How to Count Calories for Weight Loss or Gain

Calorie counting is one of the most reliable methods for managing body weight. When done correctly, it removes guesswork and gives you direct feedback on whether you are in a deficit, surplus, or maintenance state.

Step 1 — Find Your TDEE

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the number of calories your body burns in a day. It accounts for BMR (resting metabolism) plus physical activity.

Use the Calorie Counter to calculate your TDEE automatically, or estimate it with:

TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier

See the BMR guide for the full formula and activity multipliers.

Step 2 — Set Your Calorie Target

Goal	Adjustment from TDEE	Expected Rate
Fat loss	−300 to −500 kcal/day	~0.3–0.5 kg/week
Aggressive cut	−750 to −1000 kcal/day	~0.75–1 kg/week
Maintenance	±0 kcal/day	Stable weight
Lean bulk	+200 to +300 kcal/day	~0.15–0.25 kg/week

1 kg of fat ≈ 7,700 kcal. A 500 kcal/day deficit = ~1 kg fat loss per 15 days.

Do not go below 1,200 kcal/day (women) or 1,500 kcal/day (men) without medical supervision.

Step 3 — Track Your Intake

Weighing Food

A digital kitchen scale is the most accurate method. Use it for:

Meat, fish, eggs (weigh raw)
Grains, pasta, rice (weigh dry; cooked weights vary with water absorption)
Nuts, oils, sauces (calorically dense; eyeballing leads to large errors)

Reading Labels

Nutrition labels show calories per 100 g and per serving. Always check which is which — "per serving" can be misleading if your portion differs.

Eating Out

Use "medium" estimates from your tracking app. The biggest unknowns in restaurant meals are oil and butter quantities. Budget an extra 100–200 kcal for hidden fats.

Step 4 — Track Macronutrients (Optional but Useful)

Macros are protein, carbohydrates, and fat:

Macro	Calories per gram	Typical target
Protein	4 kcal/g	1.6–2.2 g/kg body weight
Carbohydrate	4 kcal/g	Fill remaining calories
Fat	9 kcal/g	≥ 0.5 g/kg body weight (minimum)

High protein intake (≥ 1.8 g/kg) helps preserve muscle during a calorie deficit and increases satiety.

Common Mistakes

Not weighing — eyeballing portions leads to underestimating intake by 20–50%.
Forgetting drinks — juice, milk, alcohol, and flavoured coffee add significant calories.
Eating back exercise calories — most apps and fitness trackers overestimate burn.
Relying on TDEE too rigidly — recalculate every 3–5 kg of weight change, as TDEE changes with body weight.
Obsessing over daily numbers — look at weekly averages; one "off" day does not derail progress.

How Long to Count?

Most people find that 8–12 weeks of strict tracking builds enough portion-size intuition to maintain results more intuitively. Some continue logging indefinitely; others transition to visual portion control. Both approaches work if energy balance is maintained.