If you are planning to lose weight then you should know how many calories you need each day. Calorie restrictive diets work well, but only if you correctly follow them! The problem with implementing a calorie restrictive diet is twofold:
- People often overestimate the amount of food that they need
- People underestimate the how hard it is to restrict calories
Here we share daily calorie tables and then provide advice on how to use this information to lose weight.
Remember that these are just average figures so you may need more or less than the calories stated here. If you wish to have a more accurate figure then read our page Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Explained. Both of these are good weight loss calculators.
Also, you only need the higher figure on the days that you are most active. Doing two intensive workouts each week does not mean you need maximum calories on the other 5 days.
How Many Calories Does a Woman Need?
The number of calories depends on your height and muscle mass, so these figures are averages only. However, this does provide a good starting point – aim to eat fewer calories and adjust your diet depending on results. Daily Calorie Needs for Females:
| Age/years | Sedentary | Low activity | High activity |
| 2-3 | 1100 | 1250 | 1400 |
| 4-5 | 1200 | 1350 | 1500 |
| 6-7 | 1300 | 1500 | 1700 |
| 8-9 | 1400 | 1600 | 1850 |
| 10-11 | 1500 | 1800 | 2050 |
| 12-13 | 1700 | 2000 | 2250 |
| 14-16 | 1750 | 2100 | 2350 |
| 17-18 | 1750 | 2100 | 2400 |
| 19-30 | 1900 | 2100 | 2350 |
| 31-50 | 1800 | 2000 | 2250 |
| 51-70 | 1650 | 1850 | 2100 |
| 71+ | 1550 | 1750 | 2000 |
How Many Calories Does a Man Need?
Again, these are averages, and as with women, some men naturally carry a lot more muscle mass that others. So use these figures as a starting point in your weight loss plan. Daily Calorie Needs for Males:
| Age/years | Sedentary | Low activity | High activity |
| 2-3 | 1100 | 1350 | 1500 |
| 4-5 | 1250 | 1450 | 1650 |
| 6-7 | 1400 | 1600 | 1800 |
| 8-9 | 1500 | 1750 | 2000 |
| 10-11 | 1700 | 2000 | 2300 |
| 12-13 | 1900 | 2250 | 2600 |
| 14-16 | 2300 | 2700 | 3100 |
| 17-18 | 2450 | 2900 | 3300 |
| 19-30 | 2500 | 2700 | 3000 |
| 31-50 | 2350 | 2600 | 2900 |
| 51-70 | 2150 | 2350 | 2650 |
| 71+ | 2000 | 2200 | 2500 |
How Many Calories Do You Need to Reduce By?
So, how many calories can you eat and lose weight? Studies have shown that women who eat 1000 fewer calories than they need lost around 2 pounds per week. This is a healthy and sustainable level of weight loss. The same rule applies to men.
Start by eating 500 calories a day fewer than your body needs, and if this is not producing results, decrease a little further.
How many calories should you be eating?
The two tables above show the average calories requirements for males and females at various ages for varying levels of activity. Sedentary means no exercise or rarely active. Low activity means walking, housework, some play. High activity means regular exercise, generally more active in work and life.
This is a general guide to the amount of calories you need to be in deficit to lose a specific amount of weight:
- If you are in a deficit of 500 calories per day you will lose approximately 1 pound per week
- A calorie deficit of 750 calories will help you lose about 1.5 pounds per week
- A calorie deficit of 1000 calories will help you lose about 2 pounds per week (about 1 kg weight loss per week)
- To lose 20 pounds in a year you will need to eat 200 calories less per day than you were eating when your weight was stable
- To lose 20 pounds in 1 month, you need to eat 2400 calories fewer per day. Overweight people who usually eat 4000 calories per day can lose weight quicker than lighter people – they can reduce their intake by 2400 calories per day and still eat enough to sustain themselves.
Do Not Eat More When Exercising
What often strikes people who are new to dieting and exercise is that the high activity group do not need many more calories than the low activity group. Being very active adds 300 calories for men and 250 calories for women.
This is the equivalent of a sandwich or a large white coffee in terms of food energy. This is why it is important that you do not eat more food just because you are exercising! The exercise creates a calorie deficit but if you eat more to compensate you will fail to lose weight.
