Weight Loss Calculator: How Many Calories Do You Need?

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:

  1. People often overestimate the amount of food that they need
  2. 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

a Calorie and Nutrition Label
Typical Calorie and Nutrition Label

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 exercisescircuit training workoutsweight 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.

428 Comments on “Weight Loss Calculator: How Many Calories Do You Need?”

  1. MotleyHealth says:

    Navs, hereditary / genes has next to nothing to do with your weight. Do not deceive yourself. If you weigh 92 kg at the age or 23 years, it is only because you have been eating too much food and not exercising enough. Make the positive changes that we suggest here – eat healthy, exercise daily. See our nutrition section for healthy diet advice, everything you need is there.

  2. misty martin says:

    hi! I am 25 yrs old, and 5’7…i weigh 150 lbs….I WANT so badly to lose 20 lbs as fast as possible and also firm up my belly….can this be done in a month? And can you please give me some pointers??….THANK YOU!!! :)

  3. MotleyHealth says:

    20 pounds in one month is possible, if you are very overweight / obese. However, you weight is pretty healthy at the moment. What you need to do is exercise a lot, ideally twice a day with one endurance cardio session and then later a weight training / bodyweight training session. Aim for at least 2 hours exercise a day. Plus, restrictive diet, with mostly lean proteins to ensure that the you do not suffer from muscle wastage. Stop all refined carbs (anything baked, all ready meals, all sugar based foods etc). You should be eating fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, eggs and dairy, nuts and maybe some oats and seeds. Drink water, coffee, tea.

  4. Hello, I am 42 and 180 lbs. I want to lose 20 lbs. currently I am taking between 1700-2000 calories. I went to gym for two weeks stop going to gym after bad cold. I can see that I lost some weight. What should I do differently to lose 20 lbs in 3 months.
    Thx Raj

  5. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Raj, why do you need to do something different? You say you went to the gym and lost weight, so carry on. Do not let a cold stop you from exercising for more than a few days. Just improve your diet and keep exercising.

  6. Hi there,

    Been reading the above comments, very informative thank you.

    I am a 21 yr old female who has lost about 15 kilos (32 or 33 lb im guessing) in the past 4-5 months. I am currently at 63 kilos, and my height is 160. whilst im considered at a healthy weight range, it’s better to go a bit less so I’m hoping to keep losing weight until I reach 55 – 58 kilos. I’ve been doing rigourous exercise 1.5hrs 5 days a week high level workout and I walk almost everyday. Once I hopfully reach this weight in 2-3 months, what measurements do I need to do to maintain that weight? Would I need to maintain the 5 day/week intensive workout forever or can I drop it down a little just to maintain my fitness and weight?

  7. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Essra, really there is no way to answer this. You need to determine your own balanced lifestyle. This will certainly involve regular exercise, walking and a healthy diet. How much exercise and how much you eat are going to be your own personal choices. If you can train yourself to eat less then you can also exercise less. Ideally, once you reach your target weight you will be nicely settled into an exercise routine and you will be able to carry on with this, but have the option to tone it down a little and not exercise so intensively, or for so long, or so often. You may find that 45 minutes 4 days a week is enough to stay in shape. But it is something you have to workout for yourself. Well done on getting this far.

  8. My doctor told me that i needed 2000 calories a day to lose lbs. I also excercise 3-4 times a week so she said i can add 200 more calories and i will still lose weight. She told me eating less 2000 calories would cause my matobolism to slow down, although i would lose weight at first, i would put the weight back on instantly. So far 2000 calorie diet has been working for me. I was consuming around 3,500 calories a day, now i am consuming 2000 calories and have lost fat. I think you should consult with a doctor before doing any diet!

  9. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Lisa, good advice – always speak to your doctor if you can. However, the metabolism slowing down is not entirely correct though, as with a balanced diet and exercise you can maintain your metabolism. Metabolism is largely controlled by muscle mass. And you will always regain the weight if you start eating too much again, regardless of how you lost it. But, if 2000 Calories a day is working for you, great.

