How To Count Calories For Weight Loss

During your weight loss journey, our experts recommend eating fewer daily calories than your Recommended Daily Intake to lose weight. 

As you might have already guessed, counting your calories needs to be done safely. This calorie target needs to be based on your personal height, weight and physical activity level, and done with lifestyle changes and regular movement, to get the best results. 

Here’s how to set a healthy calorie target to lose weight, and our science-backed tips on how to track your daily calorie intake during your weight loss journey.

What is a calorie deficit and why is it important for weight loss?

To understand why eating fewer calories is important for healthy weight loss, we first need to explain that calories measure energy. Like inches, ounces or miles, we use calories to understand how much energy is in our foods and drinks. The higher the number, the more energy there is. [1]

Everyone has a Recommended Daily Intake of calories, which is outlined by the USDA. This calorie goal is worked out in a similar way to a BMI calculator. It takes your body height, weight and physical activity level into account, and shows you the number of calories you should eat every day to maintain your current weight. 

So to lose weight effectively, you’ll need to eat at a calorie deficit. This number isn’t so low that you’ll be left hungry or lacking in energy –  but it’s low enough that your body can tap into its fat stores to give you energy, leading to healthy weight loss. [2]

How to calculate your calorie target

Calculating a healthy calorie intake for weight loss starts with working out how much you need to eat to maintain your current weight using the DRI Calculator by the USDA. 

Noted that number down? Now subtract up to 600 calories from your maintenance calories to start losing weight safely. This new number is the daily calorie intake you should aim for in your weight loss journey. [3] 

Don’t subtract more than 600 calories. Under-eating may cause you to feel lethargic (low energy), or get too hungry and either overeat, or crave high-calorie foods like fast food, cookies or candy. [4]

How to track calories

Once you know how many calories you need every day, you can start tracking what you’re eating and drinking.

Keeping a food diary might seem like extra work, but counting calories will be very helpful for your journey. Different food groups provide different amounts of energy. One gram of carbohydrates has fewer calories than one gram of fat, for example. You might have heard health professionals call this tracking your macros, as carbohydrates, protein and fat are also known as macronutrients. [4]

This nutrition calculator shows how many calories each macronutrient has in it, per gram. [5]

• 1 gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories.
• 1 gram of protein has 4 calories.
• 1 gram of fat has 9 calories.

Don’t worry about working this out all the time. You can usually find calories for foods on food product labels, broken down per serving, and per pack. The calories per serving is normally the most useful, especially if you are cooking meals for one person. 

Can’t see a recommended serving size? Use a digital kitchen scale to weigh out a portion. Scales are easy to use, inexpensive and will help you work out how many calories your daily food has, so you know your portion size once it’s cooked. Remember to weigh your ingredients one at a time.

What to eat in a calorie deficit? 

Eating nutrient-dense foods can make weight loss much easier to maintain. In general, choose foods that are higher in fiber (like fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains) and lean protein (like fat-free Greek yogurt, chicken breast and tofu). These will keep you fuller for longer. 

Got your calorie intake for weight loss? You can use our Guide to Healthy Eating For Weight Loss, or Myplate by the USDA to see which low-calorie foods or nutrient-dense food groups to eat more often, or less. 

You’ll probably find that eating less refined grains, sugar, oils and spreads is easiest to begin with. While you will still eat lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy or dairy alternatives, you’ll eat less of them to keep your protein target the same. [6]

Eating more lean protein can help grow and repair your muscles after intense exercise, and keep you full – so you get fewer cravings between mealtimes. You can find out how much protein you should eat every day for weight loss here. [7]

Risks and limitations of not eating enough calories

A calorie deficit is not about overly restrictive calorie counting or quick results, it’s about losing weight in a sustainable way.

Even on a weight loss program, your body still needs a minimum amount of calories to get enough energy and essential nutrients. Restricting your calorie intake too much can be bad for your overall health, make injuries more likely, and even slow down how quickly your body burns calories (your metabolic rate). [1]

When your body senses that it isn’t getting enough food, it will slow down your metabolic rate to try and save energy. This can often make weight loss more difficult, and may eventually lead to weight gain. [2]

Need help setting your calorie target?

If you need help working out your daily calories to lose weight, Levity's clinical team is here to support you. 

Levity offers weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Compounded Semaglutide. We also offer comprehensive support from an expert clinical team to help you set and achieve your weight loss goals, and lose up to 15% of your body weight. 

Ready to embark on a weight loss journey? You can start a free consultation here.

If you’re already a Levity customer, you can reach out to our team with any questions, any time. You should see the results of eating fewer calories in just a few weeks, and the best way to track your progress is by weighing yourself and measuring your waist weekly. 

Some of our customers find calorie counting difficult. If doing this triggers unhealthy thoughts around eating, or you have ever experienced an eating disorder, please reach out to a member of our team for help with your Levity journey. 

If you need support for an eating disorder, you can find more information here. 

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References

[1] Osilla EV, Sandeep Sharma. Calories [Internet]. Nih.gov. StatPearls Publishing; 2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499909/ 

[2] Most J, Redman LM. Impact of calorie restriction on energy metabolism in humans. Experimental Gerontology. 2020 May;133:110875. 

[3] Kim JY. Optimal diet strategies for weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome [Internet]. 2020 Oct 27;30(1):20–31. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8017325/ 

[4] Ingels JS, Misra R, Stewart J, Lucke-Wold B, Shawley-Brzoska S. The Effect of Adherence to Dietary Tracking on Weight Loss: Using HLM to Model Weight Loss over Time. Journal of diabetes research [Internet]. 2017;2017:6951495. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5568610/ 

[5] Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) | National Agricultural Library [Internet]. www.nal.usda.gov. Available from: https://www.nal.usda.gov/programs/fnic 

[6] Zeratsky K. Here’s an Easy Way to Track Fat in Your Diet [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. 2016. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/fat-grams/faq-20058496 

[7] Cleveland Clinic. 4 Ways Protein Can Help You Shed Pounds [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic. 2022. Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-much-protein-to-eat-to-lose-weight