Determining How Many Calories to Reduce For Safe Weight Loss

Determining How Many Calories to Reduce For Safe Weight Loss

To achieve peak performance, most athletes strive to reach their ideal body weight during the competitive season. Making weight is particularly important for weightlifters, boxers, and other athletes who compete in specific weight classes.

While losing fat weight may be a training goal, cutting too many calories can adversely affect an athlete's performance, as well as his or her health. Weight control calculators are useful tools that provide an estimate of the number of calories needed daily and are, therefore, a means of planning safe weight reduction.

Using these calculators, find your daily caloric expenditure by simply adding (1) Resting Calories and (2) Activity Calories:

1. The Basal Energy Expenditure (B.E.E.) Calculator. This represents the number of calories you need just to live all day at rest. www-users.med.cornell.edu/~spon/picu/calc/beecalc.htm

2. The Activity Calculator. This represents the number of calories you expend with daily activity. primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/jumpsite/calculat.htm

Example: If you expend 1,500 resting calories and 1,000 activity calories each day, you would expend a total of 2,500 calories. How many calories should you cut each day to lose weight safely?

It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat. A deficit of 500 calories per day (by cutting food intake and/or increasing activity) would result in a loss of 1 lb. per week--a reasonable plan for the athlete in this example. But cutting 1,000 calories per day would likely not support this athlete's energy needs. In time, inadequate caloric intake could result in poor performances, weakness, and related health issues.

Reducing calories by 15-20% below your daily caloric requirement is reasonable and safe. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), calorie levels should never drop below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,800 calories per day for men.


Dr. Denise K. Wood is an educator and sport and fitness training consultant from Knoxville, TN. The former USA Track and Field champion and exercise science professor has trained a wide range of clients from beginners with special needs to Olympians.

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