If you want to lose weight, counting calories is the most reliable, evidence-based method. Unlike fad diets that restrict entire food groups, calorie counting is flexible, sustainable, and backed by decades of research. Here's exactly how to count calories for weight loss in the UK.
Weight loss boils down to one fundamental principle: calories in vs calories out. When you consistently eat fewer calories than your body burns, you create a calorie deficit, forcing your body to use stored fat for energy.
According to the NHS, creating a deficit of 500 calories per day leads to roughly 0.5kg (1 pound) of weight loss per week. This pace is healthy, sustainable, and helps preserve muscle mass.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total calories you burn each day, including:
Use our free TDEE calculator to find your exact daily calorie burn based on age, weight, height, gender, and activity level.
Average UK guidelines:
Once you know your TDEE, subtract 300-500 calories to create a moderate deficit.
Example: If your TDEE is 2,200 calories, eat 1,700-1,900 calories per day for weight loss.
Why moderate deficits work best:
Warning: Never eat below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) without medical supervision. Extreme deficits slow metabolism and cause muscle loss.
The most important part of calorie counting is accurate tracking. Here's how:
Log every single thing you consume:
This is the #1 factor that determines success. Eyeballing portions leads to 20-40% underestimation of calories.
Buy digital kitchen scales (£10-15 on Amazon) and weigh everything:
Pro tip: Weigh ingredients raw before cooking. Raw chicken has different calorie density than cooked chicken due to water loss.
UK food labels show nutrition per 100g and per serving. Always check the serving size — it's often smaller than you'd actually eat.
Example: A packet of crisps might say "99 calories per serving" but the serving is 25g and the pack contains 50g (2 servings = 198 calories).
Being strict Monday-Friday but relaxed Saturday-Sunday wipes out your weekly deficit. If you're 500 calories under Mon-Fri (2,500 deficit) but 1,000 over on weekends (2,000 surplus), you'll only lose 0.07kg per week instead of 0.5kg.
Gym machines and fitness trackers overestimate calories burned by 20-30%. Don't "eat back" all your exercise calories. Be conservative.
A 90kg person burns more calories than an 80kg person. Recalculate your TDEE every 5kg lost and adjust your calorie target down.
Healthy weight loss: 0.25-0.5kg (0.5-1 pound) per week
This requires a daily deficit of 300-500 calories. Losing weight faster risks:
Realistic timeline:
Technically, you can eat anything as long as it fits your calories. But for satiety, energy, and health, follow the 80/20 rule:
80% whole foods:
20% treats: Chocolate, crisps, takeaway — whatever fits your calories
For filling meal ideas, check out our guide to high-protein low-calorie foods available in UK supermarkets.
Restaurants and pubs don't always publish calorie information, but many UK chains do:
If nutrition info isn't available, search for similar dishes in your calorie tracking app and estimate conservatively (restaurant meals are often 20-30% more calories than you'd guess due to oils, butter, sauces).
Weigh yourself once per week (same day, same time, before eating). Daily weight fluctuates 0.5-2kg due to water retention, food in gut, and hormones.
If you're not losing 0.25-0.5kg per week after 2-3 weeks:
Use technology to simplify tracking:
Our recommended app for UK users is NutraSafe — free plan includes 5 logs/day with UK supermarket barcode scanning and no ads (£2.99/month for unlimited).
Calorie counting works. It's not a quick fix, but it's the most reliable path to sustainable weight loss. Here's what success looks like:
Track consistently, weigh accurately, and trust the process. Weight loss isn't linear, but if you maintain a calorie deficit, the results will come.
Ready to start? Download NutraSafe free and log your first meal in under 60 seconds.
← Back to BlogLast updated: February 2026