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 Jualia, the answer is simple – eat less. While you may think that you are controlling your diet and always sticking to 1500-2000 Calories, it is exremely likely that some days you exceed this figure. Bear in mind that the average 46 year-old woman needs 2000 Calories the maintain their weight, you do need less to lose weight. Having an active lifestyle is important, but many people working on farms, in liveries etc. still manage to eat too much. Snacking on the go is often a problem, as is eating very large meals in the evening when tired. So start by being much stricter with your diet throughout the day. A diet diary really helps.
Hello — I have lost nearly 100 pounds, and have another 50 to lose. I teach Zumba fitness five times a week, keep track of calories burned using a heart rate monitor, drink an average of 10 glasses of water a day, and journal my food intake daily. According to the program I use I am supposed to consume about 1900 calories daily before exercise. On a light workout day I burn 1000 calories and on a heavy workout day 2500. I have found myself at a plateau for nearly two months and am not sure what to do to jump start the loss again.
Hi Teri, as you have kept a diet diary you can now analyse everything that you have been eating. Maybe you can cut back on some foods, or swap some items? Remember to look at all drinks too. You are exercising enough so diet has to be the main solution, although you may also benefit from some weight training to help build muscles in the upper body.
i am 17 years old and my weight is 80 kg…. i do treadmill for one hour in a day ….breakfast : cereal… lunch : chicken without oil with three bran bread… any fruit … dinner : chicken with rice(without oil) and a fruit…
My body has stubborn fat… please recommend me any exercise for thighs and hips.
Hi Yuuki, nobody has stubborn fat. Your biggest problem is probably the 3 naan breads for lunch and rice for dinner. These are full of energy, far more than your body needs. Start by having half a naan for lunch and no rice for dinner – have some steamed cooked vegetables instead, but not a huge portion. One hour of exercise a day is enough to get in shape so long as your diet is good.
Hi! My husband is overweight . He is 5’11″and230lbs. The doctor says he is borderline diabetic. He is to lose weight but he is on his feet all day and doesn’t want to exercise. I would like some good recipes that would be good to prepare. Do you haveany suggestions? Thanks
im 33 yrs;old i always have a diet and now i realized i should be counting calories because before i eat lots of fruits in a day like mangoes then i also have wheat bread.is that okay?im always gaining back .what should i eat coz i dont know if it makes me fat but i dont eat rice anymore just wheat bread.
Hi Sharon, your best bet is to go to Amazon and look through some of the books available there – search for “healthy recipes”. However, a lot of men eat healthy at home and then snack at work or when out with friends, and this is where all the extra calories come from! Our Low GI Diet ebook provides some diet advice that may help you to prepare healthier meals, but again, without making some lifestyle changes it will be hard to break some old habits.
Hi Ai, counting calories is one way. Just giving yourself smaller portions and being more aware of how much food you are eating every day is another way (and a simpler way). Set yourself 3 meals a day and do not snack. Take regular exercise.
Hi – I am a 63 year old male that started at 223 pounds and lost just under 20 pounds in 14 weeks with weight watchers. I am 5’10” My weekly weigh-ins fluctuate and it’s disappointing that last week I only lost -.2. I was extremely active, treadmill, 45 minute works outs and never exceeded 1878 calories. I think it’s difficult to monitor my weight because of a lymphedema condition in my right leg. On any given day my leg can retain more fluid than the previous day or week.
With that said, I am trying to reach a goal weight of 185 pounds. I find it more and more difficult as time goes on. I also find that eating a lot of bananas actually hampers my weight loss. Can you suggest what I can do to lose weight at the rate of 2 pounds a week and what you feel the fluid retention in the leg accounts for- as far as actual weight?
Thanks.
Hi GC, if fluid retention is a big problem then measure your progress in a different way – measure your waist circumference instead, this should provide a better measure of fat loss. I always find it a little odd when people are so specific about calories – how do you measure the 1878 calories that you eat – just curious. You should lose fat on that diet with 45 minutes of exercise. How often though are you exercising? Are you otherwise active with walking etc. or mostly sedentary? This makes a big difference too.
Eating a lot of anything will hamper weight loss – especially bananas. They are healthy but full of energy. Vital for athletes, not so important when fat loss is the main goal.
Thanks for the reply – it was helpful!
Yes, I am mostly sedentary other than a 45 minute treadmill work out and 2-15 minute walks with the dog. I also use a new gadget hot off the press from weight watchers. It’s an activity tracker that tracks your activity. At the end of the day you plug it in your computer and it measures your activity goal and whether or not you reached it. If you reached it, you receive activity points that I never use. I also count my calories on about.com and compare them with my points on weight watchers. It’s extremely odd that some weeks I lose weight using all my points and other weeks I lose miniscule weight not using activity points or weekly extra points. Oddly enough, weight watchers does not count fruit as calories but about.com does. Like I indicated previously, I would be thrilled to lose another 15 pounds and just maintain that weight. My challenges are my age and medical baggage but I’m determined. I just think I’m making it harder than what I should be. Thanks again.
Well, I do not understand why Weight Watchers do not count fruit in calories – I guess as they do not want to put people off eating it! But fruit contains calories, and to lose weight you have to reduce total calories, not just unhealthy calories!
If you are eating loads of fruit then cut back a little and monitor your progress.
Hi, I already lost 4 kilos but then when I weighed few hours ago I gained 4. Is that because im so full when I weighed. I count my calories everyday I drink a lot of water I don’t eat rice. Breakfast just oatmeal or wheat bread same in lunch or dinner just non fat milk, but somtimes I cheat I may eat pasta or noodles..what must i do in order to lose some pounds and how to maintain f i reach my goal already..thanks
Hi Leins, the weight gain could be because you are so full, especially if you had just drunk a lot of water. How often do you eat pasta and noodles? To lose weight you just need to be consistent with your diet and your exercise. Each time you cheat you halt weight loss.
i only eat noodles once a week or maybe none…yes i weighed so full drinking lots of water and eating a fruit like sweet potatoe but if i weighed again tommorow and not yet eating well i lose 4 kilos so i just want to maintain my goal weight f ever.thanks a lot
my exercise is only baby sitting i always carried my 9 months son and a body twister
You should really just weigh yourself once a week, ideally in the morning after going to the toilet but before eating breakfast. As for exercise, you need to do more.
Hi I’m 37 years old and my height is 5’4 and I weigh 8 stones 5. I have fat mainly around my belly. I read in Rosemary magazine that for my age I need around 1285 calories a day, it’s mainly my stomach so how many calories should I burn a day? I am going to exercise around 4 times aerobics.
What can you suggest?
Also if I exercise aerobic exercise 4/5 times a week will I need more calories than my daily allowance?
Hi Fareeha. I assume that the figure you read of 1285 calories a day refers to the amount to eat to lose around 1 pound a week? According to our table a 37 year old woman needs around 1800 Calories on sedentary days and 2000 Calories on low activity days. Anything below these figures, combined with exercise, should aid weight loss.
However, as you BMI is 20.1, you do not really need to lose any weight. Your focus should be on getting fitter and eating healthy. So exercise more, and get around 1500-1800 Calories a day, but make sure these calories are mostly nutritious plant based foods and lean proteins.
Hi It was a personal calorie allowance for my weight and age so I’m confused, ok so I should aim for 1500/1800 and should I eat fish/ veg / fruits etc small portion?cause I get bloated quickly
My main question was if I’m exercising high aerobics 4 times a week will I need more calories because I am using more energy or stick to 1500/1800
What can you suggest for loosing the stomach fat?
Also shall I spilt my calories like have 200 for breakfast 300 lunch etc how will I know how. Much to have?
Hi Fereeha, if you wish to lose weight you need to restrict calories – do not consume more on the days you are exercise, otherwise you will not lose fat. As for how to split your calorie allowance, the traditional 3 meals a day works very well. Try not to overcomplicate things – just eat smaller portions and exercise more.
Hi when I exercise how many calories should I be burning each day?
As many as you want! Focus more on getting fitter and setting goals, rather than counting calories. Do 30 minutes of intensive exercise every day and you should be able to attain your goals.
Thank you for your article and all your advice you have given others. I have been dieting my whole adult life and for the first time I really understand what I need to do to reach my goal weight and maintain it.
Hi, i am 36 and currently weigh 133lbs and i am 5’4 and i want to lose about 15lbs in two months. what do i need to do to reach that goal? please advise.
Hi Sandra, 15 pounds in 2 months, that is around 3 1/2 pounds a week weight loss. This is possible for those who are very overweight, however, your BMI is 22.8, you are not overweight, so losing that much weight in 2 months is not going to be healthy.
What you need to do is simply exercise daily, with 3-4 very intensive workouts each week, and eat really healthy and really lean.
HI! I weigh 138 pounds and I want to lose 15 pounds in 2 months. If I run 2.5 miles every day, how many calories can I intake each day?? Thanks!
Oh and I forgot to mention that I’m a 19 year old female
Hi Nikki, to lose 15 pounds in 2 months means you need to lose about 1 3/4 pounds a week. This will require (on average) a daily 875 Calorie deficit. 2.5 miles is probably classed as moderate activity, so you will have to restrict yourself to 1225 Calories a day. It is possible, but it will be hard. You also need to ensure that the food you are eating will aid fat loss – so low GI foods, protein etc. Bear in mind that 125 pounds is not very heavy and depending on your height, this is a lowish bodyweight, so it will become harder to reach that target as you get closer – especially with only 2.5 miles running every day.
Hello, I’m new to losing weight and exercising and was wondering if you could clear up a few things for me. I’m a 24 year old female who is 5’7 and I currently weigh 188lbs. I would like to get back to my pre-baby weight and lose about 30 lbs or so. I’m currently eating about 1200-1300 calories a day and doing 30 min cardio workouts everyday. Am I eating the right amount of calories and working out enough to lose my goal weight? Or can you offer any advice? Even though I’m eating small meals and portioned servings I still fear that I’m eating too much to lose weight. Can you please help? Thank you!!
Hi Candice, your portions / calories sound good for weight loss – and about the minimum you should eat. Make sure those 1200 calories are healthy – fruits, vegetables, lean proteins. As for exercise, 30 minutes of cardio is a good start. But you want to build that up – focus on getting fitter, working harder. If you are still doing the exact same 30 minute cardio workout in 3 months you will hit a wall. Keep getting fitter and stronger. Vary your workouts and keep challenging yourself.
Hi i am a 31 year old female im 5ft4 and 157lbs and i want to lose 13lbs in 8-10 weeks i aim to do 20 mins exercise 4 days a week.I also suffer from pcos so i do find it a bit hard to lose weight but i have done it in the past so i know its achievable how many calories should i eat per day,should i up my exercise or add weights any info would be great
Hi Natasha. 13 pounds in 8-10 weeks is certainly achievable (weight loss of 1.3-1.6 pounds a week is needed). However, you are going to need to do more than 20 minutes of exercise 4 times a week. If you do this, this will be 80 minutes a week – a single fitness session can easily last 90 minutes. So yes, do more. More cardio (aim to get fitter each week, do not do the same workout for the next 10 weeks) and do some strength training too. You are going to need around 1500-1800 Calories a day. Make sure everything you eat is nutrient dense and get plenty of protein too.
I am 53 my weight is 108kg. I start taking food of 1200 calorie a day. how much time i will take to loose 30 kg weight
Hi Sushmajain, If you do manage to stick to that diet and you start exercising then it could take around 60 weeks, in theory. Set yourself a target of 1 year to get to your goal weight.
Hi I currently weigh about 6 foot, 80kg, 16 , male and I wouldn’t say I appear fat by I have an obsession with having a flat stomach, I have a lot of fat around my stomach and its my only problem area I have a bf percentage of about 25% which has been really annoying me for days, I have increased my exercise progressively over the last month and I currently do minimal strength all over my body 3 times a week with 30 mins cardio and cardio on a Sunday for about 45 mins, I have always been kinda tubby for about 8 years and just really want to be lean and feel good about myself and it really gets my family down as we have a very busy lifestyle so I usually have junk about two meals a week (although I try realistically I can’t exclude this due to time restrictions and my parents convenience) and we have loads of the junk in the house and I can’t break the chain of permanently dropping the idea of the odd bag of crisps or biscuit, I don’t really count cals I only try to keep it round about/under 2000 I have bran flakes for breakfast fruit for mid morning snack tuna sandwich(brown) for lunch, im going to increase my whey protein shakes to pre and post workout (rather than just post) and my dinner (eg. Chicken stir fry, lasagne, brown pasta and pizza, chicken tikka and brown rice) I only have one protein shake on off days but have more fruit as a sub meal, and as I said most days although minimal this includes crisps biscuits etc and odd junk meal. I am sorry for going on and on but would really appreciate the help as I want to break bad habits and be healthier. Any advice would be appreciated. How much should I lose. I want to look good for my holiday next October in Florida but would like to reach my goal before then.
Ryan, you have to stop the junk. Simple. By the sounds of it for the last 8 years junk food has been leading to slow and steady weight gain. Stop the 2 junk meals a week, stop to biscuits, the crisps. If you carry on with your current diet and add protein shakes you will gain weight faster.
So is my diet ok minus the junk? That’s my diet improved over the last month or so. And I added the whey to add protein and reduce my ‘snackage’ I lost half a stone since coming back from holiday? Is my training ok? I am planning on making the no junk comitment very soon and have my calorie in take around 1500 to 1800 per day with sufficient amounts of proteins. Does this sound ok? Many thanks!
Hi Ryan, it sounds OK. Just do it and log / monitor your progress.
hi I’m 59, female, 5ft 6. I’m retired but a cyclist so i take fairly regular but light exercise.I spent a year reducing my weight gradually to 10 stone 6 from my 5 year average of 11 stone 8. A year and a half of being just slightly more sedentary than usual saw me shoot up to an obese 14 stone 2lb.I could not face repeating my previous diet of giving up butter,cheese,bread,pasta sugar. So i looked for something that could be more of a life style choice and have now lost exactly 30 lbs since starting an alternate day fast regime from 1/8/2012.My fast day is generally a complete fast with only water (if I feel deprived I do allow myself a light broth at 7pm)I keep a food and calorie diary and my average daily calorie intake is 730 calories if i average out my eating and fast day.I know this is extreme but I feel OK. Very active on an eating day slightly less so on a fast day and it appears to be very effective in reducing inflammation and consequent pain from an arthritic ankle and knee which was a factor in the reduced exercise that led to obesity.I want to continue this till i reach 10 stone then move to a 2 day fast out of 7 as maintenance.Do you know of any specific dangers from this level of reduction that would make me rethink this regime
Hi Gail, I am not aware of any specific dangers. Losing weight is generally a good idea in the long term too. So long as you are getting plenty of healthy food / nutrients on your eating days, then you should be OK.
Im 24 yrs old hight 5’2 180 lbs right before my daughter i was 160 (about to be 2 y/o)i have always struggle with my weight.I want to go downt to 130-120 thats should be like 50-60 lbs. I have always try to lose weight but always fail like i really dont try, but this time i really want to try and lose weight and keep it up and lose it. i just bearly started 12-18-12 i started counting my calories my plan is to eat 1000-1500 calories per day eat healthy stuff i will try to drink a lot of water, also greet tea, and eat lots of fruit and other healthy good. my plan is to walk one hour3-4 times a week and the other 3 walk 30 mins and do some cardio 30 mins. can this will be able to work for me or what should u recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Kari, this should work. Ideally increase exercise intensity over time. Aim to lose the weight in a year – average a pound a week. If you want to lose weight quicker you will need to exercise more and eat leaner some days.
hi, im 23 and 138lb.i work for a bank so its not hard work.i try to do exercise for 15- 20min a day and eat under 1500 cal.what can i do if i want to loose 12lb in 4weeks.
OK, according to the rules of human biology, to lose 3 pounds of fat a week (based on a goal of 12lb in 4 weeks) you need to have a total calorie deficit of 10,500 Calories, which is a daily deficit of 1500 Calories. The average 23 year old woman who is a little active (20 mins exercise a day probably makes you “low activity”) needs 2100 Calories. So that means you need to eat 600 Calories a day to lose 12 pounds in 4 weeks. That is not much food.
In all honesty, you should set a different goal. Increase the amount of exercise you do, in addition to daily workouts do 3-4 longer sessions each week, each of 45-60 minutes, or more. Join an intensive fitness class in the evening if possible. Aim to lose the weight over a period of around 2-3 months so that you are in good shape by the Spring and all through the Summer. 1100 Calories a day is doable, but 600 will leave you tired, lacking energy, concentration etc.
thank u
I am taking food of 1800 calories daily and i am fat because of hereditary and also i take minimal food taking breakfast,lunch and finally in dinner.weight of the body is 92 and age is 23, what are the tips to take diet in daily.