How many calories a day to lose weight, the UK benchmark
To lose weight, the NHS suggests eating around 600kcal less than you need each day. As a guide, an average woman needs 2,000kcal a day and an average man 2,500kcal. That gives a target of about 1,400kcal for a woman and 1,900kcal for a man. The right number for you depends on your age, weight, height and activity.
Estimate your daily calories
The calculation runs on your device. Nothing is saved or sent. For adults only.
See also the BMI calculator, the waist size calculator and all the club calculators.
How this calculation works
The calculation follows the method adopted by the European Food Safety Authority in 2013. Basal metabolic rate is estimated with the Henry equations, from sex, age and weight, then multiplied by your activity level, from 1.4 for a seated lifestyle to 2 for a very active one.
Example. A 45 year old woman weighing 70, seated most of the time, uses about 1,950 kcal a day.
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Working out your real needs
The NHS page on understanding calories explains that those averages change with your age, weight, height and how much you move. A rough rule of thumb helps. Multiply your weight in kg by 30 if you sit most of the day, by 35 if you are on your feet every day. A woman of 70kg, about 11 stone, working in an office is around 2,100kcal. A man of 85kg on a building site is nearer 3,000kcal. To start, look at our guide to healthy eating and where to start.
What deficit for lasting weight loss
The NHS calorie counting guide suggests reducing your intake by around 600kcal a day. The NHS also advises aiming to lose weight steadily, about 0.5 to 1kg a week, which is 1 to 2lb. Faster than that, what you lose is no longer only fat.
Very low intakes are not a shortcut. The scales go down quickly for 2 weeks, then tiredness sets in and the loss stalls. The weight then comes back, the pattern of yo-yo dieting. Very low calorie plans should only be followed with medical supervision.
Counting calories, 2 to 3 weeks is enough
Counting for 2 or 3 weeks trains your eye on a handful of nuts, a spoonful of oil or a glass of juice. Food labels help, with calories shown under the energy heading. After that, every meal becomes a sum and every treat a guilt trip. What is on the plate matters more than the total. At 1,400kcal, a plate built around vegetables, protein and wholegrain starchy food is easier to stick to than a plate of biscuits.
Same intake, different results
The gap between 2 people comes down to 4 factors.
- Muscle mass, because a muscular body uses more energy at rest.
- Age, as needs tend to fall gradually over the years.
- Sleep, since short nights often make the next day hungrier.
- Daily activity, which often counts for more than the gym session.
After a few kg lost, yesterday’s deficit becomes today’s balance. If the scales have not moved for 3 weeks, here is how to get past a weight loss plateau. And 1,600kcal kept 7 days a week beats 1,400kcal kept for 4 days then abandoned at the weekend.
This article does not replace advice from your GP or another health professional.
At Witney Nutrition Club
Witney Nutrition Club, at 6 Waterloo Walk in Witney, starts with a free assessment that looks at your real needs and builds an eating day with you that you can keep.
Your weight loss curve
Enter your profile and the curve redraws straight away.
At the median pace, it would take about 11 weeks to lose 8 kg. At the gentlest pace, about 4 months.
The benchmark most often given for lasting weight loss is 500 g to 1 kg a week. That is the ideal zone of the chart. Above 1 kg a week on a regular basis, the body draws on its muscles as much as on its fat. That is the hatched zone.
An indicative projection. Every journey is personal and results vary from person to person. The calculation runs on your device, nothing is saved or sent. Over 65, talk to your doctor first.
How this curve is calculated
The top edge of the zone matches 500 g a week, the gentlest pace. The bottom edge matches 1 kg a week, the risk threshold.
The first weeks go faster, mostly water, then the pace slows. After 40, the median curve slows gradually, because metabolism slows. For the same effort, a man usually loses weight a little faster than a woman.
The journey curve adds plateaus of a few days and small regains, as in real life. It does not predict your own journey.
This advice is general. It does not replace medical advice.
Further reading
For day to day support, see the healthy eating programme.