Mifflin-st-jeor

NICE recommends a 500–600 kcal/day deficit for sustainable weight loss at 0.5–1 kg/week. The appropriate absolute calorie intake varies by TDEE (calculated from body weight, height, age, and activity level). This article covers TDEE calculation, deficit sizing evidence, and practical floors.

Calorie targets for weight loss require calculating TDEE using Mifflin-St Jeor (most validated equation), then applying a deficit of 500–750 kcal/day for NICE-recommended 0.5–1 kg/week loss. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day (women), 1,500 kcal/day (men) without supervision. Metabolic adaptation (Leibel 1995: −250 kcal/day after 10% loss) requires recalculation every 5–10 kg. This article provides the calculation framework and worked examples.