Eating to lose weight means eating at least 500 kcal a day below what your body uses, as Singapore's national obesity guideline recommends (HPB-MOH 2016); eating to maintain means eating about what it uses. For an example woman of 160 cm and 72 kg, that is about 1,400 to 1,800 kcal a day to lose and 1,900 to 2,300 to maintain; individual results vary.
Calorie deficit: eating fewer kilocalories (kcal) than the body uses in a day. Calories in this article means kilocalories, the unit used for food energy.
Who are the two example people?
The example people are a woman of 160 cm and 72 kg and a man of 172 cm and 85 kg, both aged 40 for the arithmetic.
| Woman | Man | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 160 cm | 172 cm |
| Weight | 72 kg | 85 kg |
| Age used for the arithmetic | 40 | 40 |
| BMI | 28.1 | 28.7 |
| Activity lifestyle assumed | Sedentary or light | Sedentary or light |
BMI is weight divided by height squared: 72 ÷ (1.60 × 1.60) is 28.1 for the woman, and 85 ÷ (1.72 × 1.72) is 28.7 for the man. Singapore's national obesity classification sets overweight at a BMI of 23.0 and obesity at 27.5 (HPB-MOH 2016), so both example BMIs are above the 27.5 point. This is a population classification, not a treatment threshold. BMI cannot distinguish muscle from fat; body fat percentage vs BMI vs weight covers what else can be measured.
Age 40 is an assumption chosen so the arithmetic can be shown: in the equation each year of age takes 5 kcal a day off the resting estimate (Mifflin 1990).
How are maintenance calories worked out for each person?
With two steps, an equation for resting energy and then a multiplier for activity, the same method as in maintenance calories after stopping GLP-1 (Mifflin 1990; FAO/WHO/UNU 2001).
Step one, resting energy. In its simplified form, resting energy in kcal a day is 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years), then + 5 for men or − 161 for women (Mifflin 1990).
Step two, activity. A joint FAO, WHO and United Nations University expert consultation expresses the 24-hour energy requirement as a multiple of basal metabolic rate, and its sedentary or light activity band is 1.40 to 1.69 (FAO/WHO/UNU 2001). Both example people are given a sedentary or light lifestyle, so the first band is used; a more active lifestyle falls in a higher band (FAO/WHO/UNU 2001) and would give higher figures.
| Woman | Man | |
|---|---|---|
| Resting energy | 10 × 72 + 6.25 × 160 − 5 × 40 − 161 = 720 + 1,000 − 200 − 161 = 1,359 kcal | 10 × 85 + 6.25 × 172 − 5 × 40 + 5 = 850 + 1,075 − 200 + 5 = 1,730 kcal |
| × 1.40 (bottom of the band) | 1,903 kcal | 2,422 kcal |
| × 1.69 (top of the band) | 2,297 kcal | 2,924 kcal |
| Maintenance range | about 1,900 to 2,300 kcal a day | about 2,400 to 2,900 kcal a day |
For the woman, 160 cm and 72 kg at age 40 with a sedentary or light lifestyle, the maintenance range is 1,903 to 2,297 kcal a day, about 1,900 to 2,300. For the man, 172 cm and 85 kg at age 40 with a sedentary or light lifestyle, the maintenance range is 2,422 to 2,924 kcal a day, about 2,400 to 2,900. It is a range because the band is wide: the top of the first band (1.69) is about a fifth higher than the bottom (1.40), so the choice of band alone moves the daily figure (FAO/WHO/UNU 2001). In two studies of Chinese adults by Singapore researchers, the equation came within 10% of the measured value for 67% and 75% of people, so it is a starting point, not a target (Camps 2016; Song 2014).
What does "at least 500 kcal below" mean in numbers?
Taking 500 kcal off each end of the maintenance range gives 1,403 to 1,797 kcal a day for the woman, about 1,400 to 1,800, and 1,922 to 2,424 kcal a day for the man, about 1,900 to 2,400. This is arithmetic on the guideline's wording, not a target for anyone, and individual results vary.
| Woman | Man | |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance range | 1,903 to 2,297 kcal | 2,422 to 2,924 kcal |
| Minus 500 kcal | 1,403 to 1,797 kcal | 1,922 to 2,424 kcal |
The guideline's words are "at least 500 kcal below estimated daily energy requirements", and it adds that prescribed diets "may be adjusted to meet the individual’s nutritional needs and to encourage prolonged compliance" (HPB-MOH 2016). Whether a particular intake is suitable for a particular person is something to speak to a doctor about.
Does a 500 kcal gap mean a set number of kilograms a week?
No: a calorie gap on its own does not fix a weekly weight change, and individual results vary. On speed, the guideline says realistic weight loss "should be safe and should preferably not exceed 0.5–1 kg a week" (HPB-MOH 2016), which is a limit on speed and not a rate to expect. The same guideline describes the response to a lasting change in energy intake as slow, with "half of the weight loss occurring in about one year" (HPB-MOH 2016). A mathematical model of adult metabolism also found the bodyweight response to a change of energy intake to be slow, with half times of about one year (Hall 2011).
