Calorie Deficit Calculator
Find out how many calories to cut per day to reach your goal weight by your target date.
Your Weight Loss Plan
🔥 Your Calorie Plan
2,771
Maintenance Calories (TDEE)
1,938
Your Daily Target
833
Daily Deficit (cal)
1.67
lbs Lost / Week
20.0
Total lbs to Lose
Aggressive Deficit
This is at the upper safe limit. Risk of muscle loss increases. Consider extending your timeframe.
💡 Tips for Success
🥩 Aim for 0.7-1g protein per pound of body weight to preserve muscle while cutting.
⚖️ Weigh yourself at the same time daily (morning, after bathroom) and track weekly averages.
📱 Use a food scale and app (MyFitnessPal, Cronometer) for accurate calorie tracking - eyeballing underestimates by 20-50%.
💪 Resistance training is essential during a deficit to prevent muscle loss and keep metabolism elevated.
🔁 Recalculate your targets every 10-15 lbs lost as your TDEE decreases with lower body weight.
Note: TDEE is estimated using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula with an average height. For maximum accuracy, use the Macros Calculator which includes your height.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a pound of fat?
A pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb per week, you need a 500 calorie/day deficit. To lose 2 lbs per week (the maximum recommended safe rate), you need a 1,000 calorie/day deficit. Faster than this typically causes muscle loss and metabolic slowdown.
Is a 1,000 calorie deficit safe?
A 1,000 calorie/day deficit is generally considered the maximum safe deficit for most adults, resulting in about 2 lbs/week of loss. Larger deficits risk muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and hormonal disruption. Always consume at least 1,200 calories/day (women) or 1,500 calories/day (men).
Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit?
Common reasons: inaccurate calorie tracking (food scales help), underestimating activity level, water retention masking fat loss, or metabolic adaptation. Stick with your deficit for at least 4-6 weeks and track weekly averages rather than daily scale weight before adjusting.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
It depends on how your TDEE was calculated. If you used an activity-adjusted TDEE (which accounts for exercise), don't eat them back. If you used a sedentary TDEE, add exercise calories back. In practice, eating back 50-75% of exercise calories is a good middle ground to account for overestimation.
What happens when I reach my goal weight?
Transition to maintenance calories (your TDEE). Increase food gradually over 2-4 weeks to avoid rebound. Focus on maintaining muscle through resistance training. Your maintenance calories may be lower than before because you weigh less, so recalculate TDEE at your new weight.
How to Use
Enter your current and goal weight
Be honest with your starting weight. Your goal weight should be realistic - losing more than 1-2 lbs per week is generally not sustainable.
Set your timeframe
Enter how many weeks you want to reach your goal. A longer timeframe means a smaller daily deficit and better results.
Select your activity level
This determines your TDEE (maintenance calories). Be accurate - overestimating is a very common mistake.
Check the safety rating
If your deficit is flagged as aggressive or extreme, consider extending your timeframe or reducing your goal.