Calorie Deficit Calculator
Pick how fast you want to lose weight and get the exact daily calorie target – plus the macro split – to get there safely.
Fill in your details and your plan appears here instantly.
Your weight-loss plan
Macros at your target
How a calorie deficit works
One pound of body fat stores roughly 3,500 kcal. To lose a pound a week you therefore need a deficit of about 500 kcal per day – either by eating less, moving more, or both. This calculator starts from your maintenance calories (your TDEE) and subtracts the deficit that matches the pace you choose.
How big should your deficit be?
Research and coaching practice converge on 15-25% below maintenance for most people – typically 300-750 kcal a day. Larger deficits move the scale faster but cost you muscle, training quality and adherence. Leaner people should use smaller deficits; people with more to lose can tolerate larger ones.
Protecting muscle while you cut
Two levers matter most: keep protein high (around 1 g per pound of body weight, which this calculator uses) and keep resistance training in your week. Together they tell your body to burn fat rather than muscle when calories are low.
Frequently asked questions
Why has my weight loss stalled after a few weeks?
As you get lighter your TDEE drops, so a deficit that worked at 200 lb may be maintenance at 180 lb. Recalculate every 10 lb lost, and double-check portions – small tracking creep is the most common stall cause.
Is a 1,000 kcal daily deficit safe?
Only for people with a large amount of weight to lose, and ideally with medical guidance. For most people it costs muscle and rebounds. This calculator caps targets at 1,200 kcal (women) / 1,500 kcal (men) per day.
Should I create the deficit with diet or exercise?
Mostly diet, supported by activity. It is far easier to skip 500 kcal than to burn it – but keeping daily steps and training up protects muscle and gives you more food to work with.
Do I need to hit the target exactly every day?
No – weekly averages are what count. Eating slightly more on training days and slightly less on rest days works just as well as a flat daily number.