What does a day of Singapore food look like at maintenance, and 500 kcal lower?
Each day below is built from the Health Promotion Board's Singapore Food Insights Database, with every serving size as HPB states it, read on 13 October 2026 (HPB SG FoodID). HPB tags each record with its source of data, shown in the last column of each table: Lab Analysis records were sent to laboratories, and Derived records were calculated by HPB from recipes (HPB). The totals are this article's own sums of the HPB items in each table, not HPB figures for a set meal, and HPB's serving for a dish may differ from the portion a stall serves. Contains information from Singapore Food Insights Database (SG FoodID) accessed on 13 October 2026 from Health Promotion Board which is made available under the terms found at https://pphtpc.hpb.gov.sg/web/sgfoodid. HPB revises its records: when the small-appetite hawker article read the database on 1 August 2026, steamed chicken rice was 488 kcal, fishball noodles (soup) 519 kcal and economic rice (2 meats) 768 kcal.
The woman, 160 cm and 72 kg
The woman's maintenance day, one row per HPB record, with energy and protein per serving as HPB states them:
| Meal | HPB record and serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | HPB source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Kaya and butter toast, 1 piece (94 g) | 376 | 6.11 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Fried egg, 1 piece (39 g) | 91 | 6.14 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Kopi, 1 regular cup (250 ml) | 193 | 1.63 | Derived, 2026 |
| Lunch | Roasted chicken rice, 1 plate (363 g) | 643 | 29.67 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Dinner | Mee rebus, 1 plate (619 g) | 698 | 26.27 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Sum of the items above | 2,001 | 69.82 |
The woman's maintenance day adds up to 2,001 kcal and 69.82 g of protein, inside her maintenance range of 1,903 to 2,297 kcal.
The woman's lower-intake day, built the same way:
| Meal | HPB record and serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | HPB source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Kaya and butter toast, 1 piece (94 g) | 376 | 6.11 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Fried egg, 1 piece (39 g) | 91 | 6.14 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Kopi O kosong, 1 regular cup (250 ml) | 33 | 0.68 | Derived, 2026 |
| Lunch | Steamed chicken rice, 1 plate (346 g) | 475 | 19.22 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Dinner | Fishball noodles (soup), 1 bowl (798 g) | 511 | 33.52 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Sum of the items above | 1,486 | 65.67 |
The woman's lower-intake day adds up to 1,486 kcal and 65.67 g of protein, which is 515 kcal below her maintenance day and inside the 1,403 to 1,797 kcal range.
The man, 172 cm and 85 kg
The man's maintenance day:
| Meal | HPB record and serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | HPB source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Kaya and butter toast, 2 pieces (2 × 94 g) | 752 | 12.22 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Fried egg, 1 piece (39 g) | 91 | 6.14 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Kopi, 1 regular cup (250 ml) | 193 | 1.63 | Derived, 2026 |
| Lunch | Nasi lemak (chicken wing set), 1 plate (410 g) | 815 | 36.5 | Derived, 2026 |
| Dinner | Economic rice (2 meats), 1 plate (526 g) | 757 | 53.7 | Derived, 2026 |
| Sum of the items above | 2,608 | 110.19 |
The man's maintenance day adds up to 2,608 kcal and 110.19 g of protein, inside his maintenance range of 2,422 to 2,924 kcal.
The man's lower-intake day:
| Meal | HPB record and serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | HPB source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Kaya and butter toast, 2 pieces (2 × 94 g) | 752 | 12.22 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Fried egg, 1 piece (39 g) | 91 | 6.14 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Breakfast | Kopi O kosong, 1 regular cup (250 ml) | 33 | 0.68 | Derived, 2026 |
| Lunch | Steamed chicken rice, 1 plate (346 g) | 475 | 19.22 | Lab analysis, 2025 |
| Dinner | Economic rice (2 meats), 1 plate (526 g) | 757 | 53.7 | Derived, 2026 |
| Sum of the items above | 2,108 | 91.96 |
The man's lower-intake day adds up to 2,108 kcal and 91.96 g of protein, which is 500 kcal below his maintenance day and inside the 1,922 to 2,424 kcal range.
The protein column is HPB's figure for each serving; what protein intake suits a particular person is a question for a doctor or dietitian, and individual results vary. A separate table of laboratory-measured hawker dishes, from a different study with different plates, is in hawker dishes ranked by protein per calorie.
Same woman, two plates: which swaps change the numbers?
The swaps changed the drink, the way the chicken is cooked or the dish, and kept the meals in the same kopitiam and hawker places.
