Weight loss for men
Weight-loss advice for men often sounds like a gym poster or a flat “just eat less”. Here's a calmer version: how many calories you really need, what to do about protein, beer and training, and why a trip to the GP is worth it.
By the Dumpli team · Information checked on 2026-10-11. General information, not medical advice. Who writes this and how we check · How we calculate
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How many calories a man needs to lose weight
Men usually use more energy than women, mostly because of a bigger body and more muscle. So the 1200 kcal plans aimed at women are usually too little for a man: hunger, tiredness, a bad mood – and a few weeks later it's all back.
An example from our calculator (the Mifflin–St Jeor formula):
- a man, 40, 180 cm, 95 kg, moderately active;
- uses about 2910 kcal a day;
- for a gentle pace (about 0.3 kg a week) – about 2610 kcal;
- for a calm pace (about 0.5 kg a week) – about 2360 kcal.
Your number could be quite different, so work it out in the calorie calculator. Dumpli never suggests less than 1500 kcal a day for men (and never less than your basal metabolic rate). A bigger deficit doesn't pay off: it costs muscle and is hard to keep up.
Waist size matters more than the number on the scale
The World Health Organization's guide for men: health risk goes up when the waist is over 94 cm, and rises substantially above 102 cm. Measure in the morning with a tape around your belly button, without sucking in. It's a guide, not a diagnosis. Why “just from the belly” doesn't work: you can't choose where fat goes first – a steady deficit, protein and movement shrink the waist over time.
The good news: as weight comes off, the waist is usually one of the first places to shrink. So measure it every two weeks – sometimes the centimetres move while the scale is still “stuck”.
A meal plan for men: what goes on the plate
- Protein at every meal. It keeps you full and helps you keep muscle. For weight loss our calculator uses 1.2–1.6 g per kilo – about 115–150 g a day for a 95 kg man. Find yours in the protein calculator.
- Half the plate is veg. Lots of volume, few calories: cabbage, beetroot, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes.
- The side dish isn't the enemy. Buckwheat, potatoes and rye bread are fine. The portion is just planned, not “as much as fits”.
- Filling, everyday dishes. For example: chicken with buckwheat and cucumber salad, turkey and vegetable stew with rice, pork chop with braised sauerkraut, beef stew. All of them, with the steps, are in the Dumpli app.
Want to see a whole week? Our 1,500 kcal weekly menu has 7 days of meals and a shopping list. If your number is higher, add more of the side dish or a snack.
Beer, drinks and weekends
For many men the biggest “hidden” source of calories isn't food but drinks. By our data 500 ml of lager is about 215 kcal. Three on Friday and three on Saturday come to about 1300 kcal – roughly a third of the week's deficit if you eat 550 kcal less each day. Then add the snacks and the worse sleep. How to drink less without missing the party is in our alcohol and weight guide.
Sugary drinks and energy drinks work the same way: lots of calories, no fullness at all.
Strength training and walking
When you eat less, your body can lose muscle as well as fat. Strength training twice a week tells it to keep the muscle. You can start at home (squats, press-ups, rows with a resistance band), and if the gym appeals – here's our beginner's guide.
Walking is the simplest way to use more energy and improve blood pressure and mood. How many steps you really need is in our steps guide.
Why it's worth seeing your GP
Men often see a doctor only once something hurts. But extra weight often comes with things you can't feel: high blood pressure, raised blood sugar, cholesterol. Simple tests show where you're starting from, and later how things have changed. If you snore and feel very sleepy in the day, mention that too: it could be sleep apnoea, which also gets in the way of weight loss.
Before you change how you eat to lose weight, talk to your doctor first if:
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding;
- you have diabetes or take medicines that affect your blood sugar;
- you have kidney disease, heart disease or another long-term condition;
- you are under 18;
- you have or have had an eating disorder;
- you are losing weight without trying.
If your relationship with food worries you, you can talk to a doctor or a psychologist. If you're struggling right now, call your local emergency number or find a free helpline at findahelpline.com.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories a day does a man need to lose weight?
It depends on height, weight, age and activity. For example, a moderately active 40-year-old man at 180 cm and 95 kg uses about 2900 kcal a day; for calm weight loss (about 0.5 kg a week) about 2360 kcal would do. Work out your own number in the calculator. We never suggest less than 1500 kcal for men.
Why do men tend to gain weight around the belly?
Men's bodies tend to store fat around the middle, including around the internal organs. That's the kind linked with a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, which is why waist size is a useful number. You can't lose fat “just from the belly”, but losing weight overall does shrink the waist.
How much protein does a man need when losing weight?
For weight loss our calculator uses 1.2–1.6 g of protein per kilo of body weight (at a very high weight it counts from a healthier weight). For a 95 kg man that's about 115–150 g a day. If you have kidney disease, agree your protein with your doctor.
Do I have to stop drinking beer to lose weight?
You don't have to give up everything, but beer adds calories fast: 500 ml of lager is about 215 kcal. Two pints a few times a week can eat a big chunk of your deficit. And the WHO says there's no safe level of alcohol for health, so less is better.
Do I need to exercise to lose weight?
Weight is mostly about food, but strength training helps you keep muscle while you eat less, and walking adds calories burned and improves your health. Two strength sessions a week and a daily walk is enough to start.
Read next
- Alcohol and weight: calories in beer and wine – Calories in beer, wine and vodka, why drinking leads to snacking and worse sleep, how to drink less and when to get help.
- Gym for beginners: where to start – How to start at the gym: how often, a simple full-body workout, why technique beats weight and how normal soreness differs from real pain.