Learn more about activity calorie burn (calories burned for different exercises) in our article on What is the Best Exercise to Help Lose Weight?
Calorie Requirements for Teenagers
We have highlighted the calories needs of teenagers as this is an important time during a persons development, and also a time when many people start to become more aware of their bodies.
Few teenagers are aware that their calorie needs are higher than that of any other age group, and for sporty teens, such as those that play sports or are practicing martial arts or are learning to dance, they need around 500-600 more calories a day than their sedentary peers.
During this time the quality of energy consumed must be high for healthy growth. What is worrying is the trend for many teens to skip meals to keep their weight down. They could be setting themselves up for long term health problems as well as stunted growth. We have a page dedicated to teenagers here: Diet and Weight Loss Advice for Teenagers.
Calorie Needs As We Get Older
For a woman in her 30’s that is not exercising, 2000 calories a day is enough to maintain weight. To lose 2 pounds per week, she needs to reduce her daily calories by 1000, which means consuming 1000 calories a day. If she is exercising 3-4 times a week then she can eat 1250 calories per day.
This may seem low, but it is how our bodies work. To lose weight you need to restrict calories, this is what is meant by a calorie deficit. Eating healthier foods help too. Lean proteins will be used to build new muscle tissue. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain fiber to aid digestion. Bread is full of energy (around 100 calories per slice) and has little of nutritional value.
Losing weight is not just about counting calories – it is about eating a balanced diet and exercising too. Diet without exercise almost always leads to eventual weight loss failure. See our article MotleyHealth’s Guide To Losing Weight to learn why.
Calories in Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat
If you are counting calories to aid weight loss, then you need to know how many calories are in carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
- Protein has 4 Calories per gram
- Carbohydrates has 4 Calories per gram
- Fat has 9 Calories per gram
- Alcohol has 7 Calories per gram
You may think that the best way to create an energy deficit is to eat more carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are equal. To lose weight while eating carbs you need to eat low GI carbohydrates (effectively they contain less sugar) which tend to have higher fiber content, which means that you do not absorb so much of the energy.
All food that you consume is either used immediately as energy by the body or stored as fat for the future. You gain weight when you eat more than you burn, you maintain your weight when you eat as much as you burn, and you lose weight when you eat less than you burn. Understanding this is the key to start losing weight.
If you look at the calories in fat, it quickly becomes obvious why there has been such an emphasis on eating low fat foods in recent decades. Fat has more than twice as many calories per gram than carbohydrate or protein. A healthy and well balanced diet will have adequate macro-nutrients and still allow weight loss to occur.
Swapping fatty food for carbohydrate or proteins means that you can eat the same weight in food and take in fewer calories. The health food industry has taken advantage of this and produced many foods that are low in fat but far higher in sugars. Read Sugar, Carbohydrates and Your Health to learn more about this.
Structure Your Life
To lose weight you need to start to structure your life. You need to plan what you are going to eat each day so that you do not end up snacking on junk food when your fridge gets empty. You need to plan each exercise session in advance so that you never put off exercising because you cannot think what to do.
Find 5 workouts that you enjoy doing, such as bodyweight exercises, circuit training workouts, weight training workouts or just sessions on the elliptical trainer. This ensures that you can get variety in your new lifestyle and this helps you to stay interested.
If you plan your weight loss and calorie restriction, there is no reason why you cannot lose 100 pounds in 2 years. It will not be an easy task, but it will be rewarding, and the best thing you ever do.
Creating An Energy Deficit
If there is one rule that applies to every single overweight person it is this:
- To lose weight you must create an energy deficit
It is that simple! Although as we all know, implementing a theory is never as easy as writing it down.
The amount of energy you consume is related to what you eat and drink. So the first step in losing weight is to determine how much you are eating and make a guesstimate at how much you need.
Permanent Lifestyle Changes
Just eating less will work, but it is not as effective as eating less and exercising. When you eat less food than you need you create an energy deficit. You will lose weight, but your metabolism will slow down, i.e. you burn calories slower.
This means that you will burn less energy throughout the day, which reduces your requirements even more, so you stop losing weight. You have to eat even less, and the cycle continues until a point where you are not receiving enough nutrients and vitamins to maintain a healthy body.
