2. Set a Healthy Goal

Many dieters set unrealistic goals for weight loss. Many more simply don’t know how much food they should be eating to lose weight. Many nutrition experts believe that losing one pound a week is a reasonable goal for sustainable weight loss. So how many calories should you eat to lose one pound a week at your current activity level? The truth is there are many complex formulas to determine a healthy caloric intake for weight loss, accounting for various factors such as your lean body mass, daily activity levels, age and race. However, a simplified calculation of 10 calories per pound of bodyweight per day can provide a good rule of thumb (daily calories = 10 x bodyweight in pounds).

For example, using this formula, a 150 pound woman should consume 1,500 calories per day (10 x 150 = 1,500) to lose weight. This would create a daily calorie deficit of approximately 500 calorie compared to the generally recommended daily allowance of 2,000 calories a day, and could support weight loss of one pound of fat per week.