How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

For sustainable weight loss: reduce your TDEE by 500 kcal for about 0.5 kg/week. Women: minimum 1200 kcal/day. Men: minimum 1400 kcal/day. For more aggressive loss: −750 kcal, but keep this phase under 8 weeks.

What is TDEE and how do I calculate it?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your total daily calories. Formula: BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) × activity factor (1.2–1.9). Example: 30-year-old woman, 70 kg, 170 cm, moderately active → BMR 1459 × 1.55 = TDEE ~2260 kcal.

How much protein do I need during weight loss?

1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kg of target body weight. For a 70 kg person with a target of 65 kg: 104–143 g protein per day. Protein is the most important macro in a calorie deficit because it preserves muscle mass.

How many meals per day should I eat?

The number of meals matters less than your total calories. 3–4 meals work for most people. Research shows no metabolic advantage to 6 small meals vs 3 larger ones. Pick what keeps you fullest.

Can I save money while losing weight?

Yes. Plan around store promotions and use cheap protein sources (eggs, chicken, legumes). Research shows households with a weekly menu save 150–250 SEK/week and cut food waste by 30%.

How quickly can I expect to lose weight?

Safe pace: 0.5–1% of body weight per week. An 80 kg person → 400–800 g/week. First 2 weeks may show more due to water loss. After 8 weeks: take a 1-week refeed to restore leptin.

Weekly Meal Plan for Weight Loss: Complete Guide 2026 (with 7-day example)

Quick answer#

How a weekly menu for weight loss works:

Cut 500 kcal from your TDEE for about 0.5 kg of loss per week
1.6–2.2 g protein per kg target weight preserves muscle in a deficit
3–4 meals per day — frequency matters less than total calories
Promotion-optimized planning saves 150–250 SEK/week and cuts food waste 30%
7-day example menu below — 1600–1800 kcal/day, 130 g protein

If you search "why am I not losing weight", the answer is rarely willpower. It's structure.

Research from the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (Ducrot et al., 2017) tracked 40,554 adults and found that those who planned meals in advance had 11% lower BMI and significantly lower risk of obesity. Not because they ate less on any single day — but because decision fatigue was eliminated.

When you're in the supermarket queue at 5:30 PM, tired from work, with no plan — you buy what's easy. Ready meals. Pizza dough. Something "quick". The average impulse meal contains 400–600 kcal more than a planned dinner, based on Swedish Food Agency shopping basket studies.

A weekly menu removes that decision. It turns weight loss into a logistics problem — not a moral one.

This guide shows exactly how to calculate your calorie needs, structure the week, plan around store promotions, and follow a 7-day sample menu that both fills you up and works.

How to calculate your calorie needs (TDEE)#

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the foundation of all weight loss. Without knowing your maintenance level, you're flying blind — you might as well throw darts.

Step 1: Calculate BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)#

BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. We use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula — the most validated for healthy adults (Frankenfield et al., Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005, 82% accuracy).

Formula:

Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161

Example — Anna, 30 years, 70 kg, 170 cm:

BMR = (10 × 70) + (6.25 × 170) − (5 × 30) − 161 BMR = 700 + 1062.5 − 150 − 161 BMR = 1451 kcal/day

Step 2: Multiply by activity factor#

Activity level	Factor	Description
Sedentary	1.2	Desk job, no training
Lightly active	1.375	Light training 1–3 days/week
Moderately active	1.55	Training 3–5 days/week
Very active	1.725	Hard training 6–7 days/week
Extremely active	1.9	Physical job + daily training

Anna trains 3× per week → 1.55

TDEE = 1451 × 1.55 = 2249 kcal/day

Step 3: Create your deficit#

Goal	Deficit	Calories (Anna)	Pace
Slow (sustainable)	−250 kcal	1999 kcal	~0.25 kg/week
Moderate (recommended)	−500 kcal	1749 kcal	~0.5 kg/week
Aggressive (max 8 weeks)	−750 kcal	1499 kcal	~0.75 kg/week
Maintenance	0	2249 kcal	Stable

Safety floor: Never go below 1200 kcal (women) or 1400 kcal (men) without medical supervision. Below that level you risk muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and metabolic adaptation.

