How much weight can I lose in a month?

With a 500 calorie daily deficit, expect to lose about 2 kg (4 lbs) per month. With a 750 calorie deficit, about 3 kg (6 lbs). Faster loss is possible but risks muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. A safe, sustainable rate is 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week.

🍎 Health & Nutrition Guide

How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?

Q: How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

To lose weight, eat 500 calories below your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) for a safe loss of about 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week. For most adults, this means 1,500-2,000 calories per day for women and 2,000-2,500 for men, depending on activity level. Never go below 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) without medical supervision.

Updated April 2026 · 7 min read

To lose weight safely, eat 500 calories below your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). This creates a deficit that leads to approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. For most women, this means 1,400-1,800 calories/day. For most men, 1,800-2,200 calories/day. Never go below 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) without medical supervision.

Step 1: Calculate Your TDEE

Your TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including exercise. It starts with your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) — the calories you burn just being alive — then multiplies by an activity factor. The most accurate formula is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, developed in 1990 and validated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 5. Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161. Then multiply by activity factor: Sedentary (×1.2), Light exercise (×1.375), Moderate (×1.55), Very active (×1.725).

Step 2: Create Your Calorie Deficit

Deficit	Weekly Loss	Monthly Loss	Sustainability
250 cal/day	0.25 kg (0.5 lb)	1 kg (2 lbs)	Very sustainable
500 cal/day	0.5 kg (1 lb)	2 kg (4 lbs)	Recommended
750 cal/day	0.75 kg (1.5 lbs)	3 kg (6 lbs)	Moderate
1000 cal/day	1 kg (2 lbs)	4 kg (8 lbs)	Aggressive — risk of muscle loss

Step 3: Optimize Your Macros for Fat Loss

Not all calories are equal when it comes to body composition. The optimal macro split for fat loss while preserving muscle is: Protein: 30-40% (essential for muscle preservation and satiety — aim for 1.6-2.2g per kg of body weight), Carbs: 30-40% (fuel for workouts and daily energy), Fat: 20-30% (hormone production, never go below 20%).

5 Common Calorie Counting Mistakes

1. Not counting cooking oils and sauces — one tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories. 2. Overestimating exercise calories — fitness trackers often overestimate by 30-50%. 3. Not recalculating after weight loss — every 5 kg lost, your TDEE drops by 50-100 calories. 4. Weekend overeating — two days of 3,000 calories can erase five days of 1,800. 5. Drinking calories — a latte is 200 cal, juice is 150 cal, a glass of wine is 125 cal.

When NOT to Count Calories

Calorie counting is not appropriate for: anyone with a history of eating disorders (consult a therapist who specializes in eating disorders instead), pregnant or breastfeeding women (who need additional calories), children and teenagers (who are still growing), or anyone who finds that tracking creates anxiety or an unhealthy relationship with food. In these cases, focus on food quality rather than quantity.

🍎 Calculate Your Calories

Find your exact TDEE and optimal macros with our free Calorie & Macro Calculator based on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.

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The Science of Calorie Deficits: Why 500 Calories/Day = 1 Pound/Week

One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. A daily deficit of 500 calories creates a weekly deficit of 3,500 calories, resulting in approximately 1 pound of fat loss per week.

This "3,500 calorie rule" (Wishnofsky, 1958) is an approximation that works well for the first few months but becomes less accurate over time due to metabolic adaptation. As you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories (smaller body = lower BMR), and your metabolism may slow by 5-15% beyond what weight loss alone predicts (adaptive thermogenesis). This means weight loss naturally slows over time even at the same calorie deficit. Practical advice: recalculate your TDEE every 10-15 lbs lost using our TDEE Calculator. A 200-lb person needs ~2,400 calories to maintain weight. At 180 lbs, maintenance drops to ~2,200. If you don't adjust your intake, your 500-calorie deficit shrinks to 300 calories, and weight loss stalls.

Protein: The Most Important Macronutrient for Fat Loss

During a calorie deficit, eating 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight preserves muscle mass and increases satiety, leading to more fat loss and less muscle loss.

Research from McMaster University (Phillips, 2014) found that high-protein diets during caloric restriction preserved 40% more muscle mass than moderate-protein diets at the same calorie level. Protein also has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF) — your body burns 20-30% of protein calories just digesting it, versus 5-10% for carbs and 0-3% for fats. This means 100 calories of chicken breast nets only 70-80 usable calories. A practical approach: for a 180-lb person aiming to lose weight, eat 130-180g protein daily. Sources: chicken breast (31g/serving), Greek yogurt (17g), eggs (6g each), tofu (20g/cup), whey protein (25g/scoop). Combine with resistance training 3×/week to maximize muscle preservation during weight loss. Use our Calorie & Macro Calculator for personalized protein, carb, and fat targets.

The Science Behind a 500-Calorie Deficit

One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories of stored energy. A daily deficit of 500 calories (3,500/week) theoretically produces ~1 lb of fat loss per week.

In practice, weight loss is not perfectly linear because your body adapts: metabolic rate decreases slightly as you lose weight (metabolic adaptation), water weight fluctuates daily by 2-5 lbs, and muscle loss accompanies fat loss unless you resistance train and eat adequate protein. A more realistic expectation: in the first 2-4 weeks, you may lose 3-7 lbs (mostly water), then settle into 0.5-1 lb/week of true fat loss. To create a 500-calorie deficit, you can eat 500 fewer calories, burn 500 more through exercise, or combine both (usually most sustainable). For most people, the easiest approach is eating 300 fewer calories (skip one snack or sugary drink) and adding 200 calories of daily walking (about 30-40 minutes). Cutting below 1,200 cal/day (women) or 1,500 cal/day (men) is not recommended without medical supervision — it risks nutritional deficiencies, muscle loss, and metabolic slowdown that makes future weight loss harder.

Why Calorie Counting Works Better Than Any Fad Diet

Every diet that produces weight loss works through one mechanism: calorie deficit. Keto, intermittent fasting, paleo, vegan, carnivore — all create a deficit, just through different food restrictions.

A Stanford study (Gardner et al., JAMA 2018) followed 609 adults on low-fat vs low-carb diets for 12 months. Result: no significant difference in weight loss between groups. The factor that predicted success was adherence — people who stuck to their chosen plan lost weight regardless of which macronutrient they restricted. This is why understanding calories matters more than following any specific diet trend. The most sustainable approach: use our Calorie Calculator to find your TDEE, eat 500 calories below it, prioritize protein (0.7-1g per lb of body weight to preserve muscle), eat plenty of vegetables for satiety and micronutrients, and choose whatever eating pattern you can maintain long-term. Track calories for 2-4 weeks to build awareness, then transition to intuitive portion control once you develop a sense for appropriate portions.