How Many Calories a Day to Lose Weight
To lose weight, a simple daily target is the energy your body would need at a healthy weight. The tables below give that figure by age, sex and activity from Australia's reference values, and no target should drop below 5,000 kJ (1,200 calories) without professional advice.
This is general information, not medical advice. Energy needs and weight loss vary between individuals, and a GP or accredited practising dietitian can help you set a figure that suits your health.
The Short Answer
Four figures help you set a daily number:
Energy needs: how much energy your body uses in a day. It depends on your age, sex, height, weight and how active you are.
The target: your energy needs at a healthy weight rather than your current weight. The Australian Government energy calculator says this gives a lower estimate that may help you start losing weight. The target is used as it is, with nothing further taken off.
The gap: the difference between what your body uses now and the target. For adults above a healthy weight, the NHMRC clinical guidelines (2013) design eating plans around a gap of about 2,500 kJ (600 calories) a day. That figure describes the size of the gap. It is not a second cut from the target.
The floor: a good weight management service will advise against a daily intake below 5,000 kJ (1,200 calories), according to the Better Health Channel (Victorian Government).
Australian food labels use kilojoules. One calorie (kilocalorie) is about 4.2 kJ, so divide kilojoules by 4.2 to get calories. Calorie figures on this page are rounded to the nearest 10.
Daily Targets by Age, Sex and Activity
The figures below come from the estimated energy requirements in the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand (Eat for Health). For each row, the target is the daily energy need at a healthy weight. Figures are kilojoules a day, with calories in brackets.
Three choices keep the tables short:
Height: 1.6 m for women and 1.8 m for men. Taller people need more energy, shorter people less.
Weight: the weight for a BMI of 22, about the middle of the healthy range. Eat for Health's calculator asks people who want to lose weight to enter their ideal body weight rather than their current weight. The reference values work the same way: for adults with a BMI of 25 or more, they work out the desirable figure at a healthy weight, such as a BMI of 22.
Activity: "Seated" is mostly seated work with little or no strenuous leisure activity, such as office work (activity level 1.4). "On your feet" is mostly standing or walking work, such as shop or hospitality work (activity level 1.8).
Women, 1.6 m tall (56 kg at a BMI of 22)
| Age, activity | Target, kJ (cal) |
|---|---|
| 19 to 30, seated | 7,700 (1,830) |
| 19 to 30, on your feet | 9,900 (2,360) |
| 31 to 50, seated | 7,600 (1,810) |
| 31 to 50, on your feet | 9,800 (2,330) |
| 51 to 70, seated | 7,300 (1,740) |
| 51 to 70, on your feet | 9,300 (2,210) |
| Over 70, seated | 6,900 (1,640) |
| Over 70, on your feet | 8,800 (2,100) |
Men, 1.8 m tall (71 kg at a BMI of 22)
| Age, activity | Target, kJ (cal) |
|---|---|
| 19 to 30, seated | 10,300 (2,450) |
| 19 to 30, on your feet | 13,300 (3,170) |
| 31 to 50, seated | 9,900 (2,360) |
| 31 to 50, on your feet | 12,700 (3,020) |
| 51 to 70, seated | 9,100 (2,170) |
| 51 to 70, on your feet | 11,700 (2,790) |
| Over 70, seated | 8,300 (1,980) |
| Over 70, on your feet | 10,700 (2,550) |
Daily targets from the tables above: energy needs at a healthy weight. Needs vary between individuals.
Every target in the tables sits above the floor. The lowest is 6,900 kJ (1,640 calories), for women over 70 with seated work.
How to Find Your Own Number
The tables are a guide for typical bodies. For a figure based on your own details:
Use the free daily energy requirements calculator from Eat for Health. Enter your ideal body weight, a weight in the healthy range, rather than your current weight. The result is your daily target.
For comparison, run the calculator again with your current weight. That figure is about what your body uses now, the intake at which your weight stays about the same. The difference between the two figures is your daily gap.
Check the target is not under the floor. If it is, get advice before you start.
Weigh yourself about once a week and watch the trend, adjusting with a health professional if needed.
The current-weight figure is what many apps call maintenance calories. Do not take a further 2,500 kJ off the target: the guideline figure describes the gap, and your own gap depends on how far your weight is from a healthy weight and how active you are. Once you have a target, you can go a step further by splitting your daily target into protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Why Your Number May Differ From the Tables
Any estimate is a starting point. The reference values themselves say that estimates are only approximate for individuals, and that energy needs can vary widely between people of the same age, sex and body size with similar activity. Everyday movement such as fidgeting makes a real difference for some people.
