How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
To lose weight, eat about 300–500 calories below your TDEE (your total daily burn) for roughly 0.25–0.5 kg of loss per week. Find your TDEE first, subtract a deficit you can sustain, and adjust based on your real weight trend over 2–3 weeks — not the daily scale.
Start with your TDEE
Your calorie target is always relative to what you burn. Estimate your TDEE with a formula first — our free calculator does it in seconds — then build your deficit from there.
How big should the deficit be?
A moderate deficit is the sweet spot between results and sustainability:
- Gentle (~250 kcal): ~0.25 kg/week — easiest to stick with.
- Moderate (~500 kcal): ~0.5 kg/week — the common recommendation.
- Aggressive (750+ kcal): faster, but harder to sustain and more muscle risk.
Most people do best in the gentle-to-moderate range, because the deficit you actually keep beats the aggressive one you quit.
Why the number changes over time
As you lose weight, your TDEE falls, so the same intake becomes a smaller deficit. This is why progress stalls on a fixed number. A trend-based, adaptive target re-fits weekly so your deficit stays real — here's how that works.
Don't forget protein
In a deficit, protein protects muscle. Aim for a higher-protein split and let carbs and fat fill the rest — our macro calculator turns your target into grams.
This article is general information, not medical or dietary advice. If you have a history of disordered eating, talk to a professional before tracking calories.