Depending on age and activity levels, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans estimate caloric needs range from 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for adult women and 2,000 to 3,200 calories per day for adult men. A realistic and sustainable weight loss goal is to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week.

According to the USDA, adult females need to consume between 1,600 and 2,200 calories each day. The average male requires between 2,200 and 3,000 calories. These are just guidelines, and while most people may fall within these ranges, you might not.

Everyday Health’s weight loss calculator, developed by registered dietitian-nutritionists (RDNs) and the team at Lose It!, provides personalized daily calorie goals. The calculator suggests minimum daily calorie intakes of 1,200 for women, 1,350 for nonbinary individuals, and 1,500 for men.

Research analysed by the US Department for Heath and Human Services has shown that women tend to consume around 200 calories less in their 30s than they do in their 20s, and women 50-60 plus consume between 200-400 calories less than they do in their 20s, depending on how active their lifestyle is.