How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
About 20% below your maintenance, which for most people is 400–600 kcal per day.
Calculators estimate maintenance from averages, and for some people they are off by more than 10%. Set the number, hold it for two to three weeks, and adjust based on your actual weight trend rather than the calculator.
Run the numbers
Compare
Sources
3
- Hall, K.D. et al. (2012). Energy balance and its components: implications for body weight regulation. Am J Clin Nutr 95(4). On dynamic energy balance, and why static calorie rules overestimate real-world weight loss.
- Helms, E.R. et al. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 11. Recommends a moderate deficit with high protein.
- Frankenfield, D. et al. (2005). Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc 105(5). Mifflin-St Jeor was the most reliable equation, yet still missed measured resting metabolic rate by more than 10% in some people.