Calorie Deficit Calculator
Quick answer: Enter your maintenance calories, daily intake target, and weight goals to see your weekly loss rate and estimated goal date.
A calorie deficit means eating fewer calories than you burn. The widely-used 3,500-calories-per-pound estimate gives a practical planning tool: cut 500 cal/day, lose about 1 lb/week. Enter your maintenance calories (TDEE), your planned intake, and your weight goals to see how long the journey takes.
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Last reviewed: April 2026Report an error
Calorie Deficit
500 cal/day
Your 500-calorie/day deficit will result in 1 lbs of loss per week. You'll reach 165 lbs in 140 days (20 weeks).
Weekly Change
−1 lbs
Weeks to Goal
20 wks
Goal Date
Oct 6, 2026
Weight Projection Over Time
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How to Use This Calorie Deficit Calculator
- 1Find your TDEE using our TDEE Calculator (or enter a known figure).
- 2Enter your planned daily calorie intake.
- 3Enter your current weight and goal weight.
- 4Read your weekly weight loss rate and projected goal date.
- 5If the deficit exceeds 1,000 cal/day, consider a less aggressive target to preserve muscle.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When you consume fewer calories than you burn, your body draws on stored fat (and some muscle) for energy. Roughly 3,500 calories of deficit equals about 1 pound of fat — though this varies by individual.
- Most health authorities consider up to 1,000 kcal/day the upper limit for safe deficits — equating to about 2 lbs/week. Larger deficits risk muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and metabolic adaptation.
- The 3,500 kcal/lb rule is an average. Water retention, metabolic adaptation, and calorie-tracking errors can all cause the scale to lag behind math. Give any plan 3–4 weeks before adjusting.
- If your TDEE already accounts for your activity level (which it does if you chose the right activity factor), no — your exercise is already priced in. If you use a sedentary TDEE and log workouts separately, add them back partially (50–75%) to avoid over-eating.
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