By exercising while dieting you keep your metabolism high and you build new muscle tissue which requires energy. By increasing your metabolism it is easier to adjust your diet to make changes to your daily energy deficit.
It is recommended that you make permanent lifestyle changes that will help you lose weight at a steady rate. Generally it is advisable to aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week (0.5 – 1kg per week).
Do not forget that there are a lot of calories in alcohol, especially beer. Just a few beers a week can put you over your daily energy requirements and stop you from losing weight. For example, drinking one glass of wine per day is enough to add 14 pounds of weight over a year. One bottle of wine has as many calories as a large meal. So if you are serious about losing weight you need to ensure that you are losing weight every day of the week. This is why diets such as the Dukan Diet are so successful – they encourage you to give up alcohol completely.
Calories Are Hard To Count
The order in which food is presented to you can determine how many calories you think it contains. If you are shown a low calorie fruit salad and then a burger you are likely to think that the meal contains more calories than if you see a burger followed by a high calorie cheesecake.
Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research explains that simply changing the order in which 2 meals were shown to a person would significantly alter their perception of how many calories were in that meal.
This discovery could explain why so many people eat too much food and put on weight, especially those that love desserts.
For example, when people were shown a cheeseburger they estimated that it contained 570 calories, whereas when shown a salad first and then a cheeseburger, they thought that the cheeseburger contained 787 calories. Just by looking at another meal they thought that the cheeseburger contained more energy than it actually did.
“The sequence in which items are considered often influences our evaluations of these items” – Alexander Chernev, Northwestern University.
Just by changing the order in which the meals were viewed changed the perceived calories from 757 to 1,097 calories.
Self Regulation of Consumption
This principal can help you to self-regulate their food consumption which should reduce overeating. For example, eating more than one course will result eating too much, so stick to a single course.
Diet is the main cause of obesity and weight problems, but many people do not realise that this is the case. Many people think they are not overeating even though they are overweight. For your next meal, avoid starters and desserts.
This could also explain why people that love desserts are more likely to be overweight. They simply underestimate the amount of food that they are eating.
Learn how to measure how many calories you have used or consumed.
1500 Calories a Day With Exercise
Here is an example for anybody hoping to lose 100 pounds. If you aim to lose one pound a week until you reach your goal, you should eat around 1500 calories a day, and exercise.
Your diet should be healthy and balanced. Avoid sugar and saturated fats, and instead eat low GI vegetables, fresh fruits, lean meat, fish. Also, avoid soft drinks and alcohol, and instead drink mostly water, tea and the occasional coffee.
For exercise you should aim to walk for at least 15 minutes every single day. Also do a 30 minute workout 3 times a week. As you get fitter you can do a shorter but more intensive workout 5-6 times a week. This helps you to maintain a higher metabolism and so burn more fat.
It is important to see your doctor before you start a weight loss plan that will see you losing so much weight. If you have not done any exercise for many years then it is wise to get some professional medical advice. Generally a walking program is suitable for most people that are obese.
Fasting
One weight loss method that is growing in popularity is fasting. Rather than eating fewer calories every day, you have extremely limited calories on some days of the week, and eat more normally on other days. Take a look at our articles on fasting:
All of these fasting systems work, but you must follow them responsibly and ensure that you are still getting all the nutrients your body needs.
References
“Semantic Anchoring in Sequential Evaluations of Vices and Virtues.” by Alexander Chernev. Journal of Consumer Research: February 2011. A preprint of this article:http://journals.uchicago.edu/jcr.
Im 36 years old and weigh 217 pounds. I just started really trying to lose weight. I burn around 700 calories a day by exercising. The rest of my day Im pretty busy I dont just sit around. I am eating around 1300 calories. will i be able to lose weight pretty quick?
Hi Amanda, total body workouts are the way really, with cardio, bodyweight exercises and some weight training. Give it time, eat healthy with plenty of different fruits, vegetables and lean meats, fish etc. Give your body the nutrients to repair. This is all you can do for loose skin really, hope that in time it tightens up.
Hi Tina, this will work yes. Just stick to the plan and do not give yourself any cheat days / treats until you reach your target weight.
