How Many Calories Should A 150 Pound Woman Eat To Lose Weight?— Calorie counting is often one of the most crucial parts of any weight loss plan. But many people fail to realize that they can lose weight by cutting calories while simultaneously gaining muscle (if you lift weights). And as a long-term strategy, this works much better than simply cutting calories and losing muscle. This article explains how you can count calories properly to lose weight.
How Many Calories Should A 150 Pound Woman Eat To Lose Weight

You may maintain a healthy weight by eating the same number of calories each day as you burn off.
Calorie requirements vary from person to person, and the precise amount you require to maintain your weight depends on your age, degree of exercise, and body composition. Even though only medical testing can provide an accurate estimate of your daily caloric expenditure, a fast activity assessment can provide you with a reasonable ballpark figure. You will gain weight if you consume more calories than you expend; you will lose weight if you consume fewer calories. Balance your calorie intake and expenditure in order to maintain your weight.
Calorie Expenditure
A 150-pound woman burns around 2,045 calories per day with a sedentary lifestyle that involves little physical exercise outside routine duties like walking through a parking lot. She burns 2,386 calories a day with little exercise, which is equal to leisurely strolling two miles. She burns 2,523 calories per day with a moderately active lifestyle that includes brisk walking, yoga, dance, or other moderate cardio three to five times per week. She also burns 3,000 calories per day with her high activity level, which includes strenuous activities like running or playing team sports most days of the week. Up to 3,477 calories can be burned per day by competitive endurance athletes.
Calorie counting made easy
Eat less, exercise more. If only it were that simple! As most dieters know, losing weight can be very challenging. As this report details, a range of influences can affect how people gain and lose weight. But a basic understanding of how to tip your energy balance in favor of weight loss is a good place to start.
Start by determining how many calories you should consume each day. To do so, you need to know how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Doing this requires a few simple calculations.
First, multiply your current weight by 15 — that’s roughly the number of calories per pound of body weight needed to maintain your current weight if you are moderately active. Moderately active means getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day in the form of exercise (walking at a brisk pace, climbing stairs, or active gardening). Let’s say you’re a woman who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 155 pounds, and you need to lose about 15 pounds to put you in a healthy weight range. If you multiply 155 by 15, you will get 2,325, which is the number of calories per day that you need in order to maintain your current weight (weight-maintenance calories). To lose weight, you will need to get below that total.
For instance, your food intake should offer 500–1,000 less calories than your total weight-maintenance calories if you want to lose 1–2 pounds each week, which is a rate that experts consider safe. Reduce your daily calorie intake to between 1,325 and 1,825 if you require 2,325 calories to maintain your present weight. You will also need to include additional action in your day if you are a sedentary person. Try to engage in at least 30 minutes of physical exercise most days and lower your daily calorie intake by at least 500 calories if you want to lose at least one pound every week. However, calorie consumption should never be less than 1,200 for women or 1,500 for men per day unless under the guidance of a medical specialist. By depriving you of essential nutrients, eating too little calories might be dangerous to your health.
Meeting your calorie target
What can you do to reach your daily calorie goal? Counting the calories in each serving of all the items you consume and then planning your meals accordingly is one strategy. You can purchase books that provide serving sizes and calories for a variety of foods. Additionally, all packaged foods and beverages have nutrition labels that list the number of calories in each serving. Make it a point to read the labels of the foods and beverages you consume, taking note of the serving sizes and caloric content. Similar information is included in a lot of recipes that are published in cookbooks, newspapers, and periodicals.
If you dislike tracking calories, a different strategy is to limit the quantity and frequency of your meals and choose low-calorie options. The American Heart Association’s dietary recommendations emphasize employing common sense when selecting foods rather than only paying attention to specifics like total calories or calories from fat. Whatever option you decide on, evidence demonstrates that maintaining a regular eating schedule, with meals and snacks scheduled for specific times each day, is the most effective strategy. The same holds true if you want to keep the weight off once you’ve lost it. Your likelihood of keeping your new weight increases if you follow a strict eating routine.
How Many Calories Should You Eat to Lose Weight?

Calories are typically the focus of any weight loss diet, but just how many calories do you need to lose weight? And is a weight loss diet really as simple as cutting calories?
The standard rule of thumb is that if you eat more calories than you burn in a day, you will gain weight. If you consume fewer calories than your body needs to function in a day, you will lose weight. And if the number of calories you consume and the calories you burn are about equal, your weight will remain about the same. The standard recommendation for healthy adults is to consume 2,000 calories per day.
This broad rule of suggested calories for weight loss, however, does not take health and lifestyle into consideration. The more active you are, the more calories your body needs to function. But if your lifestyle is sedentary, with little regular exercise, your daily calorie requirement is much less.
