Next Steps: Download our free calorie calculator guide - and learn how Freedieting users achieved fat loss. Fact-based medically-guided weight loss? See Found. They offer wrap-around support for your weight loss efforts. Woman over 40? Reverse health run a week weight loss program targeted to you.

Fixed calorie recommendations do not work. They must be customized to each individual. The calculator shows how many calories you may eat to maintain or lose weight. Do your best estimate of how much exercise you will be stick to.

Be honest. Over time, as you lose weight you will need to recalculate based on your new weight. Also, if you make big changes to your workout reducing or increasing , you should recalculate.

Science tells us that 1 pound of fat equals calories, so a daily calorie deficit of should result in 1 pound per week of fat loss. Generally, your energy expenditure becomes less as you lose weight, meaning you will inevitably plateau.

The amount of food intake that once resulted in weight loss will now only maintain 2. Need help with the basics of weight loss?

Download our comprehensive guide. The "Extreme Fat Loss" level is the lowest calorie level you should ever try. Do not attempt to immediately drop your calories to this level hoping for a quick fix.

This may ultimately backfire. Consider medically-guided weight loss, such as Found Health. It becomes more efficient at using energy lowered metabolism and therefore burns less fat. This is why most of us reach a weight loss plateau.

You often find that the nearer you get to your goal weight or body fat percentage — the harder things get! Continually dropping calories will only lower metabolism even further. The 7-Day zig-zag suggests daily calories that will keep your body guessing — and increase your chances of sustained weight loss.

It is difficult to set absolute bottom calorie levels because everyone has different body composition and activity levels. Health authorities do set some baselines — these are calories per day for women, and calories per day for men.

Or someone who is tall, muscular, and exercises a lot? Try not to lower your calorie intake by more than calories below maintenance. Try to gradually lower calories. A sudden drop such as calories or more can cause your metabolism to slow. Learn to eat slowly — research shows that faster eaters are heavier people 1.

You are completely set up for a regain in fat if you suddenly return to your previous eating patterns. As your exercise level was already factored into the equation, there is NO NEED to subtract calories burned by exercise.

For you this could mean a brisk walk, for others, it could be a slow jog. It could be a session of weight-bearing exercises. Once a person has their BMR, they can use one of the following formulas, based on their activity levels, to determine their caloric need:.

People can also ask their doctor or nutritionist for the most accurate caloric intake estimates. These professionals can tailor the estimate based on the person and their lifestyle.

Once a person knows how many calories they need each day or week, they can work on creating a calorie deficit. One component in creating a calorie deficit is changing what a person eats and drinks daily. A person should focus on foods that are rich in nutrients but low in calories.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans — , a healthful eating pattern with fewer calories should include:. A person should also avoid consuming sugary drinks and trans fats. An important part of weight loss is exercise. An inactive person should try to increase their daily activity levels if they can.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends minutes of moderate activity and two sessions of strength training per week to maintain a moderate weight. The more physically active a person is, the more calories they will burn.

This increases the number of calories they need, making creating a deficit easier. Plainly, a calorie deficit is essential to lose weight. However, this may not occur consistently, and many factors can impact weight loss progress. When reducing calorie intake, hormonal changes, water retention, and alterations in fat storage can cause people to stay the same numerical weight.

However, this does not mean that a person is not experiencing body composition changes. Cutting calories is an important part of weight loss, but it is not the only consideration to make.

People should avoid cutting too many calories. Cutting out about daily is a good range to aim for. People should also avoid losing more than 2 lb each week. If a person cuts too many calories and does not get enough necessary nutrients, they can experience some health problems.

The body needs a minimum number of calories to function properly. Cutting too many can increase the risk of health issues, including:. Before cutting calories, a person should talk with their doctor or nutritionist.

People with specific health conditions, such as diabetes, may need specialized diets to help them manage their condition. Some online calculators can help to estimate this. A 1, calorie deficit can lead to weight loss. However, large calorie deficits, or sudden changes in them, can lead to adverse health effects and may even result in long-term weight gain.

A calorie deficit of calories may be enough for a person to lose 1 pound over a week. However, various factors can influence weight loss, including weight, activity level, health conditions, and more. However, aiming for a daily calorie deficit of approximately calories is often a good starting point for weight loss.

