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.
Hi there. I found this article really eye opening. I’m 30 and weigh 308lbs. I have no idea how many calories I eat per day – it must be close to or over 3000. One of my friends has lost 140lb following Lighterlife. I would like to do the same, but prove to the world that it can be achieved by diet and exercise, not restriction of real foods! I’m aiming for a weekly gym session and walking each day until i get fitter. My diet plan averages around 1200 cals per day. I begin tomorrow – wish me luck! How much weight would you envisage I could lose in the next 6 weeks? (I go on holiday on June 11th!) Many thanks, Jenny x
Hi Jenny, a realistic weight loss goal is really about 2 pounds a week, so 12 pounds. You need to plan and think long term really, the moment people start trying to lose weight with quick fixes there is a real risk of yo-yo dieting. Take your time, stick to the plan. As you get fitter increase your exercise too, ideally do at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise. Walking is good to start with but do keep pushing yourself.
Hi am creamy,pesently i weigh 98kg,173cm,27 yrs old,have not exercised in a long while,and have decided 2 go on fruits,veges n lean protein(egg,beans) 4 d next one month,before i start counting my cals,pls advise me on which fruit 2 use on dis exercise,thx
Thanks for the quick response! I was just wondering whether you could give me any indication of how long you’d think it will take for my body to re-regulate and stop gaining – no matter how much I eat? I know that I am in the healthy range – my doctors and I are watching that closely – but I more just wish to know whether there is any way I can make the recovery faster? The hardest part is knowing that I am doing to right thing by my body by eating healthy, but I feel like I’m being punished and it’s very hard. I don’t wish to lose weight – I just want to know how long itll take to stop gaining if I keep eating well/ exercising?! Thanks!
Summer
Hi Creamy, eat whatever fruits are available that you like. Variety is the key.
Hi Summer11, I think that you misunderstand how eating works. Nobody can ever eat as mich food as they like without gaining weight. THere will always be a point where you take in more food than your body needs and you accumulate fat. Just follow the diet and exercise plan that you have worked out with your doctor and try to stop worry about what may happen – just enjoy your exercise and your new healthy lifestyle.
Hi tnx for your quick response pls can i eat egg white everyday as breakfast?then fruits for lunch n dinner?
Yes you can. Eggs are very healthy. Unless you are eating a lot, eat the yolks too. Egg yolk is full of vitamins and minerals and also provide essential fats.
Hi, I am Sami. I am 23, 5’2″, and weigh about 120 pounds. I work out around 3/4 times a week. I try and fit two days of cardio in (usually a 30min interval run) and do weight training or circuit training. I try and consume around 1200-1300 calories a day… I eat mostly fruit, and meats such as grilled chicken, and grilled salmon. Or sometimes I will skip dinner and just have a protien shake after my work out. I have been following this routine since October 2011, and I am not seeing any results, in fact I weigh more now than I ever have, and I know that some of the weight increase has been to increases in muscles… I know that muscle weighs more than fat. The only area i have noticed change is in my biceps and my shoulders. I have noticed no change in the problem areas… tummy,thighs, and butt. I also cannot defeat the small amount of cellulite that I have noticed. I was extremely active growing up. Cheerleading, swimming, diving, gymnastics, softball… and my body was always very toned. I know that our bodies change over time, but I am just making sure that I am doing everything I can to make sure I am healthy and toned. Should I be doing anything else?
Hi Samantha. This good news is that with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 21.9 you are a healthy weight. A first change would be to start pushing the fitness a little more, maybe do another weight training session each week to start with. To see no results in 7 months on a 1200 Calorie a day diet and exercise seems a little strange though. Maybe there are some snacks, drinks, alcohol etc. that you are not counting in the calculations? Worth reviewing the diet again to be sure.
Hi,
I am 24 years of age. My height is 169m and I weigh 79kg (I was 85kg 2months ago-the biggest I have ever gotten). I have a medium hourglass shape. I gained over 10kg in a year and I honestly don’t know how it happened. I think it may have something to do with my job (I’m at my desk for 8 hours a day). I have lost some weight by eating healthy but it has come to a point where it just wont budge. My fat % is 36,3. I rarely exercise, just go on walks 2-3 times a week. I have also tried Herbalife but that had little effect. How many calories do you suggest I eat a day (i eat 1000-1100 calories). And how much should I exercise in order to get quicker results? Should I not eat after a certain time?
