How Much Should I Eat To Lose Weight If My BMR Is 1400?
Get specific calorie recommendations for weight loss when your BMR is 1,400 calories, including activity adjustments.
First, Calculate Your TDEE
Your BMR is 1,400, but you need to find your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) before setting calorie targets. Multiply your BMR by your activity factor:
Sedentary (desk job, little exercise): 1,400 × 1.2 = 1,680 calories/day
Lightly Active (light exercise 1-3 days/week): 1,400 × 1.375 = 1,925 calories/day
Moderately Active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): 1,400 × 1.55 = 2,170 calories/day
Very Active (intense exercise 6-7 days/week): 1,400 × 1.725 = 2,415 calories/day
Your TDEE is how many calories you actually burn each day, including all activities.
How Much To Eat For Weight Loss
To lose weight, eat 300-500 calories below your TDEE. Here's what that looks like for each activity level:
If you're Sedentary (TDEE = 1,680): Eat 1,180-1,380 calories per day
If you're Lightly Active (TDEE = 1,925): Eat 1,425-1,625 calories per day
If you're Moderately Active (TDEE = 2,170): Eat 1,670-1,870 calories per day
If you're Very Active (TDEE = 2,415): Eat 1,915-2,115 calories per day
This will result in losing approximately 0.5-1 pound per week, which is healthy and sustainable.
Example Meal Plan Structure
Let's say you're lightly active and eating 1,500 calories per day. Here's a simple way to structure your meals:
Breakfast (350 calories): 2 eggs scrambled with vegetables and 1 slice whole wheat toast
Lunch (450 calories): Grilled chicken salad with lots of veggies, olive oil dressing, and quinoa
Dinner (500 calories): Baked salmon, roasted broccoli, and sweet potato
Snacks (200 calories): Greek yogurt and an apple, or protein shake
This keeps you satisfied throughout the day while maintaining your deficit. Focus on protein (lean meats, eggs, fish, tofu) and vegetables to stay full.
What If You're Not Losing Weight?
Track your weight for 3 weeks using weekly averages (weigh daily, average each week, compare week-to-week).
If your weekly average isn't decreasing after 3 weeks:
Option 1: Reduce calories by 100-150 per day and monitor for another 2 weeks
Option 2: Increase activity (add 2,000-3,000 steps per day or one extra workout)
Don't panic if the scale doesn't move for 1 week—water weight fluctuates. Look for trends over 2-3 weeks.
If you're losing more than 2 pounds per week, eat 100-200 more calories to slow the rate and protect muscle.