Calorie Deficit Calculator
Turn a goal weight and timeframe into the daily calories and deficit you need to hit it.
How to use the calorie deficit calculator
- Enter your maintenance calories (from the TDEE calculator).
- Enter your current and goal weight, and a weekly loss rate.
- Click Calculate for your daily target, deficit and time to goal.
Slow and steady wins
Moderate deficits of 0.25–0.75 kg per week preserve muscle, protect performance, and are far easier to stick to than crash diets. Recalculate as your weight drops.
Frequently asked questions
How big should a calorie deficit be?
A deficit of 500 calories a day yields roughly 0.45 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. Aggressive deficits risk muscle loss and are hard to sustain.
How many calories is 1 kg of fat?
About 7,700 calories. To lose 1 kg in a week you would need an average daily deficit of around 1,100 calories — usually too steep for most people.
Related tools
TDEE Calculator
Calculate the calories you burn per day (your TDEE) to set targets for cutting, maintaining, or bulking.
Macro Calculator
Turn your calorie target into daily protein, carbohydrate, and fat goals based on your objective.
Protein Intake Calculator
Find your daily protein target based on your body weight and training goal.