Women should start off with a 1000–1200 calorie/day diet.279 Men should start off with a 1200–1600 calorie/day diet. Women over 165 pounds or who exercise regularly may also start off with a 1200–1600 calorie/day diet. If you are losing weight but are hungry, increase your caloric intake by 100–200 calories a day. In no case should you consume fewer than 800 calories a day—you need at least 800 calories a day to stay healthy and prevent muscle breakdown.
You should lose 1–2 pounds a week. Don’t lose more than 2 pounds a weeks—it isn’t healthy. For example, people who lose weight too fast can get gallstone disease.
If you are overweight but not obese (BMI 25–29.9), you may lose 1⁄2 pound a week. People who are overweight but not obese do not need to lose weight as quickly as obese people.
If you are not losing weight or are losing less than 1 pound a week, decrease the number of calories you are consuming. You can decrease the number of calories you are consuming by either decreasing the amount of food you are eating or by avoiding foods with a caloric density greater than 2.
If you are losing more than 2 pounds a week, increase the number of calories you are consuming. You can do this by either increasing the amount of food you are eating or by eating some foods with a caloric density between 2 and 3.
Of course, you should weigh yourself at least once a week so that you can adjust the amount of calories you are consuming appropriately.
Your initial goal should be to lose about 10% of your body weight in 6 months to a year. For example if you weigh 200 pounds in January, your goal should be to weigh 180 pounds in July.
Once you reach a normal BMI (that is, a BMI of 18.5-24.9), gradually increase the number of calories you are consuming until your weight stabilizes.