How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

The number of calories you need to eat to lose weight is very personal. It depends on a combination of different factors like your age, weight, height, activity level, hormones and metabolism (the speed your body turns food into energy).

For safe weight loss, it is generally recommended you reduce your daily calorie intake by around 600kcal from your recommended energy needs.

This article explains how many calories you need for weight loss, how to calculate your personalised target, and how to choose a safe, sustainable approach.

Calories are units of energy found in food and drinks. On food labels this is shown as kcal (kilocalories). Your body uses this energy to perform all its usual functions and to support everyday movement.

Weight changes happen when the number of calories you eat is above or below the amount of energy your body uses.

Most of your daily energy is ‘used up’ through your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the energy your body needs at rest and makes up 60 to 70% of the calories you burn each day. The rest of your energy is used for physical activity and the energy required to digest food.

Everyone has different energy needs. Factors such as height, weight, sex, age, hormones and activity level all influence how many calories your body uses. This means it is normal for two people of the same weight to have different calorific needs.

Here are the daily calorie intakes for average UK adults to maintain their weight:

• men – 2,500kcal/day
• women – 2,000kcal/day

For weight loss, aim to reduce this by around 600kcal/day:

• men – 1,900kcal/day
• women – 1,400kcal/day

These are just average guidelines. Working out your personalised calorie target can help you understand how many calories you personally need to lose weight safely.

How to calculate your personalised calorie target

To understand how many calories your body needs on a daily basis, it can be helpful to calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This includes:

• basal metabolic rate (BMR) – the calories you burn at rest
• physical activity – everything from walking to structured exercise
• thermic effect of food – the small amount of energy used to digest food

A TDEE calculation considers age, height, weight, sex, and activity level. Once you know how many calories your body uses, you can choose a safe calorie target for weight loss.

For example, if your TDEE is 2,200kcal/day, a deficit of 600kcal would set your target at 1,600kcal/day.

You can work out your personalised target by using our calorie deficit calculator.

When you eat fewer calories than your TDEE, your body uses stored energy, leading to weight loss. A daily deficit of around 600kcal can lead to about 1lb (0.45kg) of weight loss per week.

Research from long-term calorie-restriction studies shows that when you lose weight, your body often burns fewer calories than you’d expect based on that weight loss alone. This is sometimes called metabolic adaptation. The body becomes more energy-efficient and changes in hormones involved in metabolism can also play a role.

These adaptations explain why weight loss slows over time and why maintaining weight loss can feel harder than losing it.

As you lose weight, your TDEE naturally decreases because smaller bodies require less energy. This means the calorie deficit that worked early in your journey will need to be further reduced over time. Rechecking your BMR or TDEE can help you adjust your calorie target and understand changes in your progress.

At ZAVA, we recommend distributing calories across meals when following a reduced-calorie plan. Below is a simple plan to show what this might look like for men and women.

Women (around 1,400kcal/day):

• breakfast: 280kcal
• lunch: 420kcal
• dinner: 420kcal
• snacks and drinks: 280kcal

Men (around 1,900 kcal/day):

• breakfast: 380kcal
• lunch: 570kcal
• dinner: 570kcal
• snacks and drinks: 380kcal

Lower calorie meal plan examples for men and women

You can use the meal plans in the table below as inspiration for lower calorie meals.

There are many different diets available to help with weight loss. However, there isn’t necessarily one diet that’s better than others. Diet strategy research shows that an energy deficit is the key factor in losing weight, regardless of the specific diet you follow.

Different eating patterns can still help by influencing hunger, fullness, and how easy it feels to maintain your calorie target. You might find it helpful to follow a specific diet to help with planning.

Low-fat and low-carb diets

Low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets can both support weight loss when they create a calorie deficit. Large studies have shown no meaningful difference in long-term weight loss between these approaches when overall calorie intake is reduced. This means the most effective diet is the one you can follow consistently over time.

High-protein diets

High-protein diets can help some people manage hunger during weight loss. Evidence reviewed in the diet strategy study shows that higher protein intakes can:

✓ improve fullness

✓ reduce energy intake

✓ help maintain lean body mass during weight loss

Protein also has a higher thermic effect than carbohydrates or fats, meaning your body uses slightly more energy to digest it.

Safety note: People with kidney disease or a higher risk of chronic kidney disease may need medical supervision if following a high-protein diet.

Learn how high protein foods can help with weight loss.

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet has strong evidence for weight loss maintenance and improvements in heart health. It emphasises vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats, such as olive oil, with limited red meat. Because it is nutrient-dense and food-based, many people find this style of eating practical for long-term weight management.

These are the Best Fruits for Weight Loss.

Intermittent fasting and meal timing

The diet strategy review also highlights several findings about how eating patterns and timing may influence weight control:

• intermittent fasting can help reduce overall calorie intake
• skipping breakfast is associated with a higher risk of overweight and obesity
• eating a greater share of daily calories earlier in the day may support weight management
• maintaining an overnight fasting period may help support metabolic health, though long-term effects are still being studied

Safety note: Intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone, and its long-term effects are still being researched. Fasting is not usually recommended for people taking blood sugar-lowering medication, as it can increase the risk of low blood sugar.

Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs)

Very-low-calorie diets (usually 600 to 800kcal/day) can be effective for significant short-term weight loss, but they should only be followed with medical supervision due to the risk of nutrient deficiency.

VLCDs are not recommended for routine weight management and do not provide better long-term results than balanced low-calorie diets unless they are part of a structured clinical programme.

You may feel like you’re not making any progress despite cutting calories. Common reasons for a weight loss plateau include:

• underestimating portion sizes
• extra calories from drinks, oils, dressings, and snacks
• lower activity levels
• sleep changes, stress, and hormones
• water retention linked to hormonal cycles
• metabolic adaptation reducing calorie burn

These factors are common and usually temporary. It can help to recheck your BMR or TDEE, review portions, and look at hidden calories. Small adjustments are often enough to get progress moving again.

Professional support can be helpful if you:

• face ongoing plateaus despite accurate tracking
• find yourself switching between periods of restriction and overeating
• have conditions affecting metabolism (e.g. thyroid issues)
• need structured guidance or monitoring
• are considering medication-based weight loss support

Prescription weight loss treatments may also be considered as part of a wider plan. They work best when combined with healthy eating and activity adjustments.

There is no single number of calories that suits everyone when it comes to losing weight. General recommendations often suggest eating around 600kcal less than your recommended energy needs per day as a starting point.

However, the most accurate targets are personalised using your BMR and TDEE. By learning about your personal daily intake and needs, you can begin planning your weight loss journey.

For more support, explore ZAVA’s weight loss treatment options and resources.

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