Hi Leah. Firstly, if you are eating just 1000 Calories a day you will be losing fat. But you must be eating more. Review your diet, write down everything that you consume (including all drinks, all fruits, all healthy snacks etc.).
You need to exercise more than 3 times a week to make a big difference. While walking is good, you must push yourself harder to do more. Do some circuit training exercises, attend a fitness class, do some dance workouts etc. Just get more active, more often.
Things like Herbalife only work if you are only having their products. The moment you start adding extra calories (even in terms of fruits, coffee with milk, juices etc.) you risk consuming too many calories to allow for fat loss.
It really does not matter much what time you eat. The main reason why not eating in the evening can work is that it ensures that you do not snack. If you are going to stick to 1100 Calories a day you would be hard pressed to be able to eat after 6pm as your quota will run out pretty quick!
This is a very informative web site, which explains in a straight forward way how the calorie intake/output works. I started to control my calorie intake based on info given for each age group and started an excel spreadsheet, entering everything I ate with the calorie count. I was amazed at the calorie count by 5.00 pm – even though I eat an absolutely healthy diet – boiled eggs/ 1% milk or proten shake for breakfast; snacks – banana or apple (with some humus) or handful of almonds); cottage cheese/ or soup for lunch, with greek yogurt & carrots/cucumbers…and my calorie count is already around 700-850 before I leave work not including dinner!! I don’t count the exercise even though I work out at least 4 times a week ( I am in my 50’s). I lost 5 pounds within 2 months but I am stuck there….not sure what else I can do to keep reducing the weight.
Hi Uma, maybe the first step is to up the activity levels. Maybe more walking or swimming.
Hello, my name is Lance reymond and I am 18 years old and weigh 247 pounds. this whole week i’ve been eating only turkey and ham pita bread sandwich, string beans, having soy milk with my cereal, waffles with no syrup, whey tech powder chocolate milk, etc. But i need more advice on what else I should do about my weight and what can I do to atleast lose 20 pounds by the end of the summer
Hi Lance. Why are you drinking whey tech powder chocolate milk? Are you lifting weights every day? If you are not lifting weights, stop drinking this. Waffles are high calories, low nutrition. Ham is full of saturated fat. Eat some fruit. Exercise every day.
Hello, I am a 25 y/o male, 6’2 and 205lbs. Ive gained almost 20lbs in the last year, but started exercising and eating better (cut out alcohol too) about two weeks ago. I generally exercise an hour a day 5 days a week, and 30 minutes the other two. This time I spend about half jogging, and half doing weights or body weight exercises. I consume 2000-2500 calories a day, sometimes less though I have a hard time being consistent. If I keep up the exercise, will I begin to lose weight, or do I need to consume less calories? My main concern is belly fat, as the rest of me seems pretty fit. I also want to gain muscle, which I have, but have not lost any weight yet. Ive been afraid if I eat too little while lifting weights, I wont gain the muscle properly. Is this true?
Hi Mat, that is true. For muscles to grow they need energy and nutritions – protein. To lose fat the whole body needs to be getting less energy than it actually needs. However, if you really focus on the fitness side of things and ensure that your diet continues to be healthy ypu will get there and you will be stronger and fitter for it. Better to get athletic slowly than waste away quickly IMO.
I am a 37 y/o female, I weigh 65 kg and am 163cm tall and want to lose 10kg in 12 to 14 weeks, how many calories should I eat if I’m exercising and burning 500 calories per day?
Hi. I am a female and my weight is 62 kg and height is 5 ft. I need to reduce approximately 10 kgs over 3 months. Is that feasible? I am doing gym exercise daily for half an hour. What extra thing I need to do in order to burn calories and loose weight? What should I add to my daily diet? I am purely vegeterian.
Hi Manu, 10 kg is 3 months is possible, but it will be hard work. You will need to do more exercise than 30 minutes a day. And the question should not be “what should I add to my daily diet?” but what to take away from it. To lose 10 kg in 12 weeks you need to be losing over 1 kg a week, that requires a daily calorie deficit of around 1000 Calories. Possible, but it will require a lot of work on your part.
Remove as much saturated fat and bread from your diet as possible (many vegetarians tend to over do the cheese and bread!) and focus on low GI vegetables and fruits with plenty of protein from pulses, nuts and eggs.
