, a deficit of up to 1,000 calories per day may be used, but this should be done cautiously and under professional supervision
- Minimum calorie intake : To avoid nutritional deficiencies and metabolic issues, women should generally not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day and men not fewer than 1,500 calories per day without medical supervision
Example:
- If your maintenance calories are 2,500 per day, eating about 2,000 calories daily should lead to losing approximately 1 pound per week
- The NHS suggests reducing daily intake by about 600 calories, leading to typical weight loss calorie targets of around 1,400 kcal/day for women and 1,900 kcal/day for men
Summary:
- Find your maintenance calories using a calculator or formula.
- Subtract 500 calories per day to lose about 1 pound per week.
- Do not go below 1,200 calories/day for women or 1,500 calories/day for men without medical advice.
- Adjust based on your activity level and consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance
This approach balances effective weight loss while maintaining adequate nutrition and health.
