How many calories should I eat a day?
It can be complicated to figure out ‘how many calories should I eat to lose weight’. Many factors come into play when determining your calorie needs, and it can be challenging to figure out what’s best for you.
Moshy can help you determine how many calories you should eat to lose weight effectively and if it’s advisable for your goals. You don’t have to stress over tracking your calories, calorie cuts, or metabolism. Moshy takes the guesswork out of it and guides you to the results you’re aspiring for.
What are the common steps to lose weight?
Creating and maintaining a normal and healthy lifestyle that includes correct nutrition and exercise while minimising harmful lifestyle behaviours is the general approach to weight loss. The methods that work for one person may not work for another, and vice versa, as there is no universal solution to weight loss. The best way to get the desired outcomes is to talk to a doctor.
Food and diet
The average person needs about 2,000 to 2,500 calories daily to maintain weight.[1] If you’ve been wondering ‘how many calories should I eat to lose weight’ or anything similar, you will likely lose weight if you eat fewer calories than you need to sustain your weight. However, while calorie deficits work in the short term, it may not work alone long-term.[2] Talk to a Moshy doctor, who can assess your unique condition. If necessary, Moshy can connect you with dieticians who can provide diet coaching solutions.
Exercise
A healthy lifestyle includes regular physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. You may easily add exercise to your day by making little changes, such as using the stairs instead of the elevator or choosing to walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Rapid weight loss may be achieved by establishing a routine of healthy, long-term behaviours.
Evidence-based treatments
It can be difficult to find evidence-based treatments that can answer your search for ‘how many calories should I eat to lose weight’. Our Moshy doctors will provide personalised advice to you after you complete our short online questionnaire. Evidence-based treatments, such as medical weight loss treatments or meal replacement shakes, could be recommended if necessary.
Are there apps for tracking calories?
Yes, there are many apps that help you track your calorie and macronutrient intake. You can use a lot of applications to assist you in counting your macros so that you don’t have to worry about it. In general, you can follow these steps when counting your macronutrients:
- Note down your weight, gender, height, age, and target weight.
- Determine how many calories you have to eat each day to either gain, maintain, or lose weight.
- Find the ideal ratio of macronutrients that you want to consume each day. It is recommended to ratio your macronutrients as the following:
- carbohydrates: 45 to 65 per cent of total calories;
- fats: 20 to 35 per cent of total calories; and
- protein: 10 to 35 per cent of total calories.
- Multiply your total daily calorie requirement by the percentages of macros that you’ve selected.
- Divide your calorie amounts by their calorie-per-gram number.
In this way, you can establish an objectively balanced diet, which may help you lose weight. To lose weight, it’s important to adjust these ratios according to your specific dietary needs, weight goals, gender, age, and physical activity.
‘How many calories should I eat to lose weight’ is a complicated question considering that everyone’s body is different. Hence, it is important to speak with a doctor to determine how you can achieve the results you desire.
Moshy can help you develop consistent and sustainable eating habits that take into account all the necessary nutrients and dietary restrictions you may have. If you've ever recommended one of our products, you don’t have to worry about sticking to it with our subscription service – we’ll keep you on track.
Our recommendations and treatments are completely optional. If you don’t think they’ll fit with your goals, you don’t have to accept them. Despite this, Moshy will continue to support you in other ways.
Get started on your weight loss diet by reading further on which food is good for weight loss and how to lose weight fast without exercising.
Can I cut more than 500 calories from daily diet?
For healthy and sustainable fat loss, it is recommended to cut around 500 calories a day – this can equate to around 0.22 to 0.45 kilograms of weight loss per week. [3] To determine how many calories you should eat to lose weight safely and sustainably, talk to your doctor.
There are several factors that may influence how many calories you can safely and sustainably lose each day, including:
- your gender;
- your age;
- your current weight and the weight you want to achieve;
- your physical activity;
- your medical conditions; and
- your dietary requirements.
It’s also recommended to cut calories in small increments, such as 100 to 200 calories initially so that you can gradually ease into a calorie deficit sustainably. According to research, it is important to understand that while calorie deficits may influence your weight in the short term, they don’t significantly impact your weight over long periods.[4]
A weight-loss journey shouldn’t be rushed. It takes a lot of support and discussion with a doctor to find your ideal path for weight loss. Moshy’s women's health platform connects you to a network of AHPRA-registered doctors who can understand your needs and help you achieve the results you desire.
With the help of a short quiz, our Moshy doctors can assess what’s best for your body using science-backed evidence to help you get on the right track. If necessary, you may also be recommended a personalised treatment plan to support you on your weight loss journey.
Instead of searching for the how to get rid of stomach fat, get started on your weight loss journey by learning what causes fat in the stomach?