How Many Calories Can I Have in a Day?

No single figure applies to everyone. The calories your body uses each day — often called Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — depends on several factors working together:

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): the energy your body needs at rest just to keep basic functions running. Generally higher in taller, heavier, or more muscular people.
• Activity level: movement across the whole day — structured exercise, walking, and general activity all add up. More active people burn more calories.
• Age: metabolic rate tends to decrease gradually with age.
• Sex and body composition: on average, people with more muscle mass have a higher BMR; this is one reason general estimates differ between men and women, though individual variation is wide.

How many calories can a woman have in a day?

General population guidance often cites around 1,600–2,000 kcal as a broad maintenance range for adult women, with lower figures sometimes used as a weight-management starting point. These are population averages — your own number depends on the factors above and should be discussed with your prescriber or a registered dietitian if you want a personalised figure.

How many calories can a man have in a day?

Broad estimates for adult men typically sit around 2,000–2,500 kcal for maintenance. Again, activity level and body composition shift this considerably. A less active man and a highly active woman could have similar daily needs — general ranges only go so far.

How many calories to lose weight?

A moderate calorie deficit — consuming somewhat less than you expend — is the general principle behind weight loss. Many guidelines reference a deficit in the range of 500 kcal per day as a starting point, though what is appropriate for you depends on your starting point, health history, and the guidance of your healthcare team. GLP-1 medicines often reduce appetite, which can naturally create a deficit; your prescriber or doctor is best placed to advise on targets that are safe and appropriate for you specifically.

For more on working out a personalised daily figure, see our calorie calculator for GLP-1 users, or explore how many calories to eat each day on a GLP-1 journey.

Knowing your calorie target is one thing — keeping an accurate daily count is where most people find it hard. GLP Trackr's AI food photo scan makes that significantly easier: point your camera at a meal and the app estimates calories, protein, and macros instantly, without manual entry. For packaged foods, the barcode scanner pulls nutrition data in seconds.

Once you have set a daily calorie target in the app, GLP Trackr tracks your intake against it in real time and surfaces weekly insights — so you can see patterns in how your eating is changing over time, not just a single day's number. The calorie guidance hub has more context on how calorie needs shift on a GLP-1 journey, and how to approach eating less without under-fuelling is worth reading alongside this page.

Tracking what you eat also gives you something concrete to discuss at your next prescriber appointment — especially useful if your appetite has changed significantly since starting treatment.

GLP Trackr provides general information and a tracking tool — it does not give personalised dietary or medical advice. For calorie targets tailored to your health history and treatment plan, speak with your prescriber or doctor.

Ready to see your daily intake clearly? Download GLP Trackr on the App Store or Google Play and start your free 7-day trial — snap your first meal and let the app do the counting.