Calories to lose 2 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 2 lb a week.
How it works
Start with maintenance calories from Mifflin-St Jeor and an activity factor. A pound of body weight is commonly estimated at 3500 calories. Multiply the weekly loss in pounds by 3500 and divide by 7 for the daily deficit. Subtract that from maintenance. Maintenance for a man aged 40 at 200 lb is 2826 calories a day.
Worked example
Take a man aged 40 who is 5 ft 10 in tall and weighs 200 lb. Resting calories are 1823.45, and 1823.45 × 1.55 for the moderately active level is 2826.3. That is 2826 calories a day at maintenance. To lose 2 lb a week, multiply 2 × 500 = 1000. Then 2826.3 − 1000 = 1826.3. The target is 1826 calories a day.
Common questions
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 5 weeks at 2 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 1826 at 2 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, 2 lb a week is 0.91 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, 2 lb a week gives 1000 calories a day by the rule.
What if my target is below my resting calories?
Eating below resting calories is hard to sustain and may not be safe without medical advice. Choose a smaller deficit. For this man aged 40 at 200 lb, resting calories are 1823 and the target at 2 lb a week is 1826. The target is 3 calories above resting calories.