    This does fit with the table above, as women between 18 and 50 need 2250-2350 Calories a day (on average) if highly active, and any less than that should result in steady weight loss.

  10. Hi,

    I am 23 this year. My height is about 1.55m and weight is 80kg.

    And I just started a new job on friday, is a 5.5 workweek and is about 2.5km away from my house. And I took 30-40mins to walk to my workplace. So I will be walking 5km for 6days per week.

    For my diet, I rarely eat breakfast, my lunch is usually curry rice and dinner usually instant noodles or fruits (Banana, apple, kiwi). I am kinda picky when comes to food, as I don’t take milk, cereal, cake, carrot, vegetable. I only eat chicken and seafood.

    And I want to lose 30kg, roughly how long do I need to take? or is there any changes I have to make?

  11. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Daphne, 30kg will take a while to lose. Really you should make it your goal for 2013, give yourself the rest of the year. While you may be able to lose as much as 1 kg a week, it will be hard to do that without more intensive exercise. Go easy on the rice and noodles, reduce portions. Eat plenty of fruit (but not too much) and had a small breakfast, this prevents you over-eating at lunchtime, and gives you more energy to concentrate at work.

  12. Shaquitha Hawkins says:

    This article was very helpful. Im 5’6 and im 181 pounds and im trying reach 135 pounds and stay that way forever. I stopped eating sugar and fried foods, and eating healthy foods an drinks. What was also helpful for me was the websites you provided.

  13. MotleyHealth says:

    Glad it helped Shaquitha, there is certainly a lot of good and free information out there on the Interweb!

  14. gabrielle says:

    Hi, I’m gabrielle, 16 years old, I’m 5’6 tall, I weigh 155, (lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks) I do exercise everyday such as; 30 min. treadmill running & dancing as a daily exercise , I want to lose more pounds, 25 more If possible, a month ago, I be eating like about 4000 calories a day, but if I would estimate the calorie I be eating these days, it’s almost about a half, approximately 1200 calorie a day. I don’t know what to do to lose more pounds, any suggestion from you guys will help :)) thanks :))

  15. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Gabrielle, 1200 Calories is a lot less than half of 4000. At 16 years you really do not want to restrict your diet that much. If you consume around 1600 Calories a day you will still lose weight, just make sure those calories are all healthy – no junk food, no processed food. Eat low GI vegetables (salads, fresh fruits and pulses etc), cut back on bread (empty calories) and eat lean protein sources such as eggs, fish and chicken (not fried). See our nutrition section for more.

    As for exercise, carry on, but consider making it more intense, and start some resistance exercises, such as yoga or weight training. Circuit training is a good option as is works your whole body and helps to tone muscle better than running or dancing alone. Our 20 minute home workout is a popular choice.

    If you cut calories too much you do risk longer term health problems – your body is in a stage of growth and development at the moment and it needs healthy, nutritious energy.

  16. To lose 20 pounds in 1 month you would need to eat 2400 calories less per day (this is why very overweight people who have been eating around 4000 calories per day can lose weight quicker than lighter people, as they can reduce their intake by 2400 calories per day and still eat enough to sustain themselves).

    Unquote

    Sorry but could you explain this. Surely a very overweight person eating 4000 calories is eating way too much. First they would have to reduce to a ‘normal’ amount so as not to gain any further weight and THEN they would have to reduce still further so as to loose weight ??? This would suggest that their daily intake to achieve a desired weight loss would be no different from the ‘thinner’ person but the amount of calories that the fat person would have to reduce by would be substantially more and hence much harder for them ?

  17. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Geoff, what I meant was ….

    Say an overweight person had been eating 4000 Calories a day. If they went on a diet, eating 1600 Calories a day and started exercising, they would lose weight easily. 1600 Calories is still a fair amount of food, so you can have 3 meals a day and have a well balanced diet. They will be eating 2400 fewer Calories a day, which is a huge change to their diet.

    A thinner person who wanted to lose the last of their weight may want to cut down calories to around 1200, depending on their muscle mass and exercise regime etc. 1600 may be too much for somebody looking to lose the last few pounds.