A few things move the number:
Activity: the most variable part of energy needs, and the second biggest use of energy after what the body burns at rest. Sport or strenuous leisure for 30 to 60 minutes, 4 to 5 times a week, raises the activity level by 0.3 in the reference values.
Muscle: muscle burns kilojoules and fat does not, so people with more muscle use more energy, even at rest (healthdirect).
Age: people lose muscle as they get older, which slows the metabolism. The reference values also note that the equations behind the tables probably overestimate resting energy use in older people, so the over 70 rows may run high.
Body size: larger bodies need more energy, even at rest. As your weight comes down, what you use each day comes down too, so the gap between what you use and your target narrows.
Men and Women: Why the Figures Differ
In the tables, men of the same age and activity need about 1,400 to 3,400 kJ more a day than women. Part of that gap comes from the taller height and heavier weight used for men (1.8 m and 71 kg against 1.6 m and 56 kg). Part comes from muscle: males usually burn more kilojoules than females of the same age and weight, partly because they have more muscle. A taller woman or a shorter man will have figures closer together, which is why a calculator using your own details beats a table.
What the Scale May Show
Rates of weight gain and loss vary widely between individuals, according to the NHMRC guidelines. As a guide, the Better Health Channel describes a gradual loss of around 1 to 4 kg a month to begin with. For the week-by-week detail, see how much weight you can realistically lose in a month. To see progress as a share of your starting weight, use our guide on how to calculate your weight loss percentage.
Reaching Your Target Without Going Hungry
A lower intake is easier to keep up when the food is filling and nutritious. A healthy diet built on the five food groups gives more nutrients for the kilojoules:
base meals on vegetables and legumes, fruit, wholegrains, lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu and reduced-fat dairy
limit foods and drinks high in saturated fat, added sugars, added salt and alcohol, in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines
watch drinks: soft drinks, sports drinks, flavoured milks and alcohol add energy without much else, and one standard drink holds about 290 kJ (Better Health Channel)
compare products with the nutrition information panel, which lists kilojoules per 100 g (or 100 mL for drinks)
choose high-fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes, which help you feel full with fewer kilojoules
Physical activity is the other side of the gap. Australia's physical activity guidelines suggest 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity on most days, plus muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week. For more ideas, see our guide to everyday habits that support weight loss.
Who Should Get Advice First
A standard calorie target is not right for everyone. Talk to a GP or accredited practising dietitian before cutting back if you:
are pregnant or breastfeeding: energy needs go up, by about 1,400 kJ a day in the second trimester and 1,900 kJ in the third, and about 2,000 to 2,100 kJ a day when breastfeeding
are under 18, as children and teenagers need energy to grow
have diabetes, heart disease or another ongoing health condition
take medications that can affect your weight
have a history of disordered eating
find your target falls under the floor
When Diet and Activity Are Not Enough
If you are struggling to lose weight with diet and exercise, a doctor or nurse practitioner can talk you through other treatments that may help, such as weight loss medication or bariatric surgery. Any medical weight loss treatment is used together with a healthy diet and physical activity, not instead of them. Whether any treatment is appropriate is a decision for a registered healthcare practitioner after an individual assessment, and outcomes vary between individuals. See whether diet and exercise alone are enough and what happens at a weight loss consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories should I eat a day to lose weight?
It depends on your age, sex, size and activity. A simple target is the energy you would need at a healthy weight, with nothing further taken off. For a woman aged 31 to 50, 1.6 m tall, with a seated job, that is about 7,600 kJ (1,810 calories) a day. Keep any target at or above the floor set out above. Results vary between individuals.
Is 1,200 calories a day enough to lose weight?
For many adults, 1,200 calories (about 5,000 kJ) would create a deficit, but it is the lowest daily intake a good weight management service should advise, not a standard target. For men and active women, it means a much bigger gap than the 2,500 kJ in Australian guidelines. Check your own needs first, and talk to a GP or dietitian before eating this little.
Is 1,500 calories enough to lose weight?
It depends on your needs. 1,500 calories is about 6,300 kJ, which is below every target in the tables above. The lowest is 6,900 kJ for a seated woman over 70, and a seated man aged 31 to 50 has a target of about 9,900 kJ. For most adults, 1,500 calories means eating less than this method suggests. Results vary between individuals.
Is it enough to burn 500 calories a day?
On its own, usually not. Burning 500 calories (about 2,100 kJ) through activity helps, but activity on its own has little effect on weight unless it comes with changes to eating, according to Australian clinical guidelines. Those guidelines pair a reduced intake with about 300 minutes of moderate activity a week.
References
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Dietary energy, Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Daily energy requirements calculator.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Australian dietary guidelines 1 - 5.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight management services.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight loss: a healthy approach.
Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Weight loss: common myths.
This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. Please speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own circumstances.