How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day to Lose Weight?

To find out how many calories you should eat in a day in order to lose weight, you can use one of two formulas: one is for those who are sedentary and the other is for those who are active.

People who do not exercise regularly should calculate their daily calorie intake based on their total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which is the minimum amount of energy that the body uses to carry out basic metabolic functions, such as brain function or cardiac activity. For those who exercise regularly, the calculation additionally takes the frequency and duration of physical activity into account, since it burns even more calories.

In both cases, you should reduce your calorie intake by 513 calories per day, to lose around 4 pounds a month. Reducing your calorie intake by 513 calories a day can be challenging, so exercise is essential to help speed up the process.

How to calculate if you do not exercise 

If you do not exercise but are looking to lose weight through a calorie deficit, you must first calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This is the minimum amount of energy the body needs for vital functions.

To find out your TDEE, enter your details into the calculator:

After using the online calculator, you should subtract 513 Kcal to the basal energy expenditure you got. The final result will be the total number of calories that you should eat in a day in order to lose 4 pounds in a month.

Example: a 36-year-old woman who measures 165 centimeters (5 foot 4), and weighs 75 Kg (165 pounds) has a TDEE of 1418 Kcal. After subtracting 513 Kcal from thus total (1418 - 513) the result is 905 Kcal. This is the total amount of calories she can eat a day in oder to lose 4 pounds of weight in a month without exercising.

Note: we do not recommend doing any type of diet with less than 1000 calories a day without the supervision of a dietitian or a medical professional.

How to calculate if you exercise 

If you exercise regularly and you want to know how many calories you have to eat in a day in order to lose weight, the calculation must be done considering the level and the duration of the physical activity. 

The first step is to calculate your TDEE. Just enter your details into the online calculator:

Then, calculate the calories you burn from exercising:

Finally, add the two results you got and then subtract 513 Kcal. The result will be the number of calories you should eat per day in order to lose 4 pounds in a month.

Example: a 36-year-old woman who measures 165 cm (5.4 feet) and weighs 75 Kg (165 pounds) has a basal energy expenditure of 1418 Kcal. The amount of calories she uses up when doing a 60-minute run is 709 Kcal. So, in total she burns 2127 Kcal per day (1418 + 709). That means that in order to lose weight she needs reduce her total caloric intake by 513 Kcal, which is 1614 Kcal per day.