Calories to lose 1.5 lb a week
Enter your details and a weekly loss to get a calorie target. The example is a man aged 40 who is 5 ft 10 in tall and weighs 200 lb, aiming to lose 1.5 lb a week.
How it works
Each pound a week needs about 500 fewer calories a day than maintenance. The page finds maintenance with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and then subtracts your chosen deficit. The target for a man aged 40 at 200 lb and 1.5 lb a week is 2076 calories a day.
Worked example
Say a man aged 40, 5 ft 10 in and 200 lb, wants to lose 1.5 lb a week. Maintenance is 1823.45 × 1.55 = 2826.3. The deficit is 1.5 × 500 = 750. The target is 2826.3 − 750 = 2076.3, which rounds to 2076 calories a day.
Common questions
Does my activity level change the target?
Yes. Maintenance already includes your activity level. Pick the level that matches a typical week. For this man aged 40 at 200 lb, the sedentary level gives 2188 and the extra active level gives 3465 at maintenance, against a target of 2076 for 1.5 lb a week.
How long will it take to lose 10 lb?
Divide the pounds to lose by the weekly rate. For this man aged 40 at 200 lb, 10 lb takes 6.7 weeks at 1.5 lb a week.
Should I recalculate as I lose weight?
Yes. Maintenance falls as weight falls. Check again every few pounds. For this man aged 40, maintenance is 2826 calories a day at 200 lb and about 2756 at 190 lb, with a target of 2076 at 1.5 lb a week.
How fast is it reasonable to lose weight?
A steady pace of about half a kilogram to one kilogram a week is common. Slower is easier to keep up. Ask your doctor what suits you. For this man aged 40 at 200 lb, 1.5 lb a week is 0.68 kg a week.
Where does the 3500 calories a pound come from?
It is a rule of thumb for the energy in a pound of body fat. Real results vary because the body adapts as you lose weight. For this man aged 40 at 200 lb, 1.5 lb a week gives 750 calories a day by the rule.