It’s important to keep your calories below 1500, or you won’t lose weight fast enough to stay on your diet. Dieting is deprivation. 3000 calories a day are alot more fun than 1500. But unless you’re eating 1500 calories a day or less (500-1000 a day is better), your weight loss will not be fast enough to keep you motivated. 50% of dieting is a decision, and that decision is much easier to make, when you see results on the scale and in inch loss. Weigh yourself every day. Measure yourself with a tape measure too. Use a birthmark, scar, or surgical marker to make sure you measure the same area. On 500-1000 calories a day, you will see an almost daily inch loss in your chest, stomach, thighs and butt.