The human body needs a certain amount of calories just to function. According to the Mayo Clinic, the basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the amount of calories needed for autonomic functions such as blood flow, breathing and digestion. Your BMR depends on your weight, age and gender. On average, the body utilizes between 60 percent and 75 percent of the daily calorie intake for metabolism.
Maintenance
To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you use in a day. In addition to your basic metabolic needs, the body uses calories for energy to perform daily activities and to exercise. To find out if a 1,500 to 2,000 calorie diet will help you lose weight, you must factor in the level of exercise you perform each day. For example, according to the American Cancer Society, a 160-pound woman who walks about two miles a day in addition to regular daily activities needs about 2,500 calories to maintain her weight.
Function
There are about 3,500 calories in one pound. Reducing daily calorie intake by 500 calories a day, seven days a week, should result in a one pound per week loss. The 160-pound woman can eat 2,000 calories a day without doing any additional exercise and lose one pound per week. She can utilize the 1,500-calorie diet to lose two pounds per week.
Considerations
Prior to launching a successful 1,500 to 2,000 calorie diet however, calorie consumption must be lowered to maintenance levels if it is consistently higher. For example, the same 160-pound woman who eats an average of 3,000 calories per day will gain approximately one pound per week, so initially reducing caloric intake only 500 calories will not necessarily result in significant weight loss.
Warning
A 1,500 to 2,000-calorie diet should consist of foods from the major food groups. According to the National Institutes of Health, women should not eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day without medical supervision to maintain vital body functions. Men should not consume fewer than 1,500 calories to stay healthy.
Misconceptions
Contrary to the claims of many fad diets, it doesn't matter where the calories come from if your goal is to lose weight. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, calorie reduction is the only sure way to lose weight. In a study where patients consumed high protein and high carbohydrate diets, both lost the same amount of weight when they consumed similar calorie diets. Even a diet high in fat, while providing less food overall, resulted in weight loss when calories were restricted.
Features
While the number of calories is the most important aspect of weight loss, protein and carbohydrates contain fewer calories than fat, meaning you can eat more of them and remain fuller longer. According to Calories Per Hour, a gram of fat equals approximately eight calories. Conversely proteins and carbohydrates carry only about four calories in each gram.
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