2000 calories a day to lose weight?

[SaraJS216]

Hi, I've been trying to lose weight for a while since having DD 8 months ago and I'm really struggling, have around 3 stone to lose.
My Fitbit suggests I burn around 2600 cals on an average day (I know this probably isn't very accurate). If I don't eat around 2000 cals a day I'm really hungry and then often end up binging in the evening. I read about people eating 1200 cals a day and I just feel like I would find that impossible. I'm vegetarian but do try and eat lots of protein and fibre to stay full.
Has anyone found they've been able to lose weight eating around 2000 cals a day?!

If someone is very large they can eat quite a high amount of calories and still lose weight. It just has to be less than before.
I would put weight on at 2k calories, but a larger person might lose on it.

Yes it's possible but slow. A pound (lb) equates to 3,500 calories, so you're looking at a pound a week weight loss.

healthyeater.com/important-tool-weight-loss

@SausagePourHomme

Your tdee is around 1950 at that height and weight, unless you are very active.

Reach 1lb Weight loss requires a deficit of 3500 cals, so to lose 1lb a week, 500 calorie deficit a day would give you a calorie budget of 1450 per day. At 2000 you will stay the same weight.

You're lucky, i get 1200!

Agree with the points about eating protein to feel full. And be really precise about your counting, don't guesstimate or forget about drinks. You will definitely get results.

I have lost over 4 stone just from calorie counting this way and it costs me nothing. I love it

If she burns 2600 a day her TDEE is 2600 Her BMR may be 1950 but that's an irrelevant statistic here

@Crazycrazylady

Honestly unless you are very obese, most women will find it difficult to lose weight eating 2000 calories . I need to eat 1200 calories a week to lose a pound and I'm 11 stone.

She weighs over 3stone more than you so yeah

Codenamevillanelle

"If she burns 2600 a day her TDEE is 2600
Her BMR may be 1950 but that's an irrelevant statistic here"

Tdee is total daily energy expenditure. She likely burns 1950 cals a day. Not sure where 2600 came from?

Most men don't need 2600 cals a day. 2000 per day, if you're not exercising loads or very tall, is maintenance or above for most women

@SausagePourHomme

Codenamevillanelle

"If she burns 2600 a day her TDEE is 2600
Her BMR may be 1950 but that's an irrelevant statistic here"

Tdee is total daily energy expenditure. She likely burns 1950 cals a day. Not sure where 2600 came from?

Most men don't need 2600 cals a day. 2000 per day, if you're not exercising loads or very tall, is maintenance or above for most women

It came from her OP! I know what TDEE is. I don't know why you have decided hers is 1950. She's over 14 stone and if she exercises she absolutely will be burning around 2600. I am 14 stone and my TDEE is between 2300-2500 average depending how much I burn. I lose weight when I eat 1900-2000. I really don't understand why you are making claims based on no information at all, it's very strange

Everyone’s requirements are different, and whilst working out a TDEE using an internet algorithm is a useful starting point, it’s not necessarily completely accurate. Ditto the data on calories burned on your Fitbit. A certain amount of trial and error is required to find what works for you.

Based on your height/weight/activity levels I’d say you could possibly start doing 2000kcals a day for about 3 weeks and see what happens. If you don’t lose any weight then drop it to 1800kcals for a few weeks and reassess again.

If you do lose on 2000, when that stops (as your weight goes down you will require less calories) then drop to 1800 at that point. And so on.

What I will echo though is that you need to log every single morsel that passes your lips as it’s very easy to consume hundreds of calories more than you think you have by not counting that squirt of mayonnaise, or the sugar/milk in your cuppa, the last half of a fish finger of of your child’s plate etc.

As a PP says, basic maths tells us that if you are in a true deficit then you will lose weight, but there is a real difference between thinking you are eating 2000 calories (for example) and actually eating 2000 calories.

Thanks for the advice all it's much appreciated 😊 @BasinHaircut as much as I dislike the heavy focus on it, when I calorie count I make sure it's very precise!

codenamevillanelle - i see now, it is in the OP. I think it's wrong though. I calulcated it with another tdee calculator to be 1950 which for an average-ish height woman sounds more realistic than 2600.

@SausagePourHomme

codenamevillanelle - i see now, it is in the OP. I think it's wrong though. I calulcated it with another tdee calculator to be 1950 which for an average-ish height woman sounds more realistic than 2600.

Have you read my post? She weighs over 14st and exercises regularly. There is no way her TDEE is under 2000. Mine is close to 2500 when I exercise regularly. I lost 1.5 stone eating 2000 a day. You're simply wrong here. You're applying generalised data to a specific situation that doesn't meet that specification. It's bizarre and I don't know why you are insisting on doing it.