In addition, there are definite pros and cons to focusing all your attention on calories for weight loss. For example, an intense focus on counting the calories of every meal you eat can be a slippery slope toward disordered eating. If you have a history of disordered eating, a weight-loss diet focused on calories may not be the healthiest option for you. On the other hand, for many people, tracking food and calories is helpful for staying on track with weight loss goals.
So just how many calories should you be eating each day? Let’s break down the general 2,000 calories-per-day rule into more specific terms, step-by-step.
Step 1: Determine the basal metabolic rate (BMR)
The bare minimum of calories your body burns while at rest is known as BMR. This is the minimum number of calories your body requires to perform essential bodily processes like breathing, controlling body temperature, digestion, etc. This is the number of calories your body would require to survive if you stayed in bed all day.
There are variations of the equation used to determine BMR, but one common equation is the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation to estimate BMR. The equation for women looks like this:
(10 x your weight in kilograms) + (6.25 x your height in centimeters) – (5 x your age in years) – 161.
The BMR equation for men is as follows:
(10 x your weight in kilograms) + (6.25 x your height in centimeters) – (5 x your age in years) + 5
The resulting number may not be your exact BMR, which can only be determined in a lab, but gives a general idea of just how many calories your body needs to function at rest.
Step 2: Calculate activity
Now that you know what your BMR is, you need to account for whatever daily physical activity you engage in, from routine walks to your nightly workout class. By factoring in your BMR and level of activity, a calorie calculator can help you determine how many calories you need each day. Since one pound is made up of 3,500 calories, you must burn more than 500 calories every day in order to lose one pound of weight per week.
Although other factors, such as metabolism and muscle mass, may have an impact on how rapidly you lose weight, this formula should only be used as a general guide. Activities can be classified as low (sedentary), moderate, or active in any calorie counter that considers activity.
Sedentary — If your lifestyle is more sedentary and you aren’t typically active outside of work, your daily caloric needs will be less than that of someone who is more active. A sedentary woman needs about 13 calories per pound of body weight to maintain her weight. A sedentary man needs about 15 calories per pound of body weight. To lose weight, you’ll need to cut calories.
Keep in mind that a sedentary lifestyle isn’t healthy for anyone, and increasing your activity level by just a few minutes a day can help reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise each week.
Moderately active — If you are moderately active, you walk the equivalent of 1.5 to three miles per day at a rate of three to four miles per hour, or get about 30 to 45 minutes of moderately intense exercise (such as brisk walking) daily. A woman who is moderately active needs about 15 calories per pound of body weight to maintain weight, while a moderately active man needs about 17 calories per pound of body weight.
Active — An active lifestyle is typically considered getting 60 minutes of moderately intense exercise each day. Active women need about 17 calories per pound of body weight each day to maintain their body weight. Active men need about 18 calories per pound of body weight.
The above recommendations are general guidelines to maintain your body weight. To lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit, either by consuming fewer calories or increasing activity levels.
If you are overweight and trying to lose weight, create a calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose weight at a rate of one pound per week.
Calorie Guidelines for Women
For many girls and women, calorie counting can be a source of focus and irritation. Even if the formulas have been established, calories may still need to be modified for each person based on their genetics, their level of muscle or fat, and other activities besides athletic ones. The number of calories needed to maintain weight varies from woman to woman, and since every body is unique, the amounts will never be exactly the same as they are for other parts of life, such as sleep, exercise, and other activities. However, calorie needs projections can offer useful suggestions.
For calculating calorie requirements, nutritionists have developed a number of complex formulas. The measurements are all expressed in kilograms (kg) of body weight, which is equal to 2.2 pounds per kilogram. There are three formulas that dietitians frequently employ: the Activity Factors, the Total Energy Expenditure Method, and the Harris Benedict. The first two equations only serve as a general reference for calorie requirements because they do not take into consideration additional calories burnt during exercise.
Harris Benedict Equation
Daily calories (kcal) = [447.6 + 9.2 (Weight in kg) + 3.1 (Height in cm) -4.3 (age)] x 1.7
Total Energy Expenditure Method
Daily calories (kcal) = Weight in kg x 40 kcal/kg
To make it easier and more specific to your athletic activity level, measure your weight in pounds by the following numbers based on activity level. Light, for which you multiply your body weight by 13, implies 20 to 30 minutes total aerobic activity a day (heart rate at 65 to 80 percent). Moderate, a factor of 16, implies 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity a day. Heavy, a factor of 19, implies 75 to 90 minutes. Exceptional, a factor of 22, implies more than 2 hours a day.