    Of course, the key is the prepare a few healthy meals a day and get active. Counting calories is not actually very easy (unless you use scales, a calorie counter and a spreadsheet to keep track of everything).

  18. Rocky Lobo says:

    Hi. I am 47 years old and I am 5′-5″. I weight 73 kgs. And I want to reach at 65 kgs
    I have been walking and jogging daily for about 30 mins. abt a year back I was 81 kgs and I lost nearly 8 kgs in a year.
    Then I stopped reducing further after I reached 71 kgs. and now I am again 72 to 73. So now I want to come to 65 kgs for which I am now having a bowl of milk with meusli for breakfast, steamed vegetables for lunch and normal roti and rice for dinner. Can u please help advice if what I am doing is correct or I should change my dinner menu ? Thanks

  19. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Rocky, your diet looks good, maybe just adjust portion size, add some protein and do some weight training exercises 2-3 times a week.

  20. hi im 26years old women my wt is 150 lbs n height is 5 feet 4 inch.plz tell me what should i do to loose my wt.how many calories i take daily to loose 2 lbs per week.n how much i use cardio to reduce my wt.thanks.plz advice me.

  21. MotleyHealth says:

    1200 Calories a day will result in approximately 2 pounds weight loss a week with some moderate exercise performed daily. It is not possible to specify exactly how much to do, just aim to do 45-60 minutes a day.

  22. I am a 17 stone, 5’10” disabled woman and need/desire to lose weight asap as I am to have an operation. My calorie intake ate the moment is just about 1000 calories. Will I lose more than 2lbs a week as my weight is higher? If so, at what level is the weight loss likely to slow down? Woild it be safe for me to eat less calories?

  23. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Suzette, you may lose more than 2 pounds a week, and while weight loss may slow down, it is not really possible to put a date on it. Eating fewer than 1000 calories a day is not recommended – you need to keep your strength up for any operation really. Ideally your consultant / doctor should be able to advise you on the best course of action.

  24. I weigh 144.2 lbs, age 43, height 5ft, my goal weight is 121.3lbs. When I calculated my calorie intake should be 1340 per day, however to lose weight at say 1lb a week (500 calories deficit), should I consume 1090 calories a day and excercise equivalent to 250 calorie loss a day?

  25. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Melanie, based on the charts on this page your daily calorie needs are approximately 1800. So 1300 Calories would be your target, which could mean eating 1550 Calories and exercising 250 Calories.

    If you aim for 1200 Calories a day then you have room for some margin of error in calculating how much you are eating.

  26. Hi,
    My Age is 39 (SEX -M) Sedentary
    Weight 109 KG & Height 5 feet 8 inches.

    Can you please suggest me how many calories do I need on daily basis and how many calories do I have to burn on daily basis. Thanks

  27. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Shoaib, your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 36.6. This means your weight is within the Obese range. I guess you know that though.

    You will need around 2350 Calories a day to maintain a healthy weight. So to lose weight at a rate of around 1 pound a week (about 0.5kg) you need to run a calorie deficit of about 500 Calories. So if you eat 2000 Calories a day and exercise off about 300 Calories a day you run a daily deficit of more (about 650 Calories).

    This will allow a healthy rate of weight loss.

  28. hey there..i also wanted to ask on how much time do i need to lose 10 kgs ? i lost 20 pounds in 8 weeks! and i think thats pretty slow right? and my diet is really hard and makes me faint sometimes coz there’s zero enegry. my diet is breakfast: glass of milk
    lunch: 2 grilled peaces of chicken ,dinner: a pair of fruit and a 6 hrs difference between each meal. should i keep going? as i mentioned before im a 17 year old female and my hight is 158 cm. thank you for you helpful words :)

  29. MotleyHealth says:

    Noura, you need to eat more. 20 pounds weight loss in 8 weeks is fast, probably too fast to be healthy for you. You lost 2.5 pounds a week. 1 pound a week is healthier.

    If you are feinting you must be starving yourself. Eat more, have some cereal or fruits for breakfast, have some salad with your chicken at lunch and eat something more substantial in the evening.

