How many calories a day to lose weight
For most adults it is 1400–2200 kcal a day: your total daily burn (TDEE) minus 15–20%, usually 300–500 kcal. A 70 kg woman (35 years old, 168 cm, lightly active) lands around 1555 kcal, a 90 kg man (35 years old, 180 cm) around 2040 kcal. The number depends on sex, age, weight, height and how much you move — the table below gives a starting point, the formula gives your exact one.
How the calorie number is calculated
Three steps, none of which needs anything beyond your own measurements.
- 1Work out your BMR — what you burn at complete rest. Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age, then +5 if you are male or −161 if you are female.
- 2Multiply by an activity factor to get your TDEE, the total you burn in a day. Factors are in the table below.
- 3Subtract 15–20% from your TDEE. That is your daily target for losing weight.
Activity factors — pick the one that matches your actual week, not the week you intend to have:
| Activity level | What it looks like | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, little walking, no training | × 1.2 |
| Lightly active | 1–3 sessions a week or plenty of walking | × 1.375 |
| Moderately active | 3–5 sessions a week | × 1.55 |
| Very active | 6–7 sessions or a physical job | × 1.725 |
Most people overestimate their level. If you are torn between two, take the lower one — adding calories later is easier than explaining why the scale will not move.
Worked example: a man, 35 years old, 90 kg, 180 cm. BMR = 900 + 1125 − 175 + 5 = 1855 kcal. Lightly active (× 1.375) gives a TDEE of 2550 kcal. Minus 20% = 2040 kcal a day to lose weight.
You do not have to do the arithmetic: Calorie & macro calculator · BMR vs TDEE · BMI calculator
Calories a day by sex, age and weight
All values assume a lightly active person (× 1.375) and a 20% deficit. If you sit all day, take off roughly 12%; if you train 4–5 times a week, add roughly 12%.
| Profile | BMR | TDEE | Weight-loss target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 25 y, 60 kg, 165 cm | 1345 | 1850 | 1480 |
| Woman, 35 y, 70 kg, 168 cm | 1415 | 1945 | 1555 |
| Woman, 45 y, 80 kg, 165 cm | 1445 | 1990 | 1590 |
| Woman, 55 y, 75 kg, 162 cm | 1325 | 1825 | 1460 |
| Man, 25 y, 75 kg, 178 cm | 1745 | 2395 | 1915 |
| Man, 35 y, 90 kg, 180 cm | 1855 | 2550 | 2040 |
| Man, 45 y, 100 kg, 183 cm | 1925 | 2645 | 2115 |
| Man, 55 y, 95 kg, 175 cm | 1775 | 2440 | 1950 |
These are general estimates — an individual's real burn can sit 10–15% either side. That is why you verify the number with the scale over 2–3 weeks rather than on day one.
Why men get a higher number than women
The gap is not arbitrary: at the same weight and height men on average carry more muscle, and muscle burns more energy at rest than fat tissue does. In the Mifflin-St Jeor formula that shows up as a constant 166 kcal difference (+5 versus −161). In practice a woman and a man of identical weight and height differ by roughly 200–250 kcal in TDEE.
What that means for planning: women work with a smaller absolute deficit, so protein intake and strength training matter even more — otherwise too much of what comes off is muscle rather than fat.
What changes with age
The formula subtracts 5 kcal per year of age, so on paper 25 and 55 differ by only about 150 kcal. In reality the gap is wider, for two reasons the formula cannot see: muscle mass declines with age unless you train for strength, and spontaneous daily movement — walking, stairs, fidgeting — drops off.
The conclusion is not that losing weight after forty is impossible, but that strength training and daily step count carry a growing share of the equation as the years pass.
How many kilograms a week is realistic
The rule of thumb used in planning: roughly 7700 kcal corresponds to one kilogram of body fat. That gives the following table.
| Daily deficit | Per week | Per month | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 kcal | ~0.25 kg | ~1 kg | Already lean, protecting muscle |
| 500 kcal | ~0.5 kg | ~2 kg | Most people, the sensible middle |
| 750 kcal | ~0.75 kg | ~3 kg | A larger amount to lose |
| 1000 kcal | ~1 kg | ~4 kg | Short term, with professional supervision |
The first week often drops faster — that is mostly water and gut contents, not fat. Read the trend from a 7-day average, not from one morning.
