How to Use the Calorie Deficit Calculator
Weight loss comes down to a simple principle: burn more calories than you consume. This calculator takes your weight loss goal and timeline and shows exactly how large your daily calorie deficit needs to be โ and what your target daily calorie intake should look like.
Input Guide
Weight Loss Goal: Enter how many pounds you want to lose. This calculator uses 3,500 calories per pound of fat as the conversion standard.
Timeframe: Enter the number of weeks you want to achieve your goal in. Slower timelines produce smaller, more sustainable deficits.
TDEE: Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure โ the calories your body burns in a day at your activity level. Leave blank if unknown; you'll still get the required daily deficit.
Formula
Daily Deficit = (Goal lbs ร 3,500) รท (Weeks ร 7). Target Intake = TDEE โ Daily Deficit.
FAQ
A 500-calorie daily deficit equals approximately 3,500 calories per week, which corresponds to about 1 pound of fat loss. This is widely regarded as a sustainable pace.
TDEE is total daily calories burned. A sedentary adult woman averages about 1,800โ2,000 kcal; a sedentary adult man, 2,000โ2,500 kcal. Activity multiplies these numbers. Use a dedicated TDEE calculator for a personalized figure.
Most health guidelines suggest 300โ700 kcal per day for sustainable fat loss. Deficits above 1,000 kcal per day risk muscle loss and nutritional gaps and require medical oversight.