How many calories to lose weight, or how many calories should I eat to lose weight are questions that pop up often in gyms and diet groups. We all know that we need burn more energy than we take in if we want to lose weight. We also know that all calories are not the same and that it’s more important to be careful of what you eat than how much you eat. Sugary drinks, fast food and junk food will all lead to weight gain and poor health even when eaten in similar quantities as healthier foods.
How Many Calories To Lose Weight
Some people like to count calories as a way to lose weight because they feel it is easier to control something when you keep track of it. If keeping track of calories works for you or if it helps keep you motivated, that’s great. You should keep doing anything that helps you get on track and stay on track to lose weight.
How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight
There are several formulas that are available to help you understand how many calories you need every day and answer the question: how many calories should I eat to lose weight? The BMR calculator at the top of this page combines three commonly used calculators. Just select the BMR option in the left column under menu/calculate and follow the instructions below:
How To Use The BMR Calculator
- Click BMR in the left menu column
- Select your sex and preferred measure system under Gender and Metric System
- Enter your age, weight and height
- Select your activity level and press calculate
The BMI (body mass index) provides an indication of your overall body composition and fat. The BMR (basal metabolic rate) is an estimate of the amount of energy your body requires to perform its normal vital functions at rest.
Your BMR and estimated daily calorie requirement are shown at the top of the blue box just below the calculate button (TDEE – total daily energy expenditure) . Your BMI and any notes you made are immediately below that. You can keep track of your results as well as any notes you made at the time if you log in first.
The estimated daily calorie requirement is an estimate of how many calories you need to maintain your current body weight. To lose weight, you either need to reduce your calorie intake or increase your level of activity or both.
How Many Calories To Lose Weight
This chart provides a ballpark figure of how many calories you can burn during 30 minutes of various activities. You can see that heavier people burn more calories for any given activity as the body weight goes up. Keep in mind these are only ballpark figures because the intensity of activity, the level of conditioning and personal metabolism all influence actual results.
Activity | @ 130 lbs | @ 155 lbs | @ 180 lbs | @ 205 lbs | @ 230 lbs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walking @ 3.5 mph | 112 | 134 | 156 | 177 | 197 |
Running @ 6mph | 295 | 352 | 409 | 466 | 510 |
Swimming (moderate) | 118 | 141 | 164 | 186 | 205 |
Climbing stairs | 266 | 317 | 368 | 419 | 470 |
Shoveling snow | 177 | 211 | 245 | 294 | 340 |
Stationary cycle (moderate) |
207 | 247 | 288 | 326 | 360 |
Weight lifting (light) | 89 | 106 | 123 | 140 | 157 |
Weight lifting (heavy) | 177 | 211 | 245 | 279 | 315 |
Calisthenics | 104 | 123 | 143 | 163 | 183 |
Circuit training | 236 | 282 | 327 | 373 | 425 |
Rowing machine (moderate) | 207 | 247 | 286 | 326 | 365 |
How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight
Generally speaking, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume to lose one pound. To lose one pound a week, you would need to consume 500 calories less a day over the course of the week. You could do this by reducing calorie intake alone or by using a combination of fewer calories and more exercise or a higher level of activity during the day.
For example, you could reduce calories by 300 a day and increase your daily activity to burn an additional 200 calories per day. This should result in a weight loss of about one pound per week.
Remember that eating less is not the only way, nor is it the best way to reduce your calorie intake. You are much better off to eat different rather than less. For example, rather than eat only one muffin for breakfast, instead of the usual two muffins, you would be much better off to eat an omelet.
How Many Calories To Lose Weight – Food Choices
This section contains information about some of the different food choices you can make and it gives you an idea of how many calories are contained in some of the meal choices you make every day. Once you’ve calculated how many calories you need using the BMR tool at the top of this page, you can see how easily one or two bad food choices add up over a week and how those extra calories turn into extra pounds rather quickly.
I am sectioning this into breakfast, lunch and dinner choices and I’ve bolded a healthier food choice that you could make at home at the beginning of each section. Planning for and cooking larger meals is a good habit. You will always have leftovers and that gives you something better to eat even when you are pressed for time or don’t feel like cooking.
You can lose a lot of weight quickly if you take control of what goes in your food, and you can do it without cutting portion sizes too!
Item | Total Calories | % Carbohydrate | % Fat | % Protein |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 egg omelett – homemade | 187 | 2 | 71 | 27 |
McDonald’s Bacon ‘N Egg McMuffin | 320 | 38 | 42 | 20 |
Tim Hortons Bacon Breakfast Sandwich | 330 | 40 | 40 | 20 |
Second Cup Breakfast Sandwich | 351 | 31 | 41 | 28 |
Starbucks Bacon, Egg, Gouda Sandwich | 350 | 35 | 46 | 19 |
Chicken and vegetable stir fry – homemade (1 cup) | 186 | 14 | 49 | 37 |
McDonald’s McChicken sandwich | 470 | 37 | 49 | 14 |
Tim Hortons Tuscan Chicken Panini | 560 | 42 | 34 | 24 |
How long would I have to walk to burn off the calories in a milkshake?
A medium shake from McDonalds contains 670 calories. Since a 180lb person burns about 312 calories per hour while walking at a fast clip (3.5mph) it takes 670/312 = 2.15 hours to burn off the calories in a medium shake.
That’s why it makes more sense to just skip the milkshake 🙂
Sugary drinks should be one of the first things to cut out.
You’re absolutely right Violet. Even some so-called healthy drinks, like fruit juices, pack a lot of calories, especially if they have any added sugars.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about how many calories to lose weight.
Regards
Appreciate the recommendations. Let me try it out.
I eat out regularly, but I always try to order something that is a bit healthier. Still can’t keep the weight off though 🙁
Finally something useful about losing weight.
Your BMR calculator actually gives you all the information, including the BMI.
Excellent post. Love the BMI/BMR calculator!
Great BMR calculator.