I have been on the weight watchers program since Oct. 20 2011. They have a point system and trying to find out the exact number of calories for a point seems to be a big secret. But on the on line forum other members say it averages from 38-50 cal. per point. After reviewing my tracking sheets, I estimate that I average about 1200 cal per day. My problem is that I have adhered to the system religiously, weighing everything, eating all the required foods and exercising every day. I have been given 26 days points and they also give you weekly points to use. But I never use these points. In addition, you get extra points for exercising which I dont use either. They say to use these points so that you dont feel deprived. I weighed 191 pounds on Oct 20 and now I weight 178 pounds. THat is less than one half pound a week. WW believes that losing between 1/2 to 2 pounds per week is what the program recommends. Clearly I am not doing that.The group leader really doesn’t know what to recommend and she suggests seeing my MD.I had an annual exam in Dec and all the blood work is fine as well as my thyroid. My question to you is is it possible that I am not eating enough with all of the exercising I am doing. I walk on the thread mill for 2 miles each day and some days more. It takes me about 50 minutes. I am 73 years old and have no physical disabilities. Is it possible that my metabolism has slowed down because of not getting enough calories? For four weeks in a row I did not either lose or gain. This week I finally lost 1/2 pound. I am so discourage when I hear other members at the meeting report that they are losing consistently 1-2 pounds a week. I am at a lost as to what I am doing wrong and what corrections I need to make. I would appreciate any recommendation you might have. Sorry this is so long.
Thank you.
Hello I weigh 198lbs and my weight goal is 160 lbs. I just turned 33 and I have 3 kids. I have never been this size I’ve always been a slim person but am now concerned about the weight I’m gaining. I recently started working out at the YMCA and attending zumba class on sat but still haven’t gotten down the calorie reduction side of things. According to your article I should be eating 2000 on non workout days and 2250 on days that I workout which is 3days a week 30 minutes of cardio plus 2 reps of 40 arms and legs aside from the zumba class. Is this right or should I cut the calorie intake by half? Please help, I’m new to all of this.
Hi Jean. Age does play a big role. Unless you have been really active in recent years you have probably suffered quite a bit of muscle wastage – this is what slows metabolism. What is important to remember is that you have lost some weight (albeit only a little) and you must be getting fitter by doing the exercise, and I trust that the point counting also means healthier food choices in general too.
So overall, you must be fitter, stronger and healthier. Just stick to the plan. If you can do more exercise, do a little more. Make sure the diet is healthy – not too much bread, cakes and other baked goods etc. Get some good proteins inside you (eggs and fish etc.).
Hi Mishia, remember that the table shows how many calories you need (on average) to maintain your weight. If you set a target weight loss of 1 pound a week then you need to take 500 Calories from that figure, and for 2 pounds a week, 1000 Calories. So, consuming 1250 Calories on workout days and 1000 Calories on non workout days should (in theory!) help you to lose 2 pounds a week.
Thanks for replying. Would you suggest eating mostly fruits and veggies with some protein to get maximum results? I struggle with what foods to eat to help boost my metabolism. I’m not a big fruit person but I have a sweet tooth and I know fruit would be the way to go. Any advice?
Hi, I’m 22 years old, approximately 5′ 8″, and 108 lbs. I recently lost about 50 lbs. through diet and some exercise (4-5 days a week at first but then just walking to class lately). I try to never eat more than 800 calories a day and I don’t really exercise. So, my question is, am I healthy and what must I do exercise-wise (even though I dislike exercising) to build back my muscle tone?
Hi Kristin. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 16.4. This means your weight is within the Underweight range. The best way to build muscle is to start weight training (either free weights or resistance machines) and get more protein in your diet. Start eating more food and make sure you are eating a balanced diet.
A balanced diet is best – fruits, vegetables, pules, dairy, meat, poultry, eggs, fish etc. as well as some grains.
I just started the Grey sheet for Overeaters. I have a sponsor and I’ve been following orders, but when I enter my food into my log it says i only eat 900-1000 calories per day. I am 258 lbs is this healthy for me to eat this little? I work out about2-3 times a week light work out though because i am scared to do what i normally would do for a couple hours 4 times a week. Will I be able to lose weight and stay healthy? I am 25 years old.
Hi Andrea, we are not familiar with the Grey sheet for Overeaters approach. However, 900-1000 Calories is below the recommended minium, but many people follow stricter VLCD (very low calorie diets) and successfully lose weight with them. At 258 pounds you focus must be on losing weight at the moment, carrying that amount of weight will have more serious long term health problems that a relatively short-term low calorie diet. So stick with it. Make sure that the calories you are eating are nutritious – limit all baked foods, bread, pasta etc. and eat fruits, oats, vegetables, lean meats, eggs, fish etc. Improved nutrition will reduce risk of following a low calorie diet. Consider taking a daily multi-vitamin too.
