The answer to this question depends on numerous factors, including your age, height, current weight, activity level, and metabolic health, among several others.
When trying to lose weight, a general rule of thumb is to reduce your calorie intake to 500 fewer calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight. This will help you lose about 1 pound (0.45 kg) of body weight per week.
Below are average calorie ranges that consider these factors.
Women
The average, moderately active woman between the ages of 26–50 needs to eat about 2,000 calories per day to maintain her weight and 1,500 calories per day to lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) of weight per week.
Women who are active and walk more than 3 miles per day will need to consume 2,200 calories or more daily to maintain their weight and at least 1,700 calories to lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) of weight per week.
Young women in their early 20s have higher calorie needs. They require about 2,200 calories per day to maintain their weight.
Women over age 50 generally require fewer calories. The average moderately active woman over 50 needs about 1,800 calories per day to maintain her weight and 1,300 calories per day to lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week.
These estimates do not apply to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as they have significantly higher calorie needs.
Men
The average, moderately active man between the ages of 26–45 needs 2,600 calories per day to maintain his weight and 2,100 calories per day to lose 1 (0.45 kg) pound per week.
Active men who walk more than 3 miles per day may require 2,800–3,000 calories per day to maintain their weight and 2,300–2,500 calories per day to lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) of weight per week.
Young men ages 19–25 have higher energy needs. They require an average of 2,800 calories per day to maintain their weight and up to 3,000 if they’re active. To lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week, moderately active young men should consume 2,300–2,500 calories daily.
Energy needs decrease as men age. Between the ages of 46–65, moderately active men need an average of 2,400 calories per day. After 66 years, the average man’s calorie needs decrease to about 2,200 calories per day.
Children
Children have widely varying calorie needs based on their age, size, and activity level.
Whereas the average toddler requires 1,200–1,400 calories per day, the average moderately active teenager requires 2,000–2,800 calories per day. Active teenage boys require even more.
Children who are growing and developing normally and engage in regular physical activity usually don’t need to count calories. When they’re provided with a range of healthy options to eat, most moderately active kids naturally eat the amount of food their body requires.
What are calories?
A calorie is a unit that measures energy. Calories are usually used to measure the energy content of foods and beverages. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns each day.
How to reduce calorie intake
Calories are simply a measure of energy. To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you expend. Conversely, you lose weight if you use more calories than you consume.
That said, cutting calories without considering which foods you eat is usually not a sustainable way to lose weight. For example, choosing more nutrient-dense foods will benefit your health more than opting for nutrient-poor ones. Though it works for some people, most end up hungry and eventually revert to their old habits.
For this reason, it’s highly recommended to make a few other permanent changes to help you maintain a calorie deficit in the long term, without feeling starved. The following evidence-based eating and lifestyle changes have been shown to help people lose weight.
1. Eat more protein
SUMMARY
Increasing your protein intake can boost your metabolism, fight cravings, and significantly reduce appetite. This can help you lose weight and keep it off.
2. Avoid sugary soft drinks and fruit juices
SUMMARY
It’s important to avoid sugary soft drinks and fruit juices, as liquid sugar is the single most fattening aspect of the Western diet.
3. Drink more water
One very simple trick to increase weight loss is to drink more water. Studies have suggested drinking water can increase the number of calories you burn for up to 90 minutes. Drinking about eight, 8-ounce glasses (2 liters) of water per day may make you burn about 96 more calories. However, recent studies suggest drinking water may not increase the number of calories you burn.
The timing of when you drink water may be even more important. Drinking water immediately before meals may help reduce hunger and make you eat fewer calories. In one 12-week study, drinking 17 ounces (0.5 liters) of water half an hour before meals made people lose 44% more weight. When combined with a healthy diet, drinking more water, especially before meals, appears to be helpful if you need to lose weight.
Drinking caffeinated beverages, such as coffee and green tea, may also boost metabolism slightly, at least in the short term. Doing so is associated with losing weight and keeping it off.
SUMMARYSome studies have shown that drinking water may boost metabolism. Drinking it half an hour before meals can help you eat fewer calories.
4. Reduce your refined carb intake
Cutting carbs is a very effective way to lose weight, as it reduces appetite and makes you eat fewer calories. Studies have shown that eating a low carb diet until fullness can make you lose about two to three times more weight than a calorie-restricted, low fat diet.
What’s more, low carb diets have many other benefits for health, especially for people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Yet, you don’t have to go low carb. Simply ensure that you eat quality, fiber-rich carb sources, focusing on whole, single-ingredient foods. If you stick to whole foods, the exact composition of your diet becomes less important.
SUMMARY
Cutting carbs may aid weight loss by reducing your appetite and making you eat fewer calories.