One thing matters more than the absolute number: the percentage. A 500 kcal deficit is about 20% for a 90 kg person but nearly 30% for a 60 kg person — same number, very different strain.
How many calories the untracked extras actually carry
The usual reason a deficit „does not work” is arithmetic rather than metabolism. These are the portions people routinely fail to log, with values from the same food database the app itself uses.
| Extra | Portion | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil in the pan | 1 tbsp (10 g) | 88 |
| Peanut butter | 1 tbsp (16 g) | 94 |
| Almonds | a handful (25 g) | 150 |
| Walnuts | a handful (25 g) | 164 |
| Milk in coffee, 3 cups | 3 × 50 ml | 75 |
| Slice of wholemeal bread | 1 piece | 100 |
| A banana „on the way” | 1 piece | 107 |
Oil, a handful of walnuts and three white coffees come to about 400 kcal — more than the entire planned deficit. You do not have to cut them, you just have to count them.
The number you should not go below unsupervised
As general guidance for adults who are not under professional supervision: not below roughly 1200 kcal for women and roughly 1500 kcal for men. Below that it is hard to cover protein, vitamins and minerals from food, and hunger plus low energy usually end the attempt anyway.
If you have diabetes or a thyroid condition, take prescribed medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or your body mass index is already very low — agree your calorie target with a doctor or dietitian. This article gives general guidance for healthy adults and is not medical advice.
Five mistakes that break the arithmetic
- Overstated activity. Three sessions a week is not „very active”. Pick a factor that is too high and your deficit exists only on paper.
- Untracked extras. Oil in the pan, coffee with milk, two bites while cooking — easily 200–300 kcal a day, about the size of the deficit itself.
- A weekend that undoes the week. Five days at −500 kcal is −2500; two days at +1200 cancels it. The weekly total is what counts, not the day.
- Never updating the number. As weight drops, TDEE drops with it. Recalculate every 4–5 kg.
- Too little protein. In a deficit without enough protein and strength training, part of the loss comes from muscle — the scale moves but the mirror does not.
Where to go next: Calorie deficit · Protein intake · Meal plan
In short
- Your weight-loss target = TDEE minus 15–20%, in practice 300–500 kcal less per day.
- For most adults that lands between 1400 and 2200 kcal, depending on sex, age, weight and activity.
- A realistic pace is 0.25–0.75 kg per week; faster usually means losing muscle too.
- Do not go below ~1200 kcal (women) or ~1500 kcal (men) without professional supervision.
- Recalculate every 4–5 kg lost, because burn falls along with body weight.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories a day to lose 5 kg?
The daily number is the same whatever your goal in kilograms — TDEE minus 15–20%. Only the timeline changes: at a 500 kcal daily deficit, 5 kg takes roughly 10 weeks.
Is 1200 calories enough to lose weight?
For most women that is the floor, and for most men it is too low. If your calculation lands below 1200 kcal, it is better to hold 1300–1400 kcal and add movement than to cut food further.
Why am I not losing weight in a deficit?
Usually the deficit is not real: overstated activity, untracked calories, or weekends that cancel the week. The other reason is water retention masking fat loss — track a 7-day average and your waist, not just the scale.
Do I have to count calories forever?
No. Four to eight weeks of tracking is usually enough to learn your portions and the calorie value of the meals you actually eat. After that, tracking is occasional, for recalibration.
How do I know my number is right?
Hold it for 2–3 weeks and watch your average weight. If you lose 0.25–0.75 kg a week, the number is good. If nothing moves, take off 100–200 kcal or add movement.
Tools this article uses
Read next
Body recomposition: how to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time
Recomposition works on a small deficit, 1.8–2.2 g protein/kg and strength training. Who it suits, how to set calories and how to measure progress.
How much protein a day to build muscle
For muscle growth, 1.8–2.2 g of protein per kilogram a day. How much per meal, which sources give most per calorie, and how to do it without meat.
Training 3 days a week: a full body plan for beginners
A ready full body plan for three days a week: three sessions, exact exercises, sets and reps, how to pick your loads and how to progress weekly.