I’m 32 y/o female and 208 lbs. I’m trying to get my weight down to at least 145 in a year. I’ve been eating about 1500 calories a day for the past 6 weeks and I’ve lost 5 lbs during that time. I exercise about 3 times per week for an hour each time and walk during my break at work for 30 minutes, but by night fall I’m still hungry…Is 1500 too little? Or do I just have to train myself to make due with 1500 calories per day?
1500 is not too little so long as you are getting a nutritious diet from it. So, what are you eating? More exercise is always good, do as much as you can each day and maintain a more normal diet.
I really liked reading the article, but I guess I want to absolutely clear for my own individual situation. I am a 25yr old female and I weigh 175lbs at 5’6”. I actually downloaded the myfitnesspal app on my phone and have been using it for about a week now. It suggests that I consume 1200 calories a day. I will be working out everyday using my Turbo Fire videos with at least an hour of cardio each day and 2 sets of 8 minute abs. Today was the first day i worked out and when I added my info, it jumped to consuming about 2300 calories total for the day. I would like to lose 30lbs as quick as possible while remaining healthy. Can you tell me how many calories I should be consuming a day at this level of excersise?
Hi Nicole, if you goal is to lose fat then reducing calories is vital. It is of course important to remember that all of these charts and apps are just guidelines based on averages, they do not take into account your activity levels outside of exercising either.
According to the table here, an average 25 year old female will require 3000 is highly active (lots of exercise etc.). So a 1000 Calorie a day deficit will see you eating around 2000 Calories. More than the 1200, and less than Myfitnesspal.
Of course, nobody ever accurately calculates their calorie intake any! So just aim to get somewhere in the region of 1500 Calories and you will probably go over (almost everyone does) and hopefully hit the target.
What is really important is that you monitor your diet and your weight so that if you do not lose weight you can easily analyse your diet. But you have to write down everything you eat, not just the things that you think are important at the time.
Hi! I’m 31 years old, female, at 140 lbs and 5’5″. My body has the tendency of storing fat around the belly. I consume 1650 calories with a balanced diet and have been exercising 5 times a week for 2 hours each day for the past 3 months. The calories burned per day range between 650-1000, depending on the type of exercise (spinning, kickboxing and treadmill combined with weight training). Eventhough I appear to be fit, I have not seen real improvements on my stomach. What can I do?
Hi Helly, you need to adjust your diet. 2 hours of exercise a day should be enough to see some fat loss. I suspect that you are actually consuming a little more than 1650 Calories. Also, ensure that you are eating the right foods, i.e. low GI carbohydrates, lean proteins, no junk etc.
I am 17 years old 5′ 3.5″ and weigh about 118. I know i am not overweight but i want to get a tighter, leaner look. my goal is 110 lbs. i do interval training on tuesdays (spinning) and thursdays (sprints) and due mostly strength training on mondays wednesdays and fridays and sometimes take a 4 mile run on sundays. is it realistic for me to lose these 8 lbs in 6 weeks at a rate of about 1.3 lbs a week and if so how much calories should i consume daily?
Hi Isabella, you should take about 1800 Calories on the days that you are exercising and 1250 on the days you are not. This should lead to about a pound a week weight loss. The exercise plan sounds good. Work on your fitness though. If you are still doing the same amount of work in 6 weeks then you will not be losing fat at the desired rate.
Im 19, female, 5-5 at 150 pounds. I am trying lose weight, I eat around 1300 calories per day and work out 5 times per week lossing 750 calories per day. Is this a good plan?
Hi Liz, yes, that plan will work. You may lose weight too quickly or find that you are feeling very tired. Make sure those calories are of the highest quality – fruits, vegetables, pulses, lean meats, dairy, eggs etc. No junk.
I am 168.5 cm in height and weigh 45-46 kgs and I am struck on my weight loss despite eating 800 calories maximum and burning more calories than I eat.what am I doing wrong?how to overcome this problem?
Hi Bali. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 16.3 – you are very underweight. If you are consuming 800 kcal a day and burning more than 800 kcal a day with exercise, you will be losing a lot of fat, very quickly. You need to start eating more – eat more fruit, vegetables, dairy and lean proteins.
