How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?

The short answer: Find your maintenance calories (TDEE). Subtract 300–500 kcal per day. Reassess every 2 weeks based on your weight trend.

1) Estimate TDEE

Your TDEE ≈ BMR + activity + exercise. Start with an online calculator or your device’s activity data.

2) Choose a deficit

• 300 kcal/day: slower, easier to sustain.
• 400–500 kcal/day: faster, still reasonable for most.

3) Track for 14 days

Log food consistently and weigh on 3–4 mornings/week. Look at the trend, not single days.

4) Adjust based on results

If losing too fast (>1% bodyweight/week) add 100–150 kcal. If not losing for 2+ weeks, reduce 100–150 kcal or move more.

Summary

Deficits work when they’re modest and consistent. Your real‑world data beats any calculator—adjust as you go.