targets · a starting number, not a sentence
How Many Calories Should You Eat to Lose Weight?
There is no single magic number, and anyone who hands you one without knowing your size, age, and activity is guessing. The honest version is a two-step process: estimate the calories you burn in a day, then eat a little below that. The "little" matters more than people think — a gentle, livable gap beats an aggressive one you abandon in three weeks. The number is a starting point you refine, not a target you owe anyone.
What it actually looks like
Start from your maintenance calories (your TDEE) — our free TDEE and calorie-deficit calculators do the arithmetic in a few seconds. From there, a deficit of roughly 250–500 calories a day is the sweet spot for most people: it lines up with about 0.25–0.5 kg (0.5–1 lb) of fat loss a week, slow enough to protect muscle and your sanity. We don’t suggest going below about 1,200 calories a day without professional guidance. Then the real test begins: eating near that number consistently, which is far harder than calculating it.
The specifics (no invented numbers)
Treat the first number as a hypothesis. Eat close to it for two or three weeks, watch the weekly trend rather than daily noise (water and food weight swing pounds), and adjust by 100–200 calories if nothing moves. As you lose weight your burn drops, so a target that worked at the start becomes maintenance later — recalculate every 4–5 kg or so. None of this requires perfection; it requires a number you can actually see yourself hitting most days, and an honest record of what you ate against it.
The kind version (nothing resets)
In Calorie Puzzle the target is context, not a cage. Snap a photo and you get an honest range you can correct in a tap, not a falsely exact figure or a red "over budget" alarm when a meal runs rich. Miss a few days and nothing resets to zero — there is no streak to break, because guilt has never helped anyone eat better. The point is to help you understand your eating well enough to nudge it, gently.
Honest disclaimer — please read
This is general fitness information, not medical advice or a diet you’re obligated to follow. A calorie target is wrong for some people: if you have any history of disordered eating, please don’t use one — counting, even gently, can be a genuine trigger, and intuitive eating with a qualified professional is the safer path. Your wellbeing matters more than any number, and we’d honestly rather you close this tab than be harmed by it.
🧩 It never resets on you
Calorie Puzzle is the calorie app for people who quit calorie apps. Snap a meal and a puzzle piece falls into place — nothing resets, no red numbers, no broken-streak shame. The AI gives you an honest range you can correct in a tap, so a fuzzy guess never turns into a guilt trip.
Join the Calorie Puzzle waitlist →Questions
- Is 1,200 calories a good target?
- For many adults it’s too low — it’s a floor, not a goal. Most people lose steadily on a 250–500 calorie deficit from their maintenance, which is usually well above 1,200. Going lower mainly costs you energy, muscle, and adherence.
- How fast should I lose weight?
- About 0.25–0.5 kg (0.5–1 lb) a week is sustainable for most people. Faster looks great for a month and then stalls, because aggressive deficits are hard to keep and burn muscle. Slow and boring wins.
This is gentle awareness content to help you think it through — not a diet, not medical advice, and not a target you're meant to hit. If you have any history of disordered eating, please don't use a calorie tool; talk to a doctor or qualified professional about what's right for you. Your wellbeing matters more than any number.