I’m a 23-year-old male, 178cm 78kg (BMI 24.62) and mostly inactive apart from few minutes of push-ups, sit-ups and squats maybe 100 each daily. I’ve been consuming around 4 MJ (1000 kcal) a day and have lost weight quite successfully. However, I’ve read that this might not be healthy and I should probably eat more, but I’d like to keep up the current rate of weight loss. What are the indicators for deteriorating health due to energy insufficiency and how long will it take for symptoms to appear?
Hi Sebastian, good question. Really it could be a number of conditions, from suffering tiredness, low immune system (catching colds easily), developing brittle nails, dry skin etc. If you are not receiving adequate nutrition in terms of macro-nutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrate) as well as micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals). However, being overweight has its own health issues. Take a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement and make sure that you are eating some eggs each day (they provide protein, healthy fats and vitamins) and you should be OK.
Increasing food intake and exercise would be a better solution though. In the long term you need to be able to maintain a healthy weight without having to go on restrictive diets whenever you gain a few pounds, so a balance of diet and exercise is vital.
Hi! I am 24years old, am 5’4″ and I currently weigh around 265. I come from a low income household so I cannot afford the luxuries of getting all the healthy foods that I need. I was diagnosed with PCOS in January of 2010 and Ive had weight issues all my life. I hit my biggest when my husband and I became OTR truckdrivers (coast to coast). We have been home for about 3 years now and I am at my whits end trying to lose this weight. My husband has added more pressure as he has decided that he is ready for a child (we currently have none and I have never been pregnant before). I need to lose (I think) around 70lbs as soon as I can. Can you help me and just give me advice? I feel like Ive hit a road block and I dont know what to do anymore. My OBGYN actually put me on metformin to try to help with the weight lose but after being on it for 2 months I only lost a half a pound…….PLEASE HELP ME LOSE THIS WEIGHT!!!! LOL…….Thank you for your time!!
Hi Ann, well, for a start, you can afford healthy food. Healthy food is generally cheaper than junk food. What you need to do is change your attitude to eating. Start cooking your own meals – this will be a vital skill when you have children – so that you only use fresh ingredients. Stop buying all ready meals, junk food, soda, chips, etc.
Buy carrots, potatoes, broccoli, peas, beans and some lean poultry and fish. Buying food this way really can be cheap. Do you have any farm shops or independent grocers in your area? If so, get down there and see what they have.
Most important is to reduce portion sizes and get active. Do you exercise at all now? If not, start by walking for 45 minutes, every day.
Hi my name is Amanda and I am 16 years of age and am 5’4 and weight about 140 pounds. I look okay in clothes, but i dont feel good about my body when i have to wear a swimsuit. Im going to a different country for the summer in the very beginning of July and maybe middle if im lucky. I really want to lose weight in that time period. I just started restricting my calories more than ever, and i now go to the gym every day except for fridays. I eat less than 1000 calories for sure each day, but that doesnt matter because i just really want to lose weight. I am on the treadmill for an hour 6 days a week and am burning 600-700 calories. If i keep on going at this rate, would it seem possible to you for me to lose around 20-30 pounds before Mid-JUly?
Hi! I really need your help. I am 60 5′ female 169lbs. I eat very healthy. Fruit veggies no white flour lean meat mostly chicken and tuna. I have started to walk 3-4 miles daily on treadmill at 3.0. I also do some light weights for upper body strength. I was 179 when I started. I am eating 1200 daily and when I exercise which is at least 6 days a week I eat 1250. Any suggestions the weight is very hard. I keep going up 1-2 lbs can’t get on the road to lose steadily without going back and forth.
Hi Amanda, you really need to focus on exercise and getting fitter, rather than reducing calories. Your body needs more energy and nutrition to develop in a healthy way. 1000 calories a day is not going to provide adequate nutrition. Daily exercise is good though and running each day will help you to lose fat and tone up. Losing 20-30 pounds in the 12 weeks to mid-July is going to be a challenge, in fact, it will be very hard to achieve. Just focus on getting fitter and your body will look better.
Hi Carmella, how long have you been doing this? 10 pound weight loss is a good start, and daily exercise with 1200 Calories a day should result in fat reduction. Review your diet, recalculate how much you are eating and stick to the plan.
Hi, I recently was diagnosed with PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome). Apparently it causes issues with insulin and the body’s ability to use fat. I am 30, 5’2″ and 164. I am do high impact aerobics 4 times a week and have just started some resistance training. I have been trying to loose atleast 30 lbs for two years with no luck in calorie counting. I stayed at 1400 calories forever and ended up with some serious vitamin deficencies. My doc recommended a very low carb higher Protein diet with no other suggestions or numbers to follow. So for the last two weeks I have been following a plan that only allows 20gs of net carbs. Can you help ? It is hard to encoorperate fruits on such a low number. Please any suggestions to my email would be great! Love this site! Thank you!
Hi Muphigh. Rather than go for low carb you may want to try a low GI diet. This allows plenty of carbs but you only eat carbohydrate which is digested slowly. This releases the sugars into the blood slower which means your insulin has more time to work. Ideally your doctor should advise more on this though. It may be wise to take a multivitamin to prevent deficiencies. Also eat eggs – the yolks are full of vitamins and the white is almost pure protein.
Thank you for the advice. I would like to know how many calories I should eat when I exercise and the amount when I do not. The program I do on the treadmill at home is the weight loss program and I go as high as 3.5. When I go to the gym I do a 3.0 walk. This gives me 1 hr of intervals at home and 3 regular at the gym. Is it ok to eat lean cuisine meals for supper? I am very serious about this and I want to see results and reach my goal. Thank you
Hi Carmella, this is a bit harder to answer to be honest. According to the table, if you are in the “low activity” group you need 1850 Calories to maintain weight, and if you are in the high activity group you need 2100 Calories for weight maintenance. So the big question is, is the exercise you are doing plus your other activities enough to push you into the “high activity” group.
I think that you should probably stick to your current plan of 1200 Calories a day really. In time you should get fitter to be able to do more. As for eating lean cuisine meals – so long as they do not give you too many calories, they should be OK. Although they are a type of processed food and may contain more easily digestible sugar and more salt / fat than freshly prepared veges and a lean protein.
Hello, I’m 20, 5’4″ and weigh about 157 pounds(63% of that being muscle) and my body burns 1,500 calories naturally. i drink 12 8ounce glasses of water per day, workout 5 days a week with a two day resting interval, one on friday and then again on monday , twice per day with varying exercises from running on the treadmill to yoga and body weight training along with pilates. I eat about 1,200+ calories per day as I fear eating anymore could make me gain weight. I’m still losing the healthy amount of weight per week but as of late I feel as though my body isn’t getting enough calorie wise but i’m not sure what’s causing that. I know my fear may be causing me to restrict myself to less than i need but if i eat above 1,220 calories i tend to hop on the treadmill for about half an hour at 5.0 speed to kill another 350+calories but then i notice that even after my extremely intensive workout i’ve maintained the same weight as the last time i weighed in. what are some things i can do to increase my weight loss and make sure i dont plateau?
Hi Lynne, how long have you been doing this? If you are doing exactly as you say then you should be losing weight at a steady pace, it is not possible to maintain weight if you are eating less than your body needs. Of course, nobody ever accurately calculates how many calories they are eating without the aid of a health scientist and some clever testing apparatus!
It may be wise to take a fresh look at your plan. Look at all the food you are eating and check that everything is healthy and that the diet is well balanced with mostly low GI carbohydrates. Also be careful with drinks – anything other than water has energy / calories.
If your body is not getting enough nutrition then you will suffer some muscle wastage and this will slow down your fitness improvements. Do you have a carby snack before the workout or a protein snack after weight training? Good nutrition is vital, as it exercise and rest.
I am male 41 and weigh 186 pound I have dropped to 1200 calories per day, I excersise with cardio and strength training, running, walking and weights. Everyday I am doing excersise will I be ok at this level and will I lose much weight, I am not fat I just have fatty stores in horrible places.
Hi Allan, it should work, yes. If you are getting fitter, stronger and eating healthy but limited calories, you should burn off that fat. Any problems come straight back. Feel free to drop by and let us know how you are getting on.