Activity Factor
Daily Calories = Weight in lbs. x Activity Factor (AF)
Calories Required at Various Body Weights, Based on Activity Level
Weight | Light | Moderate | Heavy | Exceptional |
Pounds | AF* = 13, Light | AF* = 16, Moderate | AF* = 19, Heavy | AF* = 22, Exceptional |
115 | 1,495 | 1,840 | 2,185 | 2,530 |
120 | 1,560 | 1,920 | 2,280 | 2,640 |
125 | 1,625 | 2,000 | 2,375 | 2,750 |
130 | 1,690 | 2,080 | 2,470 | 2,860 |
135 | 1,755 | 2,160 | 2,565 | 2,970 |
140 | 1,820 | 2,240 | 2,660 | 3,080 |
145 | 1,885 | 2,320 | 2,755 | 3,190 |
150 | 1,950 | 2,400 | 2,850 | 3,300 |
155 | 2,015 | 2,480 | 2,945 | 3,410 |
160 | 2,080 | 2,560 | 3,040 | 3,520 |
165 | 2,145 | 2,640 | 3,135 | 3,630 |
170 | 2,210 | 2,720 | 3,230 | 3,740 |
175 | 2,275 | 2,800 | 3,325 | 3,850 |
180 | 2,340 | 2,880 | 3,420 | 3,960 |
185 | 2,405 | 2,960 | 3,515 | 4,070 |
You can have your baseline calorie burning rate measured thanks to modern technologies. Some fitness clubs currently perform this exam. It involves tracking breathing to calculate how much oxygen was consumed in a brief period of time. This estimates your basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body burns during a restful day. The results should only be used as a general guideline until the testing is carried out at a particular physiology lab because they can differ. Your doctor and dietitian work together to make the healthiest determination of your weight, body composition, ideal calorie intake, and activity levels. It is very advised that you speak with both of these medical experts if you need assistance with weight adjustments.
A Balanced Diet
The ideal diet for an active woman includes 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 to 30 percent protein, and 20 to 30 percent fats. To fulfill your vitamin and mineral requirements, a multivitamin is always recommended, and if you do not eat at least four servings of dairy or calcium-fortified foods a day, add a calcium supplement. The best brands are those made by reputable drug companies.
Essential Components of a Healthy Diet
- 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates
- 20 to 30 percent protein
- 20 to 30 percent fat
- Enough calories
- A daily multivitamin
- Four servings of calcium-rich foods or supplements
To make it easy, the following chart breaks down the recommended calories and grams (in parentheses) of each nutrient required for a diet that is 55 percent carbohydrate, 25 percent protein, and 20 percent fat. These numbers are only guidelines, not strict dietary rules, and should be adjusted if you require extra carbohydrates for training (eat slightly less fats and proteins).
Health Benefits of Weight Loss
1. Boosts energy levels
Weight loss can enhance breathing capacity and sleep quality. By losing extra weight, your body will no longer have to exert as much effort to get through the day. You may have increased energy as a result of all these advantages.
Bonus: Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of chronic fatigue syndrome. Woot!
2. Improves cholesterol
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), having high cholesterol is connected with being overweight.According to research, obesity is associated with reduced good cholesterol and greater levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). (HDL).
According to a 2016 study, persons who were overweight or obese could lower their LDL cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors by 5 to 10 percent by decreasing 5 to 10 percent of their body weight. According to a different study, even a 1 to 3 percent weight loss can raise HDL levels.
3. Reduces blood pressure
Experiencing obesity and having overweight can increase your risk of high blood pressure. But remember, a number on the scale isn’t the only thing that counts. It also matters where the weight is placed. A 2018 study found that visceral fat — extra fat around your waist — is particularly dangerous.
4. Improves mobility
Your joints can experience damage if you carry around additional weight. The Arthritis Foundation claims that reducing 10 pounds can relieve your knees of 40 pounds of pressure. More positive news A 2018 study with 174 individuals discovered that rheumatoid arthritis symptoms were lessened by weight loss.
Long-term mobility benefits of weight loss can also be experienced. In a 2017 study, 640 people who were overweight or obese were examined. Over a 4-year period, people who reduced weight exhibited less cartilage degeneration than those who did not.
5. Improves breathing
Losing weight can help you prevent obesity-related breathing conditions like obesity hypoventilation syndrome. This disorder is caused by extra fat on the chest, neck, or abdomen, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Symptoms include feeling out of breath, fatigue, snoring, and headaches.
6. Reduces risk of heart disease or stroke
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases account for 1 in 3 deaths in the United States. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of these conditions.
P.S. It’s also super important to slay a healthy diet and stay active. Your heart will thank you for it
7. Prevents type 2 diabetes
Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, while there are many other factors that contribute to the development of diabetes. When your body doesn’t react to insulin properly, this disorder develops. Your blood glucose levels increase as a result, which makes you more resistant to insulin.
If you’re overweight or obese, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight for your height and body type will help you avoid the condition. If you fall into the high risk category, the American Heart Association estimates that losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can cut your risk of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.
According to research, losing weight can have a significant impact on the management of type 2 diabetes. It can lessen blood glucose levels and reduce insulin resistance, which are crucial components of illness management.