Hi, I like your article, thank you! I have been following a weight training program that is 3 days on, one day off, for about two months. My body fat percentage isn’t budging and I am trying to figure out how many calories to eat. It has been recommended to me to eat 2400 calories with a 50% carbs, 30% protien, and 20% fat nutrition balance. I am 5′ 10″ tall, 28 year old female, and weigh about 190lbs. My body fat % is 28.9% my RMR is 1662. I am very active, burning between 800-1100 calories a day with weights and cardio 5-6 days a week.
My question to you is: this table above includes or doesn’t include the 500-1000 calorie deficit? I think if I were to only eat 1400 calories a day, and burn another 800 in the gym that would be 1662+800+500(being active threw out the day)=2962-1400=1562 calorie deficit? I really don’t want to work hard on this and go back to get my body fat measured and see that I have lost weight, but it was muscle, not fat. Which is what I think will happen with such a high deficit. But, the 2400 I am eating now, seems to be too high to lose weight, at least to most people I talk to with knowledge on the matter.
I do not focus on the scale. Yes, 190 is high, but mostly I just don’t want chubby legs, so my goal is to lower my body fat percentage to 20%.
Do you have any advice for me?
Thank you!
Hi Erin, the table is approximate calorie needs to sustain weight. Losing weight and building muscle at the same time is never an easy task, which is why so many bodybuilders cycle their diet and exercise routines with periods of muscle growth and weight gain with periods of “cutting” to reduce fat. Best thing to do really is simply monitor your progress. If you are not losing fat then you are certain still eating too much food (or not doing enough cardio).
Hi. I’m a 17yr old girl and I need to lose about 20 pounds over the next three months. I was just wondering if say, 100 of my calories on a particular day weren’t necessarily healthy calories. Would that be wrong? I mean, would that keep the diet from working?
Thanks.
Hi AJ, it will not help to have 100 unhealthy calories really. Best to make them all healthy. If you were to limit yourself to 1000 Calories a day, that would mean 10% of your diet is unhealthy.
My daughter is 5 years old, 4 foot 1 inch tall and weighs 117 lbs. She has several medical issues..high blood pressure, borderline diabetes. Her A1C is 5.6. She has a heart condition called patent ductus arteriosis. Her doctor has demanded she go on a diet. I’ve tried dieting with her in the past, but she will steal food when you aren’t looking. What are your suggestions as far as how many calories she needs per day? We’ve already switched her to skim milk and cut out all snacks that aren’t a fresh fruit or vegetable, and yet she’s irritable and cries for food. I know she didn’t gain all of this excess weight over night and she’s not going to lose it fast, but the main goal here is to get her blood pressure down as well as her blood sugars. Her father is an insulin dependent diabetic and I don’t want her to have to go through this especially at such of a young age. We have considered weight watchers point system, but they don’t recommend it for a child under 10.
Hi Pam. Speak to your doctor again. If your doctor is saying that a 4 year old needs to go on a diet to help treat a medical condition then they should be setting that diet. If they cannot advise then demand to be referred to a dietician (i.e. a university degree qualified person to advice on nutrition for health) to help.
As for the crying for junk food and stealing, you can certainly do something about this. Lock food away. Make distractions for her – get her involved in outdoor activities, walks, sports etc. It will be tough but you have to be strict. Start making positive changes now for the whole family to follow. Remove all junk food, baked foods etc. from the house. The whole family will benefit from a healthier diet and lifestyle and children do follow what their parents and carers do.
Hi. I am a 28 year old female, 5’2 and about 119 lbs. I am trying to take off 5-7 lbs and cannot lose for the life of me! For years, I haven’t eaten many calories… probably about 1200/1300 total daily intake. Plus I exercise pretty consistently about 4-5 days a week. I’ve lost weight in the past going down to 800 daily, but have heard that that might not be healthy, especially if you are exercising on top of that. A few months ago I also tried increasing my daily intake to 1400 for a month or two to see if my body needed the extra energy, but still no change in weight (so frustrating). Currently, I average 1300 daily calories, with a ratio of 25-30% fat, 45-55% carbs, and 15-25% protein. In the last two weeks, I’ve exercised 6 days a week, about 45-60 minutes each day. I don’t know if I’m eating too much or too little! I’ve also thought about other factors, such as food intolerances that might be halting my weight loss. I’m just not sure. HELP! Please let me know your suggestions! Thanks!!
