Calories for weight loss
Enter your details and a weekly loss to get a calorie target. The example is a woman aged 40 who is 5 ft 5 in tall and weighs 190 lb, aiming to lose 1 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. For a woman aged 40 at 190 lb, this page uses a loss of 1 lb a week.
Worked example
Take a woman aged 40 who is 5 ft 5 in tall and weighs 190 lb. Resting calories are 1532.67, and 1532.67 × 1.55 for the moderately active level is 2375.6. That is 2376 calories a day at maintenance. To lose 1 lb a week, multiply 1 × 500 = 500. Then 2375.6 − 500 = 1875.6. The target is 1876 calories a day.
Common questions
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 woman aged 40 at 190 lb, 1 lb a week is 0.45 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 woman aged 40 at 190 lb, 1 lb a week gives 500 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 woman aged 40 at 190 lb, resting calories are 1533 and the target at 1 lb a week is 1876. The target is 343 calories above resting calories.
Does my activity level change the target?
Yes. Maintenance already includes your activity level. Pick the level that matches a typical week. For this woman aged 40 at 190 lb, the sedentary level gives 1839 and the extra active level gives 2912 at maintenance, against a target of 1876 for 1 lb a week.
How long will it take to lose 10 lb?
Divide the pounds to lose by the weekly rate. For this woman aged 40 at 190 lb, 10 lb takes 10 weeks at 1 lb a week.