How Many Calories to Eat to Lose Weight

Generic calorie targets — "eat 1,200 calories", "women need 1,500 calories" — have little scientific basis. The right calorie intake for weight loss depends entirely on your individual Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This guide explains the step-by-step method to calculate your personal daily calorie target, provides reference tables for different body weights and activity levels, and shows how to adjust your intake when progress stalls.

By the FitCalcHub Editorial Team — Updated August 2026 — 8 min read

Step 1 — Calculate Your TDEE

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, accounting for your basal metabolic rate, physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. It is the baseline from which your weight loss calorie target is derived — not a generic population average.

TDEE is calculated in two stages:

  1. Calculate BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the most accurate validated equation for predicting resting energy expenditure in healthy adults. Example: a 30-year-old man, 80 kg, 178 cm has a BMR of approximately 1,874 kcal/day.
  2. Multiply by an activity factor to account for daily movement: sedentary (×1.2), lightly active (×1.375), moderately active (×1.55), very active (×1.725), or extremely active (×1.9).

Using the example above, the same man at a moderate activity level has a TDEE of approximately 2,905 kcal/day. Use our TDEE Calculator for your personalised figure.

Based on: Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. "A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals." Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–247. PubMed ↗

Step 2 — Set Your Calorie Target

Once you know your TDEE, subtract your target deficit to get your daily calorie intake goal. The standard recommendation is a 500 kcal/day deficit for approximately 0.5 kg of fat loss per week. For slower, more sustainable loss with minimal muscle sacrifice, a 250–300 kcal deficit is appropriate.

Formula: Daily calorie target = TDEE − 500 kcal

Example for the 80 kg, moderately active man above: 2,905 − 500 = 2,405 kcal/day for fat loss.

There is also a useful practical lower bound: do not go below your BMR (approximately 1,400–1,800 kcal for most adults). Eating below BMR creates such a severe energy deficit that hormonal disruption, muscle loss, and metabolic adaptation become significant concerns.

Reference Calorie Targets by Body Weight and Activity

The table below shows estimated daily calorie targets for fat loss (500 kcal deficit) across different body weights and activity levels. All values use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, averaged across sexes:

Body weight Sedentary TDEE Moderate TDEE Fat loss target (−500)
55 kg~1,700 kcal~2,200 kcal1,700–1,200 kcal
70 kg~1,950 kcal~2,550 kcal2,050–1,450 kcal
85 kg~2,200 kcal~2,870 kcal2,370–1,700 kcal
100 kg~2,440 kcal~3,180 kcal2,680–1,940 kcal

Values are approximations averaged across age 30–40. Use the TDEE Calculator for a precise figure based on your exact inputs.

Based on: Hall KD, et al. "Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight." The Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837. PubMed ↗

Step 3 — Adjust When Progress Stalls

Weight loss is not linear. The scale will fluctuate day-to-day due to water retention, glycogen, and food volume, even when fat loss is occurring. Before concluding that your calorie target is wrong, assess progress over a 2–4 week window using a weekly average weight rather than daily readings.

Genuine plateaus — where average weight has not changed in 3+ weeks despite consistent adherence — typically have one of three causes:

  • TDEE has decreased: As you lose weight, your BMR and TDEE decrease. A deficit that was 500 kcal at 90 kg may have shrunk to 200 kcal at 80 kg. Solution: recalculate TDEE at your new weight and reduce calorie target accordingly.
  • Tracking drift: Calorie tracking accuracy tends to deteriorate over time. Portion sizes creep up; bites and snacks go unlogged; condiments and cooking oils are omitted. Solution: a 1–2 week period of rigorous re-tracking usually reveals the source of the discrepancy.
  • NEAT reduction: The body subconsciously reduces non-exercise movement (fidgeting, spontaneous activity) in response to a prolonged deficit — a phenomenon called adaptive thermogenesis. This can reduce calorie expenditure by 100–300 kcal/day without the person noticing. Solution: increase structured activity or accept a modest calorie reduction.

Why Generic Calorie Targets Fail

Widely cited generic targets — "women should eat 1,200 calories to lose weight," "men need 1,500 calories" — are not derived from scientific evidence. They emerged from low-calorie diet research in the 1970s and bear no relationship to an individual's actual TDEE, which varies enormously by body size, age, sex, and activity level.

A sedentary 55 kg woman with a TDEE of 1,700 kcal eating 1,200 kcal is in a 500 kcal deficit — appropriate. But an active 90 kg man with a TDEE of 3,200 kcal eating 1,200 kcal is in a 2,000 kcal deficit — dangerously aggressive. The same number is either appropriate or harmful depending entirely on individual context.

