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Your Maintenance Calories (TDEE)
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Calories per day to maintain your current weight.
WEIGHT LOSS TOOL
Free Calorie Deficit Calculator
Stop Guessing. Start Losing.
Find the exact number of calories you need to eat to burn fat without destroying your metabolism or muscle mass.
How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?
If you want to lose fat, there is no avoiding the fundamental rule of thermodynamics: you must consume fewer calories than your body expends. This is known as a calorie deficit.
Your body burns a specific amount of energy every day just to keep your heart beating and lungs breathing (Basal Metabolic Rate). Add the energy you burn from walking, digesting food, and working out, and you get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
To lose weight, you must force your body to tap into its stored energy (body fat). You do this by eating below your TDEE.
The Golden Rule: Calculate your TDEE, subtract 500 calories, and eat that number consistently every day. Track your morning weight for 14 days. If the scale doesn't move, your tracking is inaccurate, or you over-estimated your activity level.
Choosing Your Fat Loss Pace
Aggressive is rarely better. The steeper the deficit, the higher the risk of muscle loss, severe hunger, and binge eating. Pick a pace you can actually stick to.
1. The Mild Deficit (10-15%)
Subtracting roughly 250 calories from your TDEE. This yields about 0.5 lbs (0.25 kg) of fat loss per week. This is ideal for athletes wanting to retain maximum muscle mass and performance, or individuals who struggle heavily with hunger.
2. The Moderate Deficit (20%) — Recommended
Subtracting 500 calories from your TDEE. This is the industry gold standard. It yields about 1 lb (0.5 kg) of fat loss per week. It is aggressive enough to see weekly visible progress on the scale, but moderate enough that you won't feel miserable or lose hard-earned muscle tissue.
3. The Aggressive Deficit (25%+)
Subtracting 750 to 1,000 calories from your TDEE. Yields 1.5 to 2 lbs (0.75 - 1 kg) per week. This should only be utilized by individuals with a high body fat percentage, and usually only for short intervals (4-8 weeks) before taking a diet break. If you are already lean, an aggressive deficit will cannibalize your muscle mass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the scale not moving if I'm in a deficit?▼
If the scale hasn't moved in 2-3 weeks, you are not in a deficit. You are likely miscalculating your intake (forgetting cooking oils, sauces, or weekend cheat meals) or you over-estimated your activity multiplier. Lower your calories by another 200/day and reassess in a week.
Do I need to recalculate my deficit as I lose weight?▼
Yes. A smaller body requires fewer calories to exist and move. A 500-calorie deficit for a 220lb person will eventually become maintenance calories when that person drops to 190lbs. Recalculate your TDEE for every 10 lbs (4.5 kg) of weight lost.
Should I eat back the calories I burn from exercise?▼
No. The activity multiplier in this calculator already accounts for your exercise. If you calculate your target and then eat back the 300 calories your Apple Watch says you burned during a run, you are double-counting and erasing your deficit entirely.
What happens if I eat below my BMR?▼
Eating below your Basal Metabolic Rate forces your body to heavily down-regulate non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). You will subconsciously move less, fidget less, and feel lethargic. Your body will also increase cortisol production and begin breaking down muscle tissue for rapid energy.