How much should my "net" calories be if I want to lose 1.5-2 pounds a week.

zkhanman

Hi all,

New to this site, just trying to do some calculations on my own. I want to lose 2 pounds a week *ideally* which is a deficit of 7,000 calories. The daily goal this site gave me is 1,600 calories. Will I lose 2 pounds a week sticking to that, or am I supposed to like... eat 1,100 calories some how?

auddii

You would need to net 1600 calories. That means if you exercise, you should log that and eat back *some* of the calories. I find this site grossly overestimates calorie burns, so I'd suggest starting with eating half back and assessing after a few weeks.

Also, keep in mind that 2lbs/week isn't always sustainable for some people due to lower calorie intake, and may not be recommended if you don't have much to lose. 1% of your body weight per week is a good guideline.

shadow2soul

MFP is giving you a goal to NET 1600 calories to lose 1.5 or 2 lbs per week (depending on which you picked). Do that for 4-6 weeks and then re-evaluate based on your actual weight change.

boomshakalaka911

300 to 500 above maintenance