Smaklig tip: Better a small deficit you hold for 6 months than an extreme one you quit after 3 weeks. The math is the same — but only if you stick to it.

Macro distribution during weight loss#

Calories decide if you lose weight. Macros decide what you lose — muscle or fat.

Protein — most important in a deficit#

When you undereat, your body uses muscle as fuel if protein is insufficient. A meta-analysis in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Helms et al., 2014) shows that 1.6–2.2 g protein/kg target weight preserves muscle in a deficit.

Calculation (Anna, target 65 kg):

Low: 65 × 1.6 = 104 g protein/day
High: 65 × 2.2 = 143 g protein/day
Calories from protein: 104–143 × 4 = 416–572 kcal

Fat — essential, not the enemy#

Fat is needed for hormone production (particularly testosterone and estrogen). At least 0.8 g/kg body weight, never below 50 g/day.

Calculation (Anna, 70 kg):

Minimum: 70 × 0.8 = 56 g fat/day
Calories from fat: 56 × 9 = 504 kcal

Carbohydrates — the remainder#

Once protein and fat are set, the rest goes to carbs.

Calculation (Anna, 1749 kcal total):

Protein: 130 g × 4 = 520 kcal
Fat: 60 g × 9 = 540 kcal
Carbs: (1749 − 520 − 540) / 4 = 172 g carbs/day

Macro table (for 1749 kcal / ~65 kg target)#

Macro	Grams	Kcal	% of total
Protein	130 g	520	30%
Fat	60 g	540	31%
Carbs	172 g	688	39%
Total	—	1748	100%

Important: Carbs are not the enemy. Studies (Hall et al., NIH, 2015) show that isocaloric low-carb and low-fat diets yield identical weight loss over 4 weeks. Pick the macro split you can sustain.

Good planning isn't about perfection. It's about making good enough choices automatic.

1. Protein at every meal#

Aim for 25–40 g protein per meal. It's the most satiating macro (gut hormone PYY rises 28% more after protein than carbs — Leidy et al., 2015).

Protein	Per 100 g	Kcal/100 g
Chicken breast	23 g	107
Egg (1, 60 g)	7 g	78
Quark 0.2%	12 g	59
Cod	18 g	82
Chickpeas (cooked)	8 g	139
Tofu	12 g	76

2. Volume from vegetables#

Vegetables add weight, fiber, and micronutrients for few calories. Aim for 400 g vegetables/day (WHO recommendation). Cabbage, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, and peppers have the lowest calorie density (<30 kcal/100 g).

Readers who want to go deeper on volume eating can read about cabbage — nature's Ozempic — cruciferous vegetables trigger satiety hormones in a similar way to GLP-1 agonists.

3. Plan around store promotions#

A Swedish ICA Maxi has ~200 weekly promo items. Chicken breast drops from 119 SEK/kg to 69 SEK/kg, salmon fillet from 249 SEK/kg to 149 SEK/kg. If you always plan around the week's protein promo, you save 40–50 SEK per meal.

See also cheap food that fills you up for a deeper dive into cost-effective protein sources.

4. Variation prevents boredom#

The brain tires of flavors (sensory-specific satiety — Rolls, 1986). 3–4 different dinners per week is enough, but rotate protein sources:

Mon–Tue: Chicken
Wed–Thu: Fish
Fri: Vegetarian
Sat–Sun: Beef / pork

5. Simplicity beats perfection#

A weekly menu you follow 80% beats a "perfect" one you follow 50%. Pick recipes with ≤8 ingredients and ≤30 minutes prep on weekdays. Save project cooking for the weekend.

