Weight Loss Calculator: How