Creating a calorie deficit may be helpful if a person wishes or needs to lose weight. A person can do this using a combination of diet and exercise. They should try to focus on eating highly nutritious foods, drinking more water, and exercising regularly.

Formulas and online calculators are available to help people estimate how many calories they burn per day. From there, people can estimate how many calories they should eat to create a calorie deficit. A person should aim to lose no more than 1—2 lbs per week to avoid potential health issues associated with insufficient nutrients.

Efforts to lose weight may not work for a range of reasons. A person may be following an ineffective fad diet, or consuming sugary drinks, or…. A pound of body fat contains approximately 3, calories. A calorie is a measurement of energy, and to lose weight, a person must consume fewer than….

Foods that help people burn fat include split peas, chili peppers, coconut oil, and oily fish. Learn more about the best foods for burning fat, and…. Weight management and loss seems like a difficult health measure to get right, but keep a close eye on the number of calories you consume can help….

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The default is 1. If you are unsure of your physical activity level, start with the default - the worst-case scenario. Enter a time frame for your goal weight start date and target date.

The calculator will only produce results if it determines the required food energy intake to reach your goal weight by the target date is more than 1, calories per day. Otherwise, it will automatically modify your target date for a minimum daily intake of 1, calories for women and 1, for men.

Nutrition therapists will tell you that, below those levels, you will not meet food group targets and nutrient recommendations. You can change your target date later to increase or decrease your required calorie intake. Consult a doctor for guidance and support if you consider consuming a diet of fewer than 1, kcal or 4, kJ per day.

Your body requires energy to power its essential functions to maintain life and perform physical work. Glucose blood sugar is the body's principal energy source from food. When your body gets more glucose than it needs for energy, the surplus first gets sent to the liver and muscles and stored as glycogen for later use.

The liver and muscles have a limited storage capacity for glycogen, so once the glycogen stores are full, the excess glucose is converted to triglycerides and stored in fat cells. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns, putting your body in an energy deficit state.

In that state, your body will compensate for the difference by extracting the extra energy from its energy stores to meet its daily calorie needs, resulting in weight loss from the breakdown of fat and lean body mass tissues. There is a popular but inaccurate rule-of-thumb for weight loss that dates back to when there was limited understanding of fundamental metabolic processes.

It says that to lose 1 pound of body weight a week, eat fewer calories daily 3, fewer calories weekly. It takes the simplistic view that the energy content of weight loss is 3, calories per pound because fat tissue contains approximately 3, calories per pound, so burning the equivalent number of calories will result in a 1-pound weight loss.

Unfortunately, the body does not work that way. Eating 3, fewer calories does not mean your body automatically burns 3, calories worth of fat. The reality is that when you lose weight, you lose fat along with lean tissue in muscle - not just fat.

Lean mass consists of everything that's not fat, including muscle, bones, organs, ligaments, tendons, other tissues, and water. The rule also ignores other body dynamics of weight loss, such as the reduction in basal metabolic rate and decreased energy cost of physical activity. Your total daily energy expenditure TDEE changes with weight loss.

Young men. Younger men require more energy to maintain their weight, which can be on average 2, calories or up to 3, if you are more active. Men aged As energy requirements reduce with age. Moderately active men between 46 and 65 years require approximately 2, calories each day.

After age 66, the average calorie requirement reduces to about 2, calories per day. For weight loss, you should consume approximately 1, to 1, calories per day.

Moderately active women aged between 26 and 50 need to consume about 2, calories every day to maintain their weight. To lose one pound of weight per week, you should consume approximately 1, calories per day. Active women who walk for over 3 miles per day need to consume at least 2, calories to maintain their weight.

Young women. Women in their early twenties require approximately 2, calories to maintain weight. To lose one pound of weight per week, you should reduce your intake to approximately 1, calories per day. Women above 50 years. Women over 50 tend to need fewer calories than younger women.

Moderately active women over 50 may require approximately 1, calories per day to maintain weight. To lose one pound per week, you may need to reduce your calorie intake to approximately 1, calories per day. However, these estimates exclude breastfeeding and pregnant mothers who have significantly higher calorie requirements.

When you eat more calories than your body needs, the excess energy is stored as fat. When this happens, you enter a calorie deficit which causes you to lose weight.

