How Many Calories Are Needed Daily To Lose 20 Pounds?

Commit to portion control and planning your meals in advance if you want to manage your calories. Focus on proper nutrition while limiting your consumption of empty calories to reach your 20-lb. weight loss goal. Include your physical activities when you plan your diet strategy. Exercise helps counteract your caloric intake while promoting healthy weight loss.

Significance

Clarifying your goals and expectations up front will help you stay motivated and keep you from getting discouraged. Restricting your caloric intake too severely sabotages your efforts and contributes to an unhealthy cycle of losing and gaining weight. An appropriate calorie goal produces weight loss at a rate of no more than 2 lbs. a week. A daily deficit of 1,000 calories supports weight loss of 2 lbs. weekly, while a 500-calorie deficit equates to a loss of 1 lb. a week. At this rate, expect to reach your 20-lb. goal within 10 to 20 weeks.

Identification

To set a healthy calorie target for weight loss, determine how many calories you need to maintain your weight. One method of estimating your maintenance energy needs is to multiply your weight in pounds by 20 if you exercise at least five times a week, by 17 if you work out three times a week and by 14 if you rarely exercise, according to the National Institutes of Health. Create a daily deficit--subtract as many as 1,000 calories from your maintenance energy needs to lose weight at a healthy rate.

Factors

A calorie deficit results from limiting your caloric intake, expending calories during exercise or a combination of methods, according to the American Council on Exercise. To lose 1 lb. a week, for example, you can decrease your caloric intake by 250 and burn 250 calories during your daily exercise. In addition to promoting weight loss, combining a healthy diet with regular exercise establishes habits important for maintaining long-term weight loss.

Considerations

Set your caloric intake target at a minimum of 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men, advises MedlinePlus. Increase your calorie deficit through exercise rather than eat fewer calories than recommended.

Weight Watchers recommends monitoring your weight loss progress once a week. To get a more accurate measurement of progress, weigh yourself on the same day of the week at the same time while wearing the same, or similar, clothing.

Effects

Losing weight gradually increases your chances of keeping the weight off. Increasing your physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight after weight loss. If you're overweight or obese, losing weight also improves your health and reduces your risk for heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, certain types of cancer and gallstones, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.