Weight Management Center: Tools
Setting Your Target Calorie Level
Most weight loss professionals agree that a weight loss goal of one to two pounds a week is preferred. It is important to find the calorie level that would help you achieve this. Faster weight loss can be a sign that you are making drastic changes that can be difficult to maintain.
One way to help find your target calorie level is to keep a diary of your current eating habits, add up all the calories, and figure out ways to reduce each day’s intake by about 500 calories. This is just an average of the kind of reduction you would need to lose about a pound a week.
Another way is to look at averages. Studies have suggested the maximum daily calorie intake at which a person can lose weight. The maximum calorie intakes for men and women are:
- women: 1,200 calories per day
- men: 1,500 calories per day
These are commonly used figures that represent levels at which many people will lose weight. Keep in mind that people differ greatly in how their bodies process food and burn calories. The averages above are just that: averages. Some people will need fewer calories and others can afford more.
It is not advisable to drop your calorie level below 1,000 calories per day. It is extremely difficult to pack all the necessary nutrients your body needs into so few calories. The result? You may be losing weight at the expense of good nutrition. Diets of fewer than 1,000 calories are labeled very low calorie diets (VLCD) and are only to be used under medical supervision, preferably in a program with a registered dietitian.