The number of calories you should eat to get down to 150 pounds depends on how much you currently weigh. Women should not eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, and men should not eat fewer than 1,500 calories a day, unless under the supervision of a health professional.
Maintaining Weight
The first step to getting down to 150 pounds is to calculate how many calories you are currently eating. Multiply your weight by 15 if you are moderately active and by 13 if you are inactive. This will give you the calories you need to maintain your current weight.
Create a Calorie Deficit
To create a deficit, decrease the calories you consume by 500 to 1,000 each day. This will allow you to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, which is a safe rate of weight loss, according to the Harvard Medical School.
Using the Formula
If you weigh 200 pounds and walk 30 minutes a day, you would need 3,000 calories each day to maintain that weight. To lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you should eat 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day. If you are less active, requiring 2,600 calories for maintenance, decrease your intake to between 1,600 and 2,100 calories a day.
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