Deficitly
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How much weight will I lose eating 1,500 calories a day?
Eating 1,500 calories a day, most women lose about 0.2–0.6 kg a week and most men about 0.7–1.3 kg a week, at 6,000 steps a day. The bigger and more active you are, the faster it goes, because 1,500 is further below what you burn.
Weekly and monthly loss on 1,500 calories
| Person | Burn | Per week | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 60 kg 132 lb | 1,690 | 0.17 kg0.4 lb | 0.7 kg1.6 lb |
| Woman, 70 kg 154 lb | 1,830 | 0.30 kg0.7 lb | 1.3 kg2.9 lb |
| Woman, 80 kg 176 lb | 1,980 | 0.44 kg1.0 lb | 1.9 kg4.2 lb |
| Woman, 95 kg 209 lb | 2,200 | 0.63 kg1.4 lb | 2.8 kg6.1 lb |
| Man, 80 kg 176 lb | 2,300 | 0.72 kg1.6 lb | 3.1 kg6.9 lb |
| Man, 90 kg 198 lb | 2,440 | 0.86 kg1.9 lb | 3.7 kg8.2 lb |
| Man, 100 kg 220 lb | 2,590 | 0.99 kg2.2 lb | 4.3 kg9.5 lb |
| Man, 120 kg 265 lb | 2,880 | 1.26 kg2.8 lb | 5.5 kg12.1 lb |
Why the same 1,500 works so differently
Weight loss comes from the gap between what you eat and what you burn. A smaller woman may burn only 1,800 calories a day, so 1,500 is a gentle deficit. A big, active man may burn 2,800, so 1,500 is a large one. For the heaviest men in the table it's faster than 1% of body weight a week, more than Deficitly would plan.
Is 1,500 calories too low?
For women it's above the usual 1,200-calorie minimum. For men it is the minimum Deficitly suggests (1,500). If you're tall or active, a higher number may lose weight at a pace that's easier to keep: see how many calories to eat to lose weight.
Most people eat more than they count
Studies regularly find people underestimate what they eat by 10–30%: oils, drinks, tastes while cooking. If you aren't losing on "1,500", it's more likely the count than your metabolism. Give it 3–4 weeks and trust the scale trend.
Make the 1,500 count
Protein first: it keeps you full and protects muscle. Around 100 g a day fits easily in 1,500 calories. See how much protein to eat when losing weight, and if you're thinking of going lower, whether 1,200 calories is safe.