How many calories should I eat a day to lose weight?
In order to lose at least a pound a week, try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, and reduce your daily calorie intake by at least 500 calories. However, calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 a day in women or 1,500 a day in men, except under the supervision of a health professional.
Most people need significantly more than 1,200 calories a day. Therefore, individuals who cut their daily intake to 1,200 calories can expect to lose some weight. This can be beneficial for people who are overweight or obese.
A 1,200-calorie diet is much too low for most people and can result in negative side effects like dizziness, extreme hunger, nausea, micronutrient deficiencies, fatigue, headaches, and gallstones ( 23 ). Furthermore, a 1,200-calorie diet can set you up for failure if long-term weight loss is your goal.
While factors such as age, gender, and activity level can cause caloric needs to vary, a 1,500-calorie intake is typically less than the average person requires. As a result, this diet may help some people lose weight.
| Gender | Age (years) | Sedentaryb |
|---|---|---|
| Child | 2-3 | 1,000 |
| Female | 4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+ | 1,200 1,600 1,800 2,000 1,800 1,600 |
| Male | 4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+ | 1,400 1,800 2,200 2,400 2,200 2,000 |
A low-calorie diet for men is an intake of between 1200 calories and 1600 calories, while for women it is between 1200 calories and 1400 calories. Low-calorie meals help an individual lose between two to four pounds weekly; hence a 1300 calorie food plan is enough to lose weight.
A 1,000 calorie diet is a risky strategy for losing weight. While someone can safely follow the diet short-term, experts do not recommend that people follow extreme diets for extended periods because they can damage a person's health and cause them to regain the weight they lost and more.
A 1,200-calorie diet is a low calorie meal plan that limits your daily calorie intake to no more than 1,200. The recommended calorie intake for a sedentary person is around 1,600 to 1,800 per day. For those who are physically active, it may be around 2,200 to 2,400 per day depending on the extent of physical activity.
Short-term risks of eating 1,000 calories a day may include dizziness, hunger, gallstones, nausea, fatigue, headaches, and nutrient deficiencies. It can lead to nutrient deficiencies, slow metabolism, and make bones weaker if you exercise along with a low-calorie diet.
How many calories do 10,000 steps burn? Most people burn 30-40 calories per 1,000 steps they walk, meaning they'll burn 300 to 400 calories by walking 10,000 steps, Hirai says.