How many calories do I need to eat to lose 1.5-2 pounds a week?

thewayshemove15

I just used a TDEE calculator and it said my TDEE is 1967 and my BMR is 1640. So do I deduct 500 calories off of my BMR making it 1140 to lose weight? Or am I doing this whole thing wrong? Because 1140 I cannot do. That's way too low. I also will be exercising so I can eat back my exercise calories but I was just wondering if I was doing the math wrong.

jenilla1

You're supposed to take the 500 off your TDEE, not your BMR.

ETA: 2 pounds a week is a little much for someone with only 30 pounds to lose. Try eating at or just above your BMR and see how you do.

obscuremusicreference

You could use this calorie calculator

Or you could go to MFP's app and type in your info and probably get 1200. But 2 pounds a week seems to be reserved for people who have more weight to lose.

malibu927

What are your stats? With numbers that low, those may create too aggressive a goal for you.

Sued0nim

on a maths front (and not advised in your specific case) you'd have to take 1000 calories per day away from your TDEE to roughly equate to a 2lb a week loss, 750 for 1.5lbs

However if you set your weight loss level too high based on how much you have to lose you will burn through more lean muscle and put yourself in a far worse position long term

best thing to do is slow and careful

for example I have 10 lbs to go (well I could maybe go more but this is my first goal) and I'm set to 0.5lb loss (250 calorie cut per week) - it's bloody slow, but still it's appropriate

TimothyFish

To lose 2lbs per week, you need to be 1000 calories below TDEE (no matter how much you have to lose). But you also shouldn't eat less than 1200, so you'll have to increase your TDEE if you want to lose weight safely. In other words, you can't do it without exercise.

mymodernbabylon

You are young - what's the frickin' rush? Do it the right and slow way and just take 15% off your TDEE max. You will learn how to eat appropriately without starving your body and might even keep hold of what muscle you currently have (or at least more of it). If you try to lose 1-1/2 to 2 lbs a week, you will lose a lot of muscle as well as fat which defeats the long run and short run purposes.