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Calorie Deficit Calculator
Find your maintenance calories, then see the daily deficit and the calories to eat for every weight-loss rate — capped at a safe floor. Metric or imperial, instant, no sign-up.
How to use these numbers
Pick a rate you can live with — slower is usually more sustainable and protects muscle. Eat the “per day” number, weigh yourself weekly, and adjust if the trend stalls for 2–3 weeks. The math is simple; the hard part is logging accurately every day so your real intake actually matches the target.
Deficit size by weight-loss rate
| Rate | Daily deficit | Weekly deficit |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 kg (0.5 lb) per week | ≈275 kcal | ≈1,925 kcal |
| 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week | ≈550 kcal | ≈3,850 kcal |
| 0.75 kg (1.5 lb) per week | ≈825 kcal | ≈5,775 kcal |
| 1 kg (2 lb) per week | ≈1,100 kcal | ≈7,700 kcal |
Using ≈7,700 kcal per kg of body fat. Rates above 1% of body weight per week cost noticeably more muscle for most people.
Safe floors
| Group | Common minimum intake | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 1,200 kcal/day | Below this it is hard to hit protein and micronutrients |
| Men | 1,500 kcal/day | Same reason, scaled to larger average body size |
This calculator caps its suggestions at these floors. A floor is not a target — most people lose fine well above it.
A worked example
Maintenance (TDEE) of 2,200 kcal, goal 0.5 kg per week. Deficit = 550 kcal, so intake ≈ 1,650 kcal per day. After 6 weeks and 3 kg lost, maintenance drops to roughly 2,120 kcal — at the old 1,650 the deficit has shrunk from 550 to 470, which is exactly why progress “stalls” without any change in behaviour.
Questions
- What is a calorie deficit?
- Eating fewer calories than your body burns in a day. Your body makes up the difference from stored energy (mostly fat), so a sustained deficit means weight loss. The size of the deficit sets how fast.
- How big should my deficit be?
- A common guide is about 0.5–1% of body weight per week — roughly a 250–500 kcal/day deficit for most people. Bigger isn’t better: aggressive deficits are harder to sustain and cost you more muscle. We cap suggestions at 1,200 kcal/day.
- How many calories are in a pound or kilo of fat?
- Roughly 3,500 kcal per pound and about 7,700 kcal per kilogram. So a 500 kcal daily deficit ≈ 1 lb/week, and a 1,100 kcal deficit ≈ 1 kg/week — which is why those show up in the table.
- Why do I stop losing on the same calories?
- As you lose weight your BMR drops, so the same intake becomes a smaller deficit. Recalculate every 4–5 kg (or ~10 lb). And remember the numbers only work if your logging is accurate — under-counting is the usual culprit.
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This calculator gives a general fitness estimate, not medical advice, and is not a target you’re obligated to hit. If you have any history of disordered eating, please don’t use a calorie tool — talk to a doctor or qualified professional.