How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight? A Clear Answer

How many calories should I eat to lose weight is the first question every diet should answer, and the logic is simple: eat fewer calories than your body burns. To know your number, you first find your maintenance calories, then subtract a sensible amount. This guide shows you how many calories to aim for, how to calculate your own, and the safe floor you should never drop below.

How Many Calories You Burn (Your Starting Point)

Before cutting calories, you need your maintenance level, the calories your body burns in a day. A quick estimate is your body weight in kilograms multiplied by 30 to 35 for lightly active people. For example, a 70 kg person burns roughly 2,100 to 2,450 calories daily. This figure, often called your TDEE, is your baseline. Everything about how many calories you should eat to lose weight starts from this number, because weight loss is simply eating below it consistently.

Setting Your Calorie Deficit

Once you know maintenance, create a deficit by eating 300 to 500 calories less each day:

• Maintenance 2,200: eat around 1,700 to 1,900 to lose fat steadily
• A deficit of 500 a day leads to roughly half a kilogram of fat loss per week
• Keep protein high to protect muscle while losing fat
• Recalculate as you lose weight, since your maintenance drops too

The Minimum Calories You Should Not Go Below

More is not better when it comes to cutting. Dropping calories too low backfires: you lose muscle, energy crashes, and the diet becomes impossible to sustain. As a general guideline, most women should not eat below about 1,200 calories and most men not below about 1,500, unless supervised by a doctor. A moderate deficit with enough protein keeps energy up and results steady. Knowing how many calories to eat is not about eating as few as possible, but as many as you can while still losing fat.

Why a Moderate Deficit Wins

A gentle, consistent deficit beats an aggressive one almost every time. It preserves muscle, keeps your metabolism healthier, maintains your gym performance, and is far easier to stick to for months, which is what actually delivers results. Crash diets produce fast water-weight loss that rebounds quickly. So when you ask how many calories you should eat to lose weight, the best answer is a number you can live with for the long run, not a punishing one you abandon in two weeks.

Get Your Exact Numbers From a Coach

These formulas give a solid estimate, but your ideal calories depend on your body, activity, and goal, and they need adjusting as you progress. A coach can calculate your exact targets, set your protein, and fine-tune them weekly so fat loss never stalls. Book a free strategy call using the contact options below and get your personalised calorie and nutrition plan.

Remember that knowing how many calories to eat is only step one; eating that amount consistently is what actually moves the scale. Track honestly for a few weeks, stay patient through normal fluctuations, and adjust as your weight drops. The number is a starting point, and consistency turns it into real, lasting fat loss.

FAQs

Q1. How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Find your maintenance calories (about your weight in kg times 30 to 35), then eat 300 to 500 fewer per day for steady fat loss.

Q2. How many calories is too low?

Generally, below about 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men is too low without medical supervision, as it risks muscle loss and low energy.

Q3. How much weight will I lose in a 500-calorie deficit?

Roughly half a kilogram of fat per week, which adds up to noticeable change over a couple of months of consistency.

Q4. Do I need to count calories forever?

No. Tracking for a few weeks teaches you portions, after which most people can manage by habit with occasional checks.

Q5. Why is weight loss slowing on the same calories?

Your maintenance calories drop as you lose weight, so you may need to recalculate and adjust your intake or activity.

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