How many calories should a woman eat to lose weight?

It depends on her TDEE. A sedentary woman with a TDEE of 1,800 would eat around 1,300 calories per day (a 500-calorie deficit) to lose about 0.5 kg per week. An active woman with a TDEE of 2,200 could eat 1,700 calories. The key is to calculate your individual TDEE first, then subtract 300–500 calories. Never go below 1,200 calories per day without medical supervision.

Is 1200 calories enough to lose weight?

1,200 calories is generally considered the minimum safe intake for women and should not be sustained long-term without medical guidance. While it will produce weight loss for most people, it may be too aggressive depending on your TDEE. If your TDEE is 1,700, a 1,200-calorie diet creates a 500-calorie deficit, which is reasonable. But if your TDEE is 2,400, that same 1,200 calories creates a 1,200-calorie deficit, which is too extreme and risks muscle loss and metabolic slowdown.

How long does it take to lose 10 kg?

At a safe rate of 0.5 kg per week (500-calorie daily deficit), losing 10 kg takes approximately 20 weeks, or about 5 months. At a more aggressive but still sustainable rate of 0.75 kg per week (750-calorie deficit), it would take roughly 13–14 weeks. Rates faster than 1 kg per week are generally not recommended as they increase the risk of muscle loss and metabolic adaptation.

Do I need to count calories to lose weight?

No, calorie counting is not the only way to lose weight, but it is one of the most reliable methods. Alternatives include portion control, mindful eating, or following structured meal plans. However, research shows that people who track their intake tend to be more successful at losing weight and keeping it off, because tracking creates awareness of how much you are actually eating versus how much you think you are eating.

What happens if I eat too few calories?

Eating too few calories triggers several negative responses: metabolic adaptation (your body slows its metabolism to conserve energy), muscle loss (your body breaks down muscle for fuel), nutrient deficiencies (too few calories means too few vitamins and minerals), hormonal disruption (affecting thyroid, cortisol, and reproductive hormones), and increased risk of binge eating due to extreme hunger. These effects can actually make long-term weight loss harder, not easier.

How Many Calories to Lose Weight?

Medically reviewed content · Updated January 2025

The Short Answer

To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns. The specific number is different for everyone, but here is the formula that works:

      Find your TDEE. Subtract 500 calories. That is your daily target.

      A 500-calorie daily deficit produces roughly 0.5 kg (about 1 lb) of weight loss per week. This is the rate recommended by most nutrition professionals as safe and sustainable.

There is no single calorie number that works for everyone. A 1,500-calorie diet might be perfect for one person and dangerously low for another. Everything depends on your individual Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the total calories your body burns each day.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Calculate Your TDEE

Your TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your resting metabolism, daily movement, food digestion, and exercise. Use our TDEE Calculator to get your number. You will need your age, height, weight, and a rough estimate of your activity level.

Step 2: Choose Your Deficit Size

Subtract calories from your TDEE to create a deficit:

Moderate deficit (recommended): 500 cal/day — Lose ~0.5 kg per week. Sustainable, preserves muscle, minimal hunger.
Aggressive deficit: 750 cal/day — Lose ~0.75 kg per week. Faster results but harder to maintain. Better suited for people with higher body fat percentages.

Avoid deficits larger than 1,000 calories per day unless supervised by a medical professional.

Step 3: Set a Calorie Floor

Regardless of the math, do not eat below these minimums without medical supervision:

Women: 1,200 calories per day minimum
Men: 1,500 calories per day minimum

If a 500-calorie deficit would put you below these floors, use a smaller deficit and add more physical activity to increase your TDEE instead.

Step 4: Track and Adjust Every 2–4 Weeks

As you lose weight, your TDEE decreases because your body requires less energy to maintain a smaller frame. Recalculate your TDEE and adjust your calorie target every 2 to 4 weeks, or whenever you lose 2–3 kg. If you are not losing weight at the expected rate, your actual TDEE may be lower than estimated — reduce your intake by another 100–150 calories and reassess.

Calorie Ranges by Body Type

The table below provides general calorie ranges for weight loss based on body size and activity level. Use these as a reference point, not a prescription — your individual numbers from the Calorie Deficit Calculator will be more accurate.

Profile	TDEE Range	Weight Loss Target
Sedentary woman (55–65 kg)	1,600–1,800 cal/day	1,100–1,300 cal/day
Active woman (55–65 kg)	2,000–2,200 cal/day	1,500–1,700 cal/day
Sedentary man (75–85 kg)	2,000–2,300 cal/day	1,500–1,800 cal/day
Active man (75–85 kg)	2,600–3,000 cal/day	2,100–2,500 cal/day

Weight loss targets assume a 500-calorie daily deficit from TDEE. Actual values depend on age, height, body composition, and exact activity level.

What Happens If You Eat Too Little

Eating as little as possible might seem like the fastest route to weight loss, but extreme calorie restriction backfires. Here is what happens when you consistently eat far below your TDEE:

The Risks of Severe Calorie Restriction

Metabolic adaptation: Your body lowers its metabolic rate to conserve energy. A person who aggressively diets at 1,000 calories might find their TDEE drops from 2,200 to 1,800 — making the same diet less effective over time and making weight regain more likely.
Muscle loss: With insufficient calories and protein, your body breaks down muscle tissue for energy. Losing muscle reduces your BMR further, creating a vicious cycle where you burn fewer calories at rest.
Nutrient deficiency: Eating under 1,200 calories makes it nearly impossible to get adequate vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids from food alone. Common deficiencies include iron, calcium, vitamin D, and B12.
Binge-restrict cycles: Severe restriction triggers intense hunger and cravings. Many people alternate between days of extreme restriction and days of overeating, resulting in no net progress and a damaged relationship with food.

A moderate, consistent deficit always outperforms an extreme, unsustainable one. The best deficit is one you can maintain for months without feeling miserable.

Real-World Example

Example: Sarah's 12-Week Weight Loss Journey

Starting profile: Sarah is 35 years old, 170 cm tall, weighs 80 kg, and is lightly active (walks daily, exercises 1–2 times per week).

Week 1 — Initial calculation:
BMR = (10 × 80) + (6.25 × 170) − (5 × 35) − 161 = 800 + 1,062.5 − 175 − 161 = 1,527 cal/day
TDEE = 1,527 × 1.375 = 2,099 cal/day
Weight loss target = 2,099 − 500 = 1,599 cal/day

Weeks 1–6: Sarah eats approximately 1,600 calories per day. She tracks her food using an app and weighs herself weekly. After 6 weeks, she has lost 3.2 kg and now weighs 76.8 kg.

Week 7 — Recalculation:
New BMR = (10 × 76.8) + (6.25 × 170) − (5 × 35) − 161 = 1,495 cal/day
New TDEE = 1,495 × 1.375 = 2,056 cal/day
New target = 2,056 − 500 = 1,556 cal/day

Weeks 7–12: Sarah adjusts to ~1,550 calories per day. After another 6 weeks, she loses an additional 2.8 kg. Total loss: 6 kg in 12 weeks. She now weighs 74 kg.

Key takeaway: By recalculating midway, Sarah avoided a plateau. Her calorie target only dropped by about 50 calories, but that small adjustment kept her on track.

Disclaimer: Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Consult a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise routine, especially if you have a medical condition or are considering eating below 1,200 calories per day.

Calculate Your TDEE Calorie Deficit Calculator