How Many Calories Should You Consume to Lose Weight?

There is no single calorie figure that works for everyone. Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) — the number of calories your body burns in a day — depends on several factors working together:

• Basal metabolic rate (BMR): The calories your body needs just to keep basic functions running at rest. Larger bodies and those with more muscle generally have a higher BMR.
• Activity level: How much you move, exercise, and generally stay active throughout the day adds on top of your BMR.
• Age and hormones: Metabolic rate tends to shift over time, meaning calorie needs can change even if your lifestyle stays the same.
• Body composition: Muscle tissue burns more energy than fat tissue, so two people at the same weight can have meaningfully different calorie needs.

To lose weight, most general guidance suggests consuming somewhere below your TDEE — often in the range of 1,500–2,000 kcal per day for many adults, though individual needs vary considerably. Very low intakes (commonly under 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men) are generally not recommended without clinical supervision, as they can be difficult to sustain and may fall short of essential nutrients.

For a more personalised starting estimate, our daily calorie target guide walks through how these numbers are calculated, and you can get a figure tailored to your inputs with the calories-to-consume calculator. You can also explore how individual daily targets are built using our guide to calories per day for weight loss.

On Mounjaro or Wegovy, many people find their appetite is noticeably reduced, which can make eating within a calorie range feel less of a struggle — but it can also make it harder to tell whether you are eating enough protein and nutrients. That balance is where tracking genuinely earns its place.

Knowing your calorie target is one thing; consistently hitting it is another — especially when appetite changes day to day on a GLP-1 medicine. GLP Trackr's AI food photo scanner makes logging what you eat as simple as pointing your camera at a meal: the app estimates calories, protein, and macros instantly, without manual entry.

You can set a personalised daily calorie target inside the app, and your food log feeds directly into it so you can see at a glance where you stand throughout the day. Protein targets sit alongside calories, which matters on a GLP-1 journey where eating less makes hitting your protein goal harder. The app's daily check-in also captures weight, energy, and food-noise levels — so over time you can see how your calorie intake actually relates to your progress, not just in theory but in your own data.

For a broader view of all the numbers involved in weight management on this journey, the GLP Trackr calorie calculator hub brings together the tools and guidance in one place.

GLP Trackr helps you record what you eat and spot patterns — it is not a substitute for advice from your prescriber or doctor, who can give guidance tailored to your full health picture. If you have any concerns about how much you are eating or your rate of progress, speak with your healthcare professional.

Ready to put a number to your daily goal and actually track it? Download GLP Trackr on the App Store or Google Play — your first 7 days are completely free.