Hi – I’m writing on behalf of my daughter. She’s 17 (will be 18 in July) and 5’3″. When she was 15, already naturally petite, she became semi-anorexic, consuming 1100 cal/day and exercising vigorously every day, bringing her down to 96 lbs (though I don’t remember what she weighed in the first place. This year and last, she developed a binge-eating disorder, which – though she was restricting calories during the day and binging at night – brought her to 124 lbs. She is frantic to lose the weight, now that the binge problem is petering out, but we are unclear as to what she should weigh at her age. We think maybe 105-110 lbs would be about right? Similarly, we are unclear on what her caloric intake should be, both to lose the excess weight (however much that is) and then, how many calories she should eat to maintain a healthy weight once she reaches it. She jogs 30 minutes about 6 times/week. Thank you.
Hi Sara, this is difficult. It may be wise to try to move away from the calorie counting completely and instead focus on eating 3 well balanced and healthy meals every day and getting regular exercise. Do you have a good eating routine at home, with meals together? Maybe family activities also?
For someone at 5’3″ a healthy weight will be 104 – 141 lbs (47.1 kg – 63.9 kg). So she is a healthy weight now at 124 pounds. There is no need to encourage her to lose weight. Focus on being healthy – eating proper meals and being active.
Nadine on 28th April 2012
Hi, I am 70, presently weigh 150lbs. 5ft 4inch. Small build and can see I carry too much body fat around stomach and hips. Sedentary. Doing only house
and a lot of garden work. House with stairs. Big garden with lots to do. Really bodily tired at night. Over the past 4.5 yrs, working in a store, added 25lbs to my weight and now seem unable to reduce my weight. How many calories should I have to bring down my weight to 130lbs?
Hi Nadine, according to the table you will need in the region of 1850 Calories to maintain weight, so to lose a pound a week, about 1350 Calories a day (on the days you are gardening etc.). About 1200 Calories on the lazy days. Focus on making your diet healthier, avoid sugary foods like biscuits, cakes, white bread etc. Get your carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits. Eat some protein with all meals to prevent / slow muscle wastage.
Hi – Sara again. Thank you very much for your thoughtful response. Unfortunately, my daughter has refused to participate in family meals for several years now, insisting on making her own food, as she does not trust me to be as careful about counting calories as she is, and as she was first a strict vegetarian and now a strict vegan. I do not count calories and never have. At this point, I am just trying to avoid her eating too few calories as she tries to lose the excess binging weight of this year and to help her understand a healthy – versus an anorexically-thin-model – weight for her height. A nutritionist with whom we consulted said that one can tell whether one has a petite build by wrapping thumb and middle finger around one’s wrist to see whether they overlap. My daughter seems to be of a petite build. But I still do not feel that she should weigh less than about 105 lbs. Do you agree? Also, I worry that – as a stubborn vegan (unlike the rest of the family – she is not eating enough protein as she tries to lose weight. She only listens to nuts and bolts calorie and weight and gram numbers, feeling she knows what she is doing from her own research, so I am trying to glean those numbers from you in terms of appropriate weight and appropriate number of calories per day to get to – and then to maintain – that weight so that she does not hurt herself. Thank you so much. – Sara
Hi Sara, this is obviously a very delicate subject and I really feel that you should consult with a dietician of family doctor. While I can suggest that your daughter consumes an amount in line with the tables on this page, it would be wise to get advice from someone more qualified.
Hi, I am 35.6 years old.155cms height and weigh 62kgs. I have started going for 30 mins walk every morning but i realised i gain more weight and developed hunger pangs after my walks.I would snack on an apple or cucumber but feel hungry right after. I would like to lose 10 kgs weight. Please help how to shed this weight. I also delivered a baby a year ago and my belly fat has not come down at all.
Hi Lynda. First you need to tackle your whole diet. Reduce portions, eat healthier. It is great that you are snacking on fruits, but ensure that you are a balanced diet also. A 30 minute walk is great for improving fitness and health, but do consider increasing your exercise, start jogging or going to a fitness class or gym to get a better workout – or do some home workouts.
Thank you so much for quick response, Could you please suggest a diet that is suitable for me to lose weight.Do i need to cut out eating rice/bread completely. I normally have wholemeal bread.I have two small kids and is almost impossible to go to the Gym in the evening as i need to attend to the house chores after coming from work. for my morning walks i take my younger one in a stroller till 6am then i have to go to work. What exercises do you recommend to lose weight.Could you help briefly about a balance diet you mentioned. Im grateful for your advice.
Hi Lynda, read our information on a balanced diet and our 20 minute home workout.