    You must also consider the long term health problems that can be caused by extreme dieting at your age. Trust me, you do not want to develop brittle bone disease. – read this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/221100.stm

  30. Simple people follow juice diet once in a week to keep the calorie intake the least and stay full at the same time. How well do you think a weekly juice fast work.

  31. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Joseph, it really depends on 2 things; 1. what you eat for the other 6 days. 2. Your definition of a “juice fast”.

    If somebody eats 20,000 Calories in 6 days and then just has juice for one day it is unlikely to make any difference. Also, you can have too much fruit – fruit is full of calories and if your juice “fast” (a fast is usually considered no food at all) means you can drink as much juice as you like, weight loss is unlikely to be on the menu.

  32. hi m jini n m 22/f
    my weight is about 90kg so plz tel me how can i lose my weight in 1.5months
    i have a baby after baby i got too much weight now i dont know how can i controll myself

  33. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Jini, take a look at our weight loss section, all your questions should be answered there. In short – you need to start exercising and eat healthy, eat less. You can make some good changes in 6 weeks, so long as you start today and work hard.

  34. I’m just 17 yrs old. I’m somewhat fatty and also having a shapeless abs and oblique. I would like to reduce abs and oblique. So, what should be the diet plan that I should follow? How many calories do I need?

  35. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Salman, you need to basically limit total food intake but still eat a healthy and balanced diet. So cut out bread and rice, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. And get active with regular exercise.

  36. I want to ask that I am 17 and my weight is 50 kg and height is 5.5′. So I want to ask that how much calorie I should lose so that I should lose 5kg per day…!!!!

  37. MotleyHealth says:

    Kajal, it is impossible to lose 5kg per day. You will struggle to lose 5kg in a month. At 50kg you are actually slightly underweight. Your focus should be getting fitter and eating more healthy food

  38. I have a two months ago baby and I noticed that I have a big appetite, I have gained 25 pounds in two months. I tried dieting but didn’t loose any weight. I want to loose weight because I am feeling heavy and lazy. How do I loose weight and still have a nourished milk for my breast feeding baby

  39. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Lizy. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water (more than normal) as this is vital for milk production. Try not to take too much bread and other “empty carbs”. You need energy and nutrition, not just energy. If you if more healthy food your appetite / cravings may actually reduce.

  40. I have recently started monitoring more closely my calories and macros, before that I was just eating healthy, not paying attention to calories or a balanced diet in general. I eat extremely healthy 6 days a week and often have a treat on the 7th day. I’m only 17 years old and I exercise 6 times a week, both cardio and strength training. I have been really confused about how many calories I should be eating, I have been trying to range somewhere between 1600-1800 but now that I’ve read this article I am even more confused! haha. I am almost 6 foot as well, if that sheds any light on the situation… :(

  41. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Danielle, yep, at 6 foot tall, 17 years old and exercising 6 days a week I reckon you need more than 1800 Calories a day. But you did not say what your goals are. Are you trying to lose weight at the moment, or are you already at a good weight? If you are getting fitter and feeling good then the chances are everything is OK. Although you are at an age of rapid development so you may need more calories. But on the plus side, most of us under-calculate calories anyway.

  42. I have already lost around 10kg and now weigh roughly 66kg and I am hoping to still lose a few more kgs, and generally tone my whole body. I have been really trying to lose the last few stubborn kgs but just nothing seems to be working. I don’t regularly weigh myself because I know that muscle gain is likely. I do feel though, that I can’t find the tummy space to eat more food. Does that mean that I am eating enough?

  43. MotleyHealth says:

    It really is hard to say if you are eating enough. From what you have said it sounds like you may not be getting enough nutrients. Over what time span did you lose the 10kg? 6 foot tall, 66kg, that is a BMI of 19.8. If you drop to 63kg your BMI will be 18.8 and that is as low as you can go before being “underweight”. Focus on fitness now, and get some good nutrition inside your body. Long-term health can be affected by extreme dieting during teenage years.

