How many calories a day to lose weight? Working out your own number

Short answer: most women lose weight at somewhere between 1,300 and 1,700 kcal a day, and most men between 1,700 and 2,200 kcal. But that's only a range. Your number depends on your height, weight, age and how much you move, and two people of the same weight can differ by 500 kcal.

Here's how to work it out yourself, without apps or guesswork.

Step 1: what your body burns at rest

For everyday use, the most reliable formula is Mifflin-St Jeor. It estimates your basal metabolic rate, the energy your body uses even if you spend the whole day lying down.

• Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
• Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5

Example: a 32-year-old woman, 168 cm, 72 kg. That's 720 + 1050 − 160 − 161 = 1,449 kcal.

Step 2: add movement

Multiply the basal number by an activity factor:

• 1.2 if you sit most of the day and don't train
• 1.375 if you train 1–3 times a week or walk a lot
• 1.55 if you train 3–5 times a week
• 1.725 if you train almost daily or have a physical job

Our example works in an office and trains twice a week: 1,449 × 1.375 = about 1,990 kcal. That's what she needs to stay at the same weight.

Be honest with the factor. Most people put themselves one level higher than they should, then can't figure out why the scale won't move.

Step 3: subtract 300 to 500 kcal

A daily deficit of 300 to 500 kcal gives you roughly half a kilo a week. It feels slow, but it's a pace you can keep up for months, without being hungry and without losing muscle.

For our example, that means 1,500 to 1,700 kcal a day.

Why you shouldn't go much lower

It's tempting to cut to 1,000 kcal and be done in a month. The problem is that your body fights back: energy drops, workouts get hard, hunger grows, and part of the weight you lose is muscle, not fat. After a few weeks most people crack and put it all back on.

The general rule is that women shouldn't go below 1,200 kcal and men below 1,500 kcal without a doctor or dietitian keeping an eye on things.

Calories aren't the only thing that counts

Two 1,500 kcal menus can feel completely different. With enough protein (around 1.6 g per kilo of body weight while you're cutting) and plenty of vegetables, you stay full. If it's mostly pastries and snacks, you're hungry an hour later.

That's why our packages are built around structure: five meals, protein in every one, and enough fibre that you're not thinking about food in between.

Which VitFit package fits which number

• Weight-loss package (1,300 kcal) — for shorter women or those who don't move much and want a faster, still safe pace.
• Women's package (1,600 kcal) — for most active women who are losing weight, like the one in our example.
• Men's package (1,900 kcal) — for most men who want to drop some weight and still have energy for work and training.

If your number falls in between, take the lower package and add fruit or a handful of nuts when you need it. All prices are on the pricing page, and you can see this week's meals, with calories per meal, on the menu.

Track the result, not just the number

The formula is a good starting point, not an exact answer. Weigh yourself once a week, in the morning, and look at the average over two or three weeks. If nothing's dropping, cut another 100 to 150 kcal. If you're losing more than a kilo a week and you're tired all the time, eat a bit more.