I’m been eating healthier and drop 27lb in 4 months, currently my calorie intake its 1500, really active, doing a 1/2 marathon on may 20th (first time ever)still over weigth 224lb 5’6. Schedule excersie 4x a week, upper body, lower body and cardio; want to drop at least 40lb aprox. 5 month but I hit the platao mark!!! Use calorie traker, I do not use the calories expense! How can I go over the platao, Do I need to drop the calorie intake to 1200, During the marathon which foods are best to eat? Thanks this web its awesome!
Hi Sandy, for now I suggest you carry on as you are, do not reduce calories while preparing for a 1/2 marathon. Healthy carbs are best for long distance running, pasta, rice, vegetables, pulses. After the race you can consider cutting back to 1200 Calories. If you do it before you may become malnourished and weakened. Just stick to your plan of doing a lot of exercise and eating healthy.
hi, im 18 years old and although am in the recommended bmi have alot of extra body fat to shed. I am 5’6 and weigh 8 stone 13.8 pounds (so basically 9 stone). If i go to the gym 4-6 times a week and loose on average 400 hundred calories on cardio machines and eat around 2000 calories i wont be loosing weight? How many should i reduce my intake to to loose 2lbs a week and what particular exercises would you suggest i do to get a flat stomach and thinner inner thighs.
Hi Harlyhops, just work on your fitness. Do not stick to one exercise, keep it varied. Do some pure cardio sessions, so bodyweight workouts, some weight training, plus other activities to work different muscles. Get more active in general too, make an effort to walk more. For flatter stomach and thinner thighs you really do just need to work on losing overall body fat with more exercise and healthy eating.
Hi –
I am a 21 year old female, 5 foot 7, weighing 138 pounds. I am recovering from bulimia (have been good for over a month now) – but I am struggling with the fact that since getting properly healthy – I have put on quite a bit of weight ( water weight I assumed) and am struggling for my body to regulate back to my normal pre-bulimia weight of around 129 pounds. I am very active, exercise for between 45-55 minutes a day – with pretty high intensity, and I am using the MyFitnessPal ap to track my food intake which is roughly 1600-1800cal a day. I am going on holiday in 6 weeks and really wish to be a little slimmer, I am frustrated that I have not gotten any results since being so healthy – and it’s really getting me down. Any information about how long it takes a body to re-regulate and start to recover (and maybe lose a bit of weight will be great). I feel like no matter what I do, I am getting no where, and there is honestly not much more I can do. If I eat any less I will be struggling with low energy, I would just like to know when the weightless may kick in – and if I’m doing to right thing?? Thanks!
Summer…
Hi I’m 37yo. Trying to lose 15lbs im 5’6″ tall. I do workout w/ my mini stepper 5xady for 60 min. And recently joined MFP and calculated my calorie into 1200 per day with a daily deficit of 530cal. I’m confused w/ this daily calorie deficit, what this mean??? What do i have to do w/ this 530 cal deficit. And one more ? Do I have to eat all the 1200cal per day to lose weight and what about the calories I burned. I hope you can helped me. Thanks…
Hi Summer, 138 pounds is a very healthy weight for your height. If you are eating healthy and exercising often then your body will be healthier for it. Try not to look at the scales, focus on being fitter and healthier. Your BMI is 21.6 at the moment, that is a good number to be at.
Hi Chryz. First, remember that this is just a guide. The average 37 year old woman who follows a low activity lifestyle (a little light exercise, walking etc) needs 2000 Calories a day to maintain weight. To lose weight at 1 pound a week you need to experience a daily calorie deficit of 500 Calories. So that would be like eating 1500 Calories a day if you are following a low activity lifestyle (which is possibly what you are following). The exercise you do is actually factored into these guidelines (sedentary = no exercise, low activity = some exercise, high activity = lots of exercise).
Another way to look at it is that if you are eating 1200 Calories a day and burning an additional 500 Calories, your daily calorie balance is actually only 700 Calories. A sedentary 37 year old woman (on average) needs 1800 Calories, so you will be 1100 Calories under what you need. This should equate to about 2 pounds fat loss per week – if you do this 7 days a week.
In short – keep eating healthy, keeping portions smaller and exercising daily.
Thanks for a quick response.