  44. I lost the 10kg over 7-8 months in total. Thank you for the tips though! I will focus more on the nutrients I’m getting.

  45. MotleyHealth says:

    That is a pretty healthy rate of weight loss. Focus on fitness and nutrition now, not on losing weight.

  46. Hi. I hope you dont mind that I have printed most of your article out for a motivational read once a week, just to remind me of what I need to do. I have has some successes but mainly failures in ‘diets’ Ive tried over the years. I am a 34 year old female that weighs 182lb and find ‘healthy eating’ very expensive and sometimes tricky to work in a budget for the foods I need, which then results in impulse buying of more convenient cheaper foods. Do you have any suggestions on what my weekly menu should consist of? Many thanks :)

  47. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Laura, healthy eating need not be expensive. Buy cheap vegetables like carrots, cabbage, peas, potatoes, and buy chicken legs/thighs, pork and some fish. Learn to cook healthy meals using simple, fresh ingredients.

  48. Hi,
    I am new to your site. I read many Knowledgeable things on your site. This truly has given me quite positive feeling. I thought of sharing my info. too. If you can suggest me how I can reduce. Basic background:- was a sports girl played state level championship and due to head injury, stopped playing from 9 years. I am 35 yrs. old, and height is 5.4, and also suffer from Hypothyroid problem.

    Now , I want to make a come back again as my injury is cured fully. But hypothyroid remains as an issue. Anyhow, I started workout session from last month july 15, 2013. I weight 87 kilos, when I started. But today I am 83 kilos. I want to reduce further, and working on myself.

    Idea is to reduce 28 kilos, further. I think my BMR is 1591 and calories intake daily is 2745. I started from small walks of 1km – 3km everyday for 2 weeks. But after that I increased walks from 3-5 km.

    Now, I am striking Gym and exercises as body is easily accepting it, otherwise it was difficult. I try to keep my goal of 2000 calories which is 20 km on treadmill.

    But till now, I have touched only 9 km in 1hr .30 min i.e. 900 calories, everyday. Calories intake is 1600 each day/ sometime less.

    I would like to know, whether I am going right way and how much time it will take me to reduce extra loads of weight. I plan to increase from 10km -25km from next week, keeping a target till 15 september, and would like to check whether it is too fast or it is ok?? All your suggestions will do an immense favor to me.

    Please suggest. I shall be very thankful to you.

    Sonia

  49. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Sonia, if you are only taking in 1600 Calories a day and burning 1597 daily, plus an additional 900 Calories with exercise, you will keep losing weight. You have lost 4 kg in around 6 weeks, this is fast weight loss. Ensure that your diet is well balanced with plenty of fruits, vegetables and protein. Keep exercising and stick to your plan, and you will reach your target weight.

  50. hi

    As i was looking for answers i came across your site it was truly interesting.

    I am 23 years old i am a housewife got 2 boys and recently i had a baby girl 4 months ago my height is
    5’2 i weigh 120 lbs now.

    After i had my baby i weighed 143 lbs, i went on a strict diet eating just 1 meal a day less then 1,000 kcal’s drinking plently of fluid and chasing my boys around so i lost 10 pounds in 4 weeks. Before i started exercising i weighed 133 lbs i started exercising and i lost 13 lbs its been 5 weeks, My daily routine was 1 hour on the treadmill burning up to 500 to 550 depending on my speed. My diet is 1 meal per day having just salad with chicken and snacks every 2 – 3 hours my intake kcal’s daily was 350 to 450 kcals and drinking water. Now its coming up to my 6 weeks of Training and i have made a few changes, this week i have done 3 days of burning 1,000 kcal’s and 3 days of 500 kcal’s on the treadmill but my diet has been the same, but i only lost 2 lbs this week. Its really getting to me!! I thought i was going to loose at least 3-4 pounds because of the extra kcals im burning on the treadmill,
    i know what im doing is intense but im just looking for good results

    Basically i hope to loose 5 – 10 pounds before 15th October, i have big event coming up
    Do you think i can loos it?
    please give me good suggestion! i would be very grateful!!!!!!!!

    Thank you

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *