Eat 1500 calories a day to ensure weight loss. In general, women need to consume about 2,000 calories a day and 1,500 calories a day to lose a pound. A calorie is a unit of measurement of energy, usually used to measure the energy content of foods and beverages, and in order to lose weight, an individual needs to consume a smaller number of calories than their body burns. In a diet, more protein should be consumed in order to reduce an individual’s desire to eat and increase the number of calories burned. Protein can increase one’s metabolic rate and suppress appetite. A high protein diet can maintain a basal metabolism that burns 80-100 calories per day. In studies, by eating protein, the desire to eat food daily was reduced by 60%. For lasting weight loss, consider permanently increasing protein intake.