How Many Calories Do You Need to Eat to Lose Weight?

In my last post, we covered the basics of weight loss. I explained that you need a consistent calorie deficit to lose weight, and that you can create this deficit in three ways:

1. Reduce your calorie intake
2. Increase your calorie burn
3. Or do both

Today, we’re going to get a little technical and talk about calorie calculations.

Together, we’ll figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight in a steady and sustainable way.

We’re starting with these calculations because they give you a clear, science-backed roadmap. But don’t worry—this doesn’t mean you’ll need to do complicated math. I’ve created a free online calorie calculator to do all the hard work for you, and I’ll walk you through it step by step.

And if calorie counting feels a little overwhelming right now, that’s okay, too. You don’t have to go this route if you don’t want to. This is just one way to do it. In a future post, I’ll show you a more flexible and beginner-friendly approach to assess your food intake.

However, I highly encourage you to try this method out, at least for a little while, because it is one of the most accurate ways of estimating your calorie intake. Plus, it’s a great learning tool that helps you understand your body’s energy needs.

(To follow this method fully, you’ll also need to know how to estimate your calorie intake in a sensible and practical way. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you an easy way of calorie counting in a future blog post soon.)

If you’re worried that you’ll have to track every bite forever—don’t be. That’s not the goal.

This is simply phase one of your journey. Think of calorie tracking like training wheels: it’s just there to help you get started. Once you learn how to balance, those wheels come off.

In the same way, tracking is a temporary tool to help you understand your energy needs and portion sizes. Over time, you’ll become more confident and be able to shift toward a more intuitive, flexible approach—without needing to log every meal.

Now let’s get started.

---

Two Numbers You Need to Know

To estimate your calorie needs, we’ll focus on two important numbers:

1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

This is the number of calories your body burns at rest—just to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and body functioning. Even if you lay in bed all day, your body would still burn these calories.

2. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

This is your BMR plus all the additional energy your body uses in a day for functions like digestion, exercise, and daily movement.

One More Key Term: NEAT

A major part of your TDEE is something called NEAT—Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It’s the energy you burn doing everyday activities like:

• Walking around the house
• Cleaning
• Taking the stairs
• Playing with your kids
• Even fidgeting!

Tip: Increasing your NEAT is a simple and effective way to boost your daily calorie burn, without needing to hit the gym. Every bit of movement adds up to increase your TDEE.

---

Step 1: Calculate Your BMR and TDEE

Use my free online calorie calculator to find your BMR and TDEE.

• The calculator uses your weight (in kg), height (in cm), age, and gender to estimate your BMR.
• Your TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor, which depends on your daily movement and workouts.
• If you’re not sure what your activity level is, use the Activity Level Checker right below the calculator to help you decide.

You’ll want to calculate your BMR, plus two versions of your TDEE

1. TDEE1 – based on your current activity level
2. TDEE2 – based on your next activity level To do this, bump your activity level up one notch (from sedentary to lightly active, for example). You’ll see how even small changes in movement can increase your calorie burn.

Notice how your BMR will stay the same in both cases, but your TDEE will go up as your activity increases.

Now you have three important numbers:

1. BMR – the minimum number of calories needed to survive
2. TDEE1 – your current estimated daily calorie needs
3. TDEE2 – your future estimated daily calorie needs with a little more daily movement added

---

Step 2: Estimate Your Calorie Deficit

Let’s assume you’re not changing your activity level just yet. If you eat the same number of calories as your TDEE1, your weight will stay the same. Eat more, and you’ll gain weight. Eat less, and you’ll lose weight.

Now, let’s figure out how much less you’ll want to eat to start seeing results.

A common approach to weight loss is:

• To lose 1 lb (0.45 kg) per week → aim for a 500 kcal/day deficit
• To lose 2 lbs (0.9 kg) per week → aim for a 1000 kcal/day deficit

These are theoretical numbers based on the idea that 1 pound of body fat equals roughly 3,500 calories. While that’s not a perfectly precise rule, it’s a useful starting point for estimating progress.

Now, subtract your chosen calorie deficit from your TDEE1, and you have your daily calorie intake goal.

For example:

• If your TDEE1 = 2000 kcal

To lose 1 pound (~0.5 kg) per week, you’d need a 500-calorie daily deficit.

• Daily calorie goal = 2000 – 500 = 1500 kcal

To lose 2 pounds (~1 kg) per week, you’d need a 1000-calorie daily deficit.

• Daily calorie goal = 2000 – 1000 = 1000 kcal

But here’s the important part:

If calorie intake goal falls below your BMR, it’s a red flag. Consistently eating below your BMR can lead to serious nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and other health issues.

⚠️ A calorie target below your BMR is too low.

This level of restriction should only be followed under strict medical supervision, with guidance from a registered dietitian or healthcare provider.

In this example, the second calorie target of 1000 kcal is too low, since the average BMR for adult women is around 1400 kcal. So, in this case, it’s better stick with a 500 kcal deficit.

What if your 500 kcal deficit still takes you below your BMR?

In such a case, you have two options:

• Choosing a smaller deficit (like 300 kcal/day)
• Or increasing your activity level to raise your TDEE

(That’s where TDEE2—your adjusted number based on increased movement—comes in handy)

Also keep in mind: deficits under 300 kcal/day may not produce meaningful results either. Aim for a sweet spot—not too high, not too low.

Step 3: Apply It to Real Life

Let’s apply these numbers to my own data so you can see how this works in real life.

• BMR: 1288 kcal
• TDEE1 (Sedentary): 1546 kcal
• TDEE2 (Lightly Active): 1771 kcal

If I used TDEE1 to calculate a 500 kcal deficit, I’d end up eating only 1046 kcal/day—well below my BMR. Definitely not sustainable.

Even a 300 kcal deficit would bring me to 1246 kcal, which still feels uncomfortably low.

So, it’s time to look at my TDEE2.

If I gradually increase my daily activity (like going from 3,000 steps a day to 6,000), my estimated TDEE2 jumps to 1771 kcal. That gives me more flexibility:

• TDEE2 – 300 kcal = 1470 kcal/day

This means I can eat somewhere around 1400–1500 kcal/day and still stay in a mild deficit.

That’s feels a lot more doable—and it’s something I can realistically stick to in the long run.

---

Final Thoughts

These calculations are a great starting point, but they aren’t perfect.

Real life is more complex than these formulas. Your metabolism adapts as your weight goes down and your energy needs change as you progress. Your hormones, stress, sleep, menstrual cycle phases, and even gut health can influence your weight loss results.

So, treat these numbers as tools, not strict rules. Use them to make informed decisions, but don’t let them control you.

And more importantly, don’t try to change your life overnight. You don’t need to hit a perfect deficit or double your steps from day one.

Instead of diving into an aggressive plan and quickly burning out, take it step by step. Start with one change. Build on it. Adjust when needed. Because sustainable weight loss isn’t about perfection—it’s about consistency.

Think of this process as gathering data. Track for a week. Make one or two small adjustments. See how your body responds. Then build from there.

Weight loss isn’t a race—it’s a journey. And you’re far more likely to succeed when it feels manageable and realistic.

Remember, slow and steady always wins the race.

Coming Up Next: How Fast Can You Lose 10 kg?

Now that you know how to estimate your calorie needs and create a realistic deficit, you might be wondering: How long will it take to actually lose the weight? Especially if you have a clear goal in mind, like losing 10 kilos.

You’ll find the answer in my next post. There you’ll learn what’s realistic, what to expect along the way, and why weight loss isn’t always a straight line (and that’s completely normal).