Calories needed per day to lose weight

[surgery]

To determine the number of calories needed to lose weight we must first try to calculate the calories required by the body. Only then is it possible to slowly lower the calories needed by the body until we are in a negative energy balance. The gradual reduction in calories required encourages the body to slowly use up fat stores rather than burning up protein from muscle - this is what often happens when calories are cut too quickly and results in a lowered metabolism!