Understanding how many calories you need to consume each day is the first step to determining the number of calories you should consume to lose weight. Below is a guide on how to calculate your estimated daily calories for weight loss¹:.

Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms divide your weight by 2. Multiply the weight kg by 1. Multiply by Check the lean factor.

Use the lean factor multiplier to account for your body fat percentage:. Aged 1. Aged 0. Aged over 38 0. Aged over 28 0. The resulting figure is your basal metabolic rate BMR , which is the number of calories burned in a day even when you are doing nothing.

Multiply your BMR by the daily activity level multiplier to estimate the number of calories you should consume each day based on your occupation and lifestyle:.

In the sample calculation, the male individual works on a construction site, so his activity multiplier is 1. This means his daily calorie requirement would be:. BMR To lose approximately one pound of body weight each week, you need to consume approximately fewer calories than the amount you need to maintain your current weight.

In the sample calculation, the male individual would need to reduce his intake to 1, calories per day. While it may sound simple to expend more energy than you consume, applying this to your day-to-day lifestyle can be challenging.

It is not recommended that you just cut calories without considering the nutritional content of the food you consume. The following lifestyle changes can help you to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way:. Vegetables have a high fiber content, which the body cannot digest, that fills up your stomach without increasing your calorie intake.

Fiber can also be found in foods such as whole grains, legumes, and fruits, all of which are satiating, nutrient-dense, and low in energy. Fiber supports important bodily functions, such as feeding your gut microbiota and regulating bowel movements.

Eating while using a computer, smartphone, tablet, or watching TV distracts you from your hunger and fullness signals and increases the likelihood of overeating.

Try eating mindfully and slowly without distractions, so you can focus solely on enjoying the taste and smell of your meal. Dressings such as caesar, mayonnaise, ranch, and blue cheese have large amounts of fat from cream and oils that can quickly add up to a lot of extra calories.

When eating out, ask for dressing or sauces on the side so you can control your own portions. At home, opt for mustard, vinegar, or lemon juice for a hit of flavor that is much lower in calories than rich condiments.

Staying hydrated is extremely important for weight loss. Water is naturally calorie-free and assists with satiety, reducing the likelihood of overeating at your next meal.

Water is not only important for hydration, but it also assists with digestion, metabolism , and supporting your organs to remove toxins from the body.

Restricting your calories for a long period of time can reduce your metabolic rate, causing your weight to plateau , and increase the risk of muscle loss.

When you are in a calorie deficit , your body compensates by storing, instead of burning, energy. Increasing strength-based training , such as lifting weights, can assist in preserving muscle mass and promoting fat loss.

When you want to lose weight, you should eat plenty of protein. Eating more protein is an effective way to lose weight as it reduces hunger and cravings, and preserves muscle mass. Protein can also increase your metabolic rate as it requires more energy to digest than carbohydrates or fat.

Homemade dishes often have fewer calories than those prepared at restaurants. Restaurants aim to make their food as appealing as possible so they often use lots of added sugars, salt, and fat. By preparing your food yourself, you can significantly reduce your calorie intake to lose weight and eat healthier.

Consider investing in lunch containers, meal prepping in advance, and portioning out your lunches to take to work or school. Not only will this help your waistline, but also your wallet.

Examples of healthy low-calorie lunches that are easy to prepare include whole-grain pasta with veggie and turkey sauce, veggie chili, Buddha bowls, and chicken-veggie stir-fries.

Your daily calorie needs depend on factors including your age, gender, height, current weight, activity levels, and health status. To lose one pound of weight per week, you typically need to reduce your calorie intake by approximately calories per day.

This is considered healthy weight loss , whereas reducing calories too hard and too fast can have the opposite effect. It may increase the likelihood of you overeating due to hunger and cravings.

You can also lose muscle mass and other health consequences if you restrict calories for too long. To lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way, focus on making simple lifestyle changes over time, such as exercising, eating more protein and vegetables, drinking enough water, and sleeping well.

How to find your daily calorie need Diabetes Strong. Other sources:. Cutting calories CDC. Weight regain, muscle loss follow resistance training, calorie restriction Healio.

Traditional American cuisine: 1, calories NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Weight management Sep Weight management Jun