Here you go @SausagePourHomme

Actually she's 203 lbs, and of course she may be under 35 which would give her even more

I’m 5ft9, and I’ve gone from 14stone to 12stone 8 eating on average 1500 cals a day, 10k steps and 3 workouts a week. My Fitbit says I burn 2500-3000 cals a day, but I’m not sure how accurate that is because I don’t lose at much more than I’m eating now. However what I will say is you need to eat tons of protein - lowering your calories is sooo much easier when you focus on protein. You’re just not hungry.

@CodenameVillanelle Thankyou that's really useful. And yes I'm under 35

why on earth be so angry. it's ok to disagree.

@SausagePourHomme

why on earth be so angry. it's ok to disagree.

Not angry but irritated. It's fine to disagree but this isn't a difference of opinion, you're posting things that are factually wrong and contribute to misinformation about weight loss that leads to people failing when they try to eat too little to fuel their bodies because they are following a one size fits all plan.

I'm 5 ft 6 and in September, 3 months after my son was born I weighed 15 stone 2 and couldn't close my size 14 clothes.

I've done Noom with little exercise since (lots of walking but no classes) and initially set myself 2400 calories a day. I was breastfeeding at that stage and managed to lose weight slowly and steadily.

I stopped breastfeeding and now have 2000 calories and am still losing weight albeit slowly. I am currently 13 stone 7 and fit comfortably into my pre-pregnancy size 14s, a bit of a way to go before the size 12s fit but am going in the right direction.

Everyone has a different body type and so I guess lots of people wouldn't lose weight having 2000 calories, but clearly it's possible! Best of luck!

@Jigglemonster Thankyou, and well done on the weight loss 😊

Check out Dan Wheeler on you tube and TikTok. He says women shouldn’t be on less than 1600 to lose weight. He shows you how to work out your calorie defecit in a YouTube video. He speaks the truth.
He berates a lot of apps such as MFP for having women on 1200 calories

@Mummyme87

Check out Dan Wheeler on you tube and TikTok. He says women shouldn’t be on less than 1600 to lose weight. He shows you how to work out your calorie defecit in a YouTube video. He speaks the truth. He berates a lot of apps such as MFP for having women on 1200 calories

Very short and inactive women will need to go under 1600 to lose weight if they don't have much to lose, but then arguably they should get more active and eat more I guess

I would gain on 2000cal

fit bit vastly overestimates calories ime.
for a week log every calorie passing your lips. including drinks.
my fitness pal is much more acurate (but careful with the american entries).
you also need to find out your tdee (calculators online) and go from there.

2000 calories is a very high amount for most women. I would certainly gain on that.

Less than 1600 may indeed be the right amount if you are peri or post menopause.

There are various TDEE calculators online, that aren't perfect, but are likely to be better than a Fitbit

And measuring everything for a while is really necessary, to make sure that you're not over-eating by underestimating potion sizes. Also making sure you're including everything (from the splash of olive oil via the mine-swept chips to the broken biscuit that doesn't really count)

And even once you have got your eye in for measured portion sizes, stil, do the odd test measuring from time to time - it creeps up really easily

@AuntieStella

2000 calories is a very high amount for most women. I would certainly gain on that.

Less than 1600 may indeed be the right amount if you are peri or post menopause.

There are various TDEE calculators online, that aren't perfect, but are likely to be better than a Fitbit

And measuring everything for a while is really necessary, to make sure that you're not over-eating by underestimating potion sizes. Also making sure you're including everything (from the splash of olive oil via the mine-swept chips to the broken biscuit that doesn't really count)

And even once you have got your eye in for measured portion sizes, stil, do the odd test measuring from time to time - it creeps up really easily

It's so unhelpful to make blanket statements like this and leads to overweight women restricting far too much because they internalise the idea that they are 'greedy' or doing it wrong if they eat 2000 calories even if that leads to a 500+ calorie deficit. The important thing is to look at your OWN statistics and follow a plan that is tailored for you.

@MazekeenSmith

That's why I mentioned TDEE calculators - but you're right I should perhaps have stressed more that they find out their individual requirements.

But the 2000 calories somehow being right or even ok is a myth:

fitfolk.com/2000-calories-a-day-women/

• calorie needs acriss a population form a curve with considerable variation.

Please also note that the NHS recommends women diet on 1400 calories a day (men 1900)

If a people steer decides to go with a different figure, it might be helpful to understand what research it was based on, and why it is at variance with the (also evidence-based) NHS advice.