Target: 1700 kcal, 130 g protein, 60 g fat, 175 g carbs Portions: 1 person Total cost: ~450 SEK/week with promo optimization

Monday#

Meal	Dish	Kcal	Protein
Breakfast	Quark 250 g + blueberries 100 g + oats 30 g	320	32 g
Lunch	Chicken salad: chicken 150 g, quinoa 60 g, spinach, tomato, feta 30 g	520	45 g
Dinner	Baked salmon 150 g, broccoli 200 g, celeriac mash 200 g	580	38 g
Snack	Apple + 20 g almonds	230	5 g
Total		1650	120 g

Tuesday#

Meal	Dish	Kcal	Protein
Breakfast	3-egg omelette + spinach + 1 slice whole-grain bread	380	25 g
Lunch	Monday leftover: salmon bowl with quinoa	540	35 g
Dinner	Chicken stew with chickpeas, tomato, zucchini (300 g portion)	550	42 g
Snack	Quark 200 g + raspberries	160	22 g
Total		1630	124 g

Wednesday#

Meal	Dish	Kcal	Protein
Breakfast	Overnight oats: oats 50 g + milk 250 ml + 1 scoop whey	420	32 g
Lunch	Leftover chicken stew + quinoa	550	40 g
Dinner	Cod loin 180 g, roasted root veg 250 g, dill sauce 2 tbsp	490	38 g
Snack	Carrots + 2 tbsp hummus	160	5 g
Total		1620	115 g

Thursday#

Meal	Dish	Kcal	Protein
Breakfast	Quark 250 g + banana + oats 30 g	340	30 g
Lunch	Tuna salad: tuna 1 can (110 g), 2 eggs, beans 100 g, mayo 1 tbsp	480	40 g
Dinner	Pasta bolognese: whole-grain pasta 70 g, lean mince 150 g, tomato sauce, veg	630	40 g
Snack	Boiled egg + cucumber	90	7 g
Total		1540	117 g

Friday#

Meal	Dish	Kcal	Protein
Breakfast	Greek yogurt 200 g + nuts 15 g + honey 1 tsp	310	20 g
Lunch	Leftover bolognese in iceberg-wrap salad	540	35 g
Dinner	Vegetarian lentil stew: red lentils 100 g (dry), light coconut milk, spinach, curry	550	28 g
Snack	Quark 200 g + 20 g pistachios	260	24 g
Total		1660	107 g

Saturday#

Meal	Dish	Kcal	Protein
Breakfast	Protein pancakes: 2 eggs + oats 40 g + quark 100 g	450	35 g
Lunch	Leftover lentil stew + 1 slice whole-grain bread	490	25 g
Dinner	Beef tenderloin 150 g, roasted potatoes 200 g, béarnaise 1 tbsp, green beans	720	45 g
Snack	Quark 150 g + blueberries	130	18 g
Total		1790	123 g

Sunday#

Meal	Dish	Kcal	Protein
Breakfast	Scrambled eggs (3), smoked salmon 50 g, ¼ avocado	450	30 g
Lunch	Chicken noodle soup: chicken 150 g, rice noodles 60 g, vegetables	500	38 g
Dinner	Roasted chicken thighs 200 g, bulgur 70 g, cucumber salad with yogurt dressing	650	45 g
Snack	Fruit + 10 g dark chocolate 70%	130	2 g
Total		1730	115 g

Chicken breast 600 g — ~70 SEK (promo)
Salmon fillet 300 g — ~50 SEK
Cod loin 180 g — ~35 SEK
Lean mince 150 g — ~20 SEK
Eggs 18-pack — ~45 SEK
Quark 1 kg — ~30 SEK

Food costs in Sweden are up 23% since 2022 (Statistics Sweden, CPI food). A weekly menu is the only tool proven to shrink the bill while shrinking the waist.

ICA releases promos Monday, Coop Tuesday. Check the weekly flyer before you plan. If chicken is 69 SEK/kg — plan three chicken meals. If salmon is 149 SEK/kg — plan two fish dinners.

A study from the Swedish Consumer Agency (2023) showed that households planning around promos save an average of 18% on food costs — corresponding to 800–1200 SEK/month for a family.

2. Bulk-buy staples#

Item	Per unit	In bulk	Savings
Oats (500 g vs 2 kg)	22 SEK	14 SEK	−36%
Quinoa (500 g vs 1 kg)	55 SEK	40 SEK	−27%
Chickpeas (canned vs dry)	12 SEK	4 SEK	−67%
Eggs (6-pack vs 18)	32 SEK	22 SEK	−31%

3. Cut food waste#

Swedish households throw away 19 kg edible food/person/year on average — roughly 1800 SEK (Swedish EPA, 2023). A weekly menu reduces waste by 30–40% per WRAP studies (UK, applied to Swedish context).

