How many calories to lose 20 pounds?

There is no single calorie number to lose 20 pounds, because it depends on your body and how fast you want to get there. What there is, is a simple way to work it out.

First you find your maintenance calories, the amount you burn in a day. Then you eat a bit under that. A 500 calorie daily deficit is the one I reach for first, because it lines up with about a pound of fat a week and it is small enough that most people can actually live on it.

At a pound a week, 20 pounds takes roughly 20 weeks. That feels slow written down. In practice it is the pace that tends to still be working in month five, which is the whole point.

A few honest caveats. The first week or two often drops faster because some of it is water, so do not anchor to that. Your maintenance number also drifts down a little as you get lighter, so recheck it every 10 to 15 pounds. And the deficit only counts if it is real, which is where honest tracking earns its keep.

The numbers above are one example. Put your own weight, height, age, and activity into the calculator and it gives you your version.