Calories to lose weight for a 59 kg man
About 1,900 kcal on training days and 1,750 kcal on rest days, with 120 g protein, if you are 26, 172 cm and train 3–5 days a week. Your maintenance is about 2,387 kcal.
How the number is worked out
- Resting energy (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 × 59 + 6.25 × 172 − 5 × 26 + 5 = 1,540 kcal.
- Times 1.55 for moderate activity = 2,387 kcal to stay the same weight.
- Minus 500 kcal to lose weight, rounded to 50 = 1,900 kcal. Rest days are 150 kcal lower.
- Protein at 2 g per kg = 120 g. Fat at 25% of calories = 55 g. Carbs fill the rest: 230 g.
By how active you are
| Activity | Maintain | Training day | Rest day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk job, little exercise | 1,848 | 1,350 | 1,200 |
| Light: 1–3 workouts a week | 2,118 | 1,600 | 1,450 |
| Moderate: 3–5 workouts a week | 2,387 | 1,900 | 1,750 |
| Active: 6–7 hard sessions a week | 2,657 | 2,150 | 2,000 |
By age (moderately active)
| Age | Resting | Maintain | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1,570 | 2,434 | 1,950 |
| 26 | 1,540 | 2,387 | 1,900 |
| 30 | 1,520 | 2,356 | 1,850 |
| 35 | 1,495 | 2,317 | 1,800 |
| 40 | 1,470 | 2,279 | 1,800 |
| 50 | 1,420 | 2,201 | 1,700 |
Height matters too: every 5 cm taller adds about 31 kcal to resting energy, or about 50 kcal a day at moderate activity.
What to expect
A 500 kcal daily gap is about 0.5 kg of fat a week, so losing 5 kg takes roughly 11 weeks. Expect the scale to jump around by 1 kg from water and salt; judge the trend over 2–3 weeks.
A vegetarian Indian day at this target
This day lands at 1,907 kcal and 119 g protein. Most of the protein comes from whey shake (with water) (48 g), besan chilla (11 g), rajma (11 g).
| Food | Portion | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 239 | 11 g | |
| Besan chilla | 2 chilla | 239 | 11 g |
| Lunch | 584 | 25 g | |
| Rajma | 1 katori | 209 | 11 g |
| Roti | 3 roti | 297 | 10 g |
| Cucumber raita | 1 katori | 78 | 4 g |
| Evening snack | 432 | 57 g | |
| Chana chaat | 1 katori | 192 | 9 g |
| Whey shake (with water) | 2 scoops | 240 | 48 g |
| Dinner | 652 | 26 g | |
| Dal makhani | 1 katori | 212 | 10 g |
| Lauki sabzi | 1 katori | 63 | 2 g |
| Plain rice | 1 katori | 195 | 5 g |
| Paneer bhurji | ½ katori | 138 | 8 g |
| Curd | ½ katori | 45 | 2 g |
| Day total | 1,907 | 119 g | |