How Many Calories to Eat to Lose 2 Lbs/Week

Losing 2 pounds per week is the upper limit of what most health professionals consider safe and sustainable. It is an aggressive goal, but it is achievable if you set up your calorie deficit correctly and avoid the common mistakes that lead to muscle loss, metabolic slowdown, and binge cycles.

Here is the math, the strategy, and the reality check you need.

The Basic Math Behind 2 Pounds Per Week

One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. To lose 2 pounds per week, you need a weekly deficit of 7,000 calories, which breaks down to a daily deficit of 1,000 calories.

That deficit comes from your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which is the total number of calories your body burns in a day including exercise. If your TDEE is 2,400 calories, you would eat 1,400 calories per day to create a 1,000-calorie deficit.

But this formula has important caveats.

Why the 3,500 Calorie Rule Is Simplified

The 3,500-calorie rule assumes you are losing pure fat, but in reality, weight loss is a mix of fat, water, and some lean tissue. Early weight loss includes significant water loss (especially if you reduce carbohydrates), which means the first two weeks may show faster results than expected. As you get leaner, fat loss slows down and the same deficit produces smaller scale changes.

This is normal. It does not mean the deficit stopped working.

Calculating Your Personal Calorie Target

You need two numbers: your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your TDEE.

Step 1: Find Your BMR

Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest, just keeping you alive. It accounts for about 60 to 70 percent of your daily calorie burn. Factors include your age, sex, height, and weight.

Use our BMR calculator to get an accurate estimate based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research shows is the most accurate formula for most adults.

Step 2: Determine Your TDEE

Multiply your BMR by an activity factor:

• Sedentary (desk job, no exercise): BMR x 1.2
• Lightly active (exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderately active (exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
• Very active (exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725

Our daily calorie calculator handles this calculation and factors in your weight loss goal.

Step 3: Subtract 1,000

Your daily calorie target for 2 pounds per week of loss is TDEE minus 1,000. However, there is an absolute minimum: women should not go below 1,200 calories and men should not go below 1,500 calories per day without medical supervision.

If subtracting 1,000 from your TDEE puts you below these floors, a 2-pound-per-week goal may be too aggressive for you. A 1 to 1.5 pound per week target would be safer and more sustainable.

Macro Balance for Fat Loss, Not Muscle Loss

Eating 1,400 calories of candy would create the same deficit as 1,400 calories of balanced meals, but the results would be drastically different. What you eat matters almost as much as how much you eat.

Protein: The Non-Negotiable Macro

During a calorie deficit, protein is your most important macronutrient. It preserves lean muscle mass, keeps you fuller longer, and has the highest thermic effect (your body burns 20 to 30 percent of protein calories just digesting it).

Aim for 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For a 180-pound person, that is 144 to 180 grams of protein per day. This is not optional if you want to lose fat rather than muscle.

Fat: Essential but Calorie-Dense

Keep fat at 25 to 30 percent of total calories. Fat is essential for hormone production, vitamin absorption, and brain function. Going below 20 percent fat can disrupt hormones, especially in women.

Carbohydrates: Fill in the Rest

After protein and fat are set, remaining calories come from carbohydrates. Prioritize complex carbs (vegetables, whole grains, legumes) over simple carbs. Fiber from these sources supports digestion and satiety.

Use our macro calculator to get personalized macronutrient targets based on your calorie goal.

Meal Timing and Structure

There is no magic meal timing that accelerates fat loss. What matters is finding an eating pattern you can sustain consistently.

That said, distributing protein evenly across meals (30 to 40 grams per meal for three meals) maximizes muscle protein synthesis compared to eating most of your protein at dinner. This becomes especially important during a calorie deficit when your body is more likely to break down muscle for energy.

Sample Day at 1,600 Calories

• Breakfast (400 cal): 3 scrambled eggs, 1 slice whole grain toast, 1/2 avocado
• Lunch (450 cal): Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, chickpeas, olive oil dressing
• Dinner (500 cal): Baked salmon, roasted broccoli, 1/2 cup brown rice
• Snack (250 cal): Greek yogurt with berries and a handful of almonds

Breaking Through Plateaus

After 4 to 6 weeks of consistent deficit, weight loss often stalls. This is metabolic adaptation, not failure. Your body has adjusted to the lower calorie intake by slightly reducing non-exercise activity and hormonal metabolic rate.

Strategies that work:

1. Diet break: Eat at maintenance calories (your current TDEE) for one to two weeks, then resume the deficit. This helps reset hunger hormones.
2. Adjust your TDEE: Recalculate based on your new, lower body weight. A 20-pound lighter person burns fewer calories.
3. Increase non-exercise activity: Walk more throughout the day. Aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps. This can add 200 to 400 calories of daily energy expenditure.
4. Add resistance training: Building or preserving muscle keeps your metabolic rate higher during a deficit.
5. Check for calorie creep: After several weeks, portion sizes tend to drift upward. Weigh food for a few days to recalibrate.

When 2 Pounds Per Week Is Too Aggressive

This rate of loss is not appropriate for everyone. Consider a slower approach if:

• You are already at a relatively lean body composition (under 25% body fat for women, under 18% for men)
• You have a history of eating disorders or disordered eating
• Your calculated calorie target falls below the minimum safe threshold
• You experience persistent fatigue, hair loss, or loss of menstrual periods
• You are under 18 or over 70

A slower rate of 0.5 to 1 pound per week preserves more muscle, feels more sustainable, and reduces the risk of rebound weight gain. The best deficit is the one you can actually maintain for months.

The Bottom Line

To lose 2 pounds per week, create a 1,000-calorie daily deficit from your TDEE, keep protein high, and never go below minimum calorie floors. Track your intake, weigh food when possible, and recalculate your targets every 10 to 15 pounds lost. Most importantly, if the pace feels unsustainable, slow down. Losing 1 pound per week for a year beats losing 2 pounds per week for three weeks and then quitting.