The swaps, with energy per serving as HPB states it:
| Swap | From (kcal) | To (kcal) | Difference (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kopi → kopi O kosong | 193 | 33 | 160 less |
| Roasted chicken rice → steamed chicken rice | 643 | 475 | 168 less |
| Mee rebus → fishball noodles (soup) | 698 | 511 | 187 less |
| Nasi lemak (chicken wing set) → steamed chicken rice | 815 | 475 | 340 less |
On HPB's figures, kopi O kosong is 33 kcal against 193 kcal for kopi, a difference of 160 kcal. HPB describes kopi as "Traditional coffee with condensed milk and evaporated milk" and kopi O kosong as "Traditional black coffee without sugar or milk", and both values are derived, not lab-measured (HPB SG FoodID). The full kopi and teh figures are in kopi, teh and the sugar you do not count. Steamed chicken rice at 475 kcal against 643 kcal for roasted is a gap of 168 kcal between two HPB records, which are different servings (346 g and 363 g). The maintenance calories page uses a laboratory study's chicken rice plates (412 g steamed, 285 g roasted), a different sample and portion definition from HPB's, so the two sets of figures describe different plates and are not interchangeable (Yeo 2021).
What changes when the goal is to maintain weight?
Eating to maintain weight means eating at the maintenance estimate instead of 500 kcal below it, and working the estimate out again when weight changes. In the woman's example days, that is the difference between kopi, roasted chicken rice and mee rebus on the maintenance day and kopi O kosong, steamed chicken rice and fishball noodles on the lower-intake day.
In the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, each kilogram of body weight adds 10 kcal a day, so with height and age unchanged a body 10 kg lighter has a resting estimate 100 kcal a day lower (Mifflin 1990). After initial weight loss treatment, the guideline recommends that participants "continue at least 6–12 months of a weight maintenance programme that combines dietary modification and physical activity" (HPB-MOH 2016). To check an estimate, follow the weight trend over several weeks, because daily weight moves in a weekly pattern (Orsama 2014).
At GetLean, the programme is designed to end: our philosophy is that GLP-1 medication should act as a catalyst — not something to depend on indefinitely. The plan for coming off is the GetLean GLP-1 Taper Plan: after hitting your goal weight with the right nutrition and exercise habits built, the dose is stepped down at Dr Quek's monthly reviews towards your lowest effective dose and, where clinically appropriate, off the medication. The habits are built while the medication is still quieting appetite, with daily WhatsApp coaching. At the monthly reviews, Dr Quek looks at how each patient is doing, and the dose comes down gradually towards the lowest effective dose rather than stopping overnight. Any dose change is a decision for the doctor who prescribed it.
Individual results vary. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own. To find out whether GLP-1 treatment could be suitable, book your consult.
Common questions
How many calories should I eat to lose weight in Singapore?
Singapore's national obesity guideline recommends diets with a calorie deficit of at least 500 kcal below estimated daily energy requirements to aid weight loss (HPB-MOH 2016). It is a range because the band is wide: the top of the first band (1.69) is about a fifth higher than the bottom (1.40), so the choice of band alone moves the daily figure (FAO/WHO/UNU 2001). Whether a particular intake is suitable for a particular person is something to speak to a doctor about.
What does a 500 calorie deficit look like in hawker food?
On HPB's figures, kopi O kosong is 33 kcal against 193 kcal for kopi, a difference of 160 kcal. Steamed chicken rice at 475 kcal against 643 kcal for roasted is a gap of 168 kcal between two HPB records, which are different servings (346 g and 363 g). The woman's lower-intake day adds up to 1,486 kcal and 65.67 g of protein, which is 515 kcal below her maintenance day and inside the 1,403 to 1,797 kcal range. The two example people are illustrations of published formulas, not predictions or advice, and individual results vary.
What are the maintenance calories for someone 160 cm and 72 kg?
For the woman, 160 cm and 72 kg at age 40 with a sedentary or light lifestyle, the maintenance range is 1,903 to 2,297 kcal a day, about 1,900 to 2,300. Age 40 is an assumption chosen so the arithmetic can be shown: in the equation each year of age takes 5 kcal a day off the resting estimate (Mifflin 1990). In two studies of Chinese adults by Singapore researchers, the equation came within 10% of the measured value for 67% and 75% of people, so it is a starting point, not a target (Camps 2016; Song 2014). The two example people are illustrations of published formulas, not predictions or advice, and individual results vary.
How do I go from eating to lose weight to eating to maintain it?
Eating to maintain weight means eating at the maintenance estimate instead of 500 kcal below it, and working the estimate out again when weight changes. After initial weight loss treatment, the guideline recommends that participants "continue at least 6–12 months of a weight maintenance programme that combines dietary modification and physical activity" (HPB-MOH 2016). To check an estimate, follow the weight trend over several weeks, because daily weight moves in a weekly pattern (Orsama 2014).
Does a 500 calorie deficit mean losing 0.5 kg a week?
No: a calorie gap on its own does not fix a weekly weight change, and individual results vary. On speed, the guideline says realistic weight loss "should be safe and should preferably not exceed 0.5–1 kg a week" (HPB-MOH 2016), which is a limit on speed and not a rate to expect. The same guideline describes the response to a lasting change in energy intake as slow, with "half of the weight loss occurring in about one year" (HPB-MOH 2016).