Use our Calorie Deficit Calculator to get a deficit and daily calorie target personalised to your TDEE, body weight, and goal timeline. See our full Weight Loss Guide for the complete framework.

Related Calculators & Articles

  • TDEE Calculator — Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the starting point for every calorie target calculation.
  • Calorie Deficit Calculator — Enter your TDEE and goal weight to get your exact daily calorie target and a projected timeline.
  • BMR Calculator — Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate — the foundation of TDEE and your minimum safe calorie floor.
  • Complete Weight Loss Guide — Full framework: calorie deficit, protein, macros, exercise, and tracking for sustainable fat loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories should I eat to lose weight per day?

There is no single answer — the right calorie intake depends on your individual TDEE. The general method: calculate your TDEE using the TDEE Calculator, then subtract 500 kcal to get your daily fat loss target. This produces approximately 0.5 kg/week. For example, if your TDEE is 2,400 kcal, your weight loss target is 1,900 kcal/day. For 0.25 kg/week instead, subtract only 250–300 kcal.

Is 1,200 calories enough to lose weight?

For some people, yes — but for many it is either too restrictive or unnecessarily so. 1,200 kcal is appropriate only if it represents a reasonable deficit from your TDEE (i.e., your TDEE is around 1,700 kcal). For most active adults, eating 1,200 kcal creates an excessively large deficit that increases muscle loss, hunger, and hormonal disruption. Always base your target on your individual TDEE rather than a generic number.

How many calories do I need to lose 1 kg per week?

One kilogram of body fat contains approximately 7,700 kcal. To lose 1 kg per week, you need a deficit of approximately 1,100 kcal/day (7,700 ÷ 7 ≈ 1,100). For most people, this is an aggressive deficit that is difficult to sustain without significant muscle loss. A more practical rate is 0.5 kg/week via a 500 kcal/day deficit, which is within the evidence-based safe range of 0.5–1% of body weight per week.

Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit?

If weight is not decreasing after 3+ weeks in a confirmed deficit, there are three common causes: (1) your TDEE has decreased as you've lost weight, shrinking your effective deficit; (2) calorie tracking has drifted inaccurate — portions and forgotten foods add up; (3) your body has reduced non-exercise movement (NEAT) in response to the deficit. Recalculate your TDEE at your current weight, tighten tracking accuracy, and assess progress over a 2–4 week average rather than daily readings.

How do I calculate my calorie intake to lose weight?

Step 1: Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, or use the TDEE Calculator. Step 2: Multiply by your activity factor (1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for extremely active) to get your TDEE. Step 3: Subtract 500 kcal to create a fat loss deficit. Step 4: Set this as your daily calorie target and track intake for at least 2–4 weeks before adjusting.

Should I eat more calories on days I exercise?

If your TDEE calculation already includes your exercise activity level (e.g., you selected "moderately active"), you should not add additional exercise calories on top — this eliminates the deficit. If you calculated your TDEE at "sedentary" and add exercise separately, then yes, adding approximately 50–70% of your estimated exercise calorie burn (to account for tracker overestimates) to your intake on exercise days is reasonable. Consistency matters more than daily variation.

What is the minimum safe calorie intake for weight loss?

The generally recommended minimum safe calorie intake is at or above your BMR — approximately 1,400–1,800 kcal/day for most adults. Eating significantly below BMR for extended periods carries risks including muscle catabolism, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal disruption (particularly thyroid and sex hormones), gallstone formation, and rebound weight gain after stopping. Very low calorie diets (VLCDs) of 800 kcal/day or less require medical supervision.

Can I lose weight on 2,000 calories a day?

Yes, if your TDEE exceeds 2,000 kcal. For someone with a TDEE of 2,500 kcal, eating 2,000 kcal/day creates a 500 kcal deficit — consistent with approximately 0.5 kg/week of fat loss. For someone with a TDEE of 1,900 kcal, eating 2,000 kcal/day means a slight surplus and no fat loss. Whether 2,000 kcal causes weight loss depends entirely on your individual energy expenditure, not the number itself.

This article is part of our complete Weight Loss Guide.

Medical Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or nutritional advice. Individual calorie needs vary based on age, sex, health status, and medical history. Consult a registered dietitian or healthcare provider before significantly changing your calorie intake.

Scientific References

  1. Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al. "A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals." Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–247. PubMed ↗
  2. Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. "Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight." The Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837. PubMed ↗
  3. Thomas DM, Gonzalez MC, Pereira AZ, et al. "Time to correctly predict the amount of weight loss with dieting." J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014;114(6):857–861. PubMed ↗