Waste-reducing principles:

Buy for what you'll actually cook, not "just in case"
Batch cook on Sundays (3 portions × 2 dishes = 6 lunches)
Learn "best before" vs "use by" — best before is often fine 5–10 days after

Common weight-loss mistakes#

Mistake 1: Too large a calorie deficit#

Deficits >1000 kcal cause metabolic adaptation (Trexler et al., 2014). Your body lowers resting metabolism by up to 15%, and you lose muscle instead of fat. Rule: max 25% below TDEE at a time.

Mistake 2: Too little protein#

The classic "starvation diet" of 1000 kcal salad + fruit gives ~30 g protein/day. Result: 60% of the weight you lose is muscle, not fat. You become "skinny fat" — lighter on the scale, but softer in the mirror.

Mistake 3: Avoiding fat entirely#

Fat-free diets lower testosterone by 10–15% in men (Dorgan et al., 1996) and disrupt the menstrual cycle in women. At least 50 g fat/day, ideally from olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, and eggs.

Mistake 4: No off-ramps#

A 12-week diet with no planned breaks always ends in bingeing. Build in refeed days (1 day/week at maintenance) and diet breaks (1 week at maintenance every 8 weeks).

Mistake 5: No measurement on oil and sauces#

One tablespoon of olive oil = 120 kcal. Two tablespoons of béarnaise = 180 kcal. Restaurant salads often hide 300–500 kcal in dressing. Measure fat with a tablespoon, not a "splash".

When should you break the diet?#

The body isn't a linear machine. After 6–8 weeks in a deficit, leptin (satiety hormone) drops by up to 50% and cortisol rises — causing increased hunger and fatigue.

Refeed (1 day)#

Once a week: eat at TDEE, with extra carbs. Purpose: refill glycogen, stabilize leptin, psychological break.

Diet break (1 week)#

After 6–8 weeks: eat at maintenance for 7–14 days. Studies (Byrne et al., 2018) show intermittent diet breaks yield ~50% better long-term weight loss than constant deficit, because metabolic adaptation is minimized.

Plateaus (>2 weeks no movement)#

If the scale hasn't moved in 2–3 weeks despite following the plan:

Verify calories (weigh food for 3 days — people underestimate by 20–30%)
Increase activity (+1000 steps/day)
Take a 7-day diet break, then restart
Don't cut calories further first — that makes plateaus worse

Lose weight without Ozempic — 7 evidence-based strategies, GLP-1-boosting foods, and how to avoid the yo-yo effect.
Cabbage — nature's own Ozempic? — Why shredded cabbage raises GLP-1 and how to fit fiber into your weekly menu.
TDEE calculator and macros — Exact formula for your energy needs + how to split macros.
Cheap filling meals — 20 recipes under 30 SEK/serving when you combine weight goals with savings.
ICA campaigns: maximize savings — How to plan your weekly menu around store promotions.
Glossary — Definitions of TDEE, BMR, macros, GLP-1, and other terms.

Next step — let Smaklig automate everything#

Calculating TDEE, checking promos, planning macros, and writing a shopping list takes 3–4 hours per week if done manually. Most people don't last more than 2–3 weeks before planning collapses.

Smaklig automates the whole chain:

Calculates your exact TDEE based on age, weight, goal, and training
Pulls the week's promos from your ICA store
Generates a 7-day menu that hits your macros and leverages weekly sale prices
Creates a shopping list sorted by store aisle
Adjusts the week if you swap workouts, eat out, or skip a dinner

You say "I want to lose 5 kg in 10 weeks, I'm gluten intolerant, I love Asian food" — Smaklig delivers a 10-week meal plan in 30 seconds.

Try Smaklig free → · See pricing · Browse the glossary

Important: The content in this article is general information and does not replace medical advice. For caloric deficits below 1200 kcal/day, a history of eating disorders, pregnancy, diabetes, or other medical conditions — always consult a licensed doctor or dietitian before following a diet plan.

Questions about weight loss or weekly planning? Email us at hej@smaklig.app or follow us on Instagram where we share recipes daily.