Hi, I am 61 yrs of age. I am 5ft 5ins. I have always been very active, my main exercise has been walking. I would walk my two dogs for an hour and a half every day through countryside. Last September I had a bad fall which has left me needing major spinal surgery. Consequently I am not able to walk far any more. I have gained approximately 10-12 lbs over the last few months which doesn’t sound much but it has all gone on around my hips.
How many calories should I be eating in order to prevent any further weight gain?
Hi Pauline, really it is hard to say. Why not just reduce portion sizes to start with and cut out all baked foods, white bread and any treats and see how that goes?
Hi Kearsten, you need to keep a very strict food diary for a week. Write down everything that you consume and try to calculate calories that way. If you are exercising 6 days a week and consuming 1200 calories you will lose fat. It is very likely that you are mis-calculating your calorie intake.
Help… I’m 35 and my metabolism has shut down. I’m planning on taking in no more than 1000 calories a day and working out to Zumba 3 days a week..,, will I loose any weight???!!!
Hello, just have one question.
I had a junk food eating day today, i dont really know why.. my body just craved for sugar.
I usually eat 1450 kcal / day, i should eat near 1700 but im trying to loose weight slowly until christmas. Today i ate Special K cereal for breakfast… which i calculated was around 400 kcal. Then i ate several biscuits and a small chocolate bar, + a small packet of chips.
This all added up to 1285 kcal. I did skip dinner because i felt sick the whole afternoon and evening.
I then went for a run and burnt about 200 kcal, but my question is, have i gained weight from this? since i ate even less kcal then i usually eat everyday, i still must have lost some? or? im really scared.
Thx in advance, (srry for any bad english but i hope you understand me :D)
Hi Madde, do not worry about individual meals or even days. The key is to be healthy and active most days. Everybody has a bad day sometimes. Focus on getting fit and eating nutritious food.
Hi Nicole, if you follow that plan you will certainly lose weight. However, you metabolism has not shut down, if it had you would die. Metabolism is simply the process by which the body metabolises (breaks down) food for energy. Without energy there is no body function.
Start getting more active and really focus on eating a healthier diet. Reducing portion size is important, but it is also vital that you do not eat junk food when on a restrictive diet. Salads, fruits, fish, lean meats, vegetables, cereals, some dairy etc. is where you should be getting your energy.
Hi, I needed to ask another question :)
is it ok to have 2 panncakes for breakfast with strawberry jam two times a week?
I usually have Special K and I eat healthy the other days. I run 3 times a week and i do some weight training 2 times a week.
Im 17 years old soon btw.
While pancakes with jam is not a very nutritious breakfast, so long as you are not exceeding your daily calories requirements you should be OK.
hi,im 19 years and im trying to lose 20 pounds in 1 month.iim currently weighing 78kg. i cut my calorie intake by 2000 calories and im consuming 500 calories daily. i ate a medium sized bowl of coco pops today and milk. that’s all i have had today. i hope this works. what other things can i eat during this time?? thnks
Hi again, and thanks for the previous answers :) much appreciated!
I have calculated that my daily calorie intake is around 1700 kcal.
I eat 1350-1400 kcal a day at the moment and i have done that for about 3 weeks.
I can see that i have become a little smaller, specially around my legs. Even though the scales doesnt say much.
I do weight training 3 times a week (usually i do quite heavy, i can do about 8-10 reps), and i try to run 2 times a week as well.
I want to loose some bodyfat and gain some muscle mass (not bulky but just lean)
My goal is to build some muscle until december, and then after that i will try and loose more fat but still maintain my muscle mass.
Now my question is, if i eat 1400 kcal a day, and then when i have achieved my goal, do i still have to consume 1400 kcal or can i eat 1700 like i should be eating? or will i gain weight from this? will my metabolism slow down? And since i do weight training, should i eat more calories? i really dont want to gain any more fat. Im 17 and im a girl. I weigh 56 kg and im 160 cm tall. how many calories should i actually be eating a day if i want to build lean muscle and then loose some fat? can i do both at the same time?
Sorry theres many questions at once. Hopy you understand me :)
Thx in advance
Hi Viv, 500 Calories a day is not enough really, and your choice of breakfast cereal is really not much more than just sugar. You need to get vegetables, fruits and lean proteins. If you are going to go really low calorie then make sure you are eating nutritionally dense foods not processed and refined meals.