Calories per Day to Lose Weight
 

Dear Editor,

I need to lose weight fast!  How many calories do I need to eat per day to lose 10 pounds? I have a 20 year reunion coming up in the next few months and I need to lose 10 or 20 pounds.

   ~ Judith
 

Dear Judith,

You ask a very good question. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in.  The average woman burns between 1700 and 2000 calories per day. The average male burns between 2000 and 2500 calories per day.

One pound of fat equates to 3500 calories, so during the course of a week, you need a total deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat. It’s not wise to starve yourself  into a calorie deficit. This will only slow your metabolism, which is not what you want to happen.

Instead, reduce calorie consumption by 25% to 30% per day. The average woman should consume 1200 to 1400 calories per day to lose weight and men should consume 1600 to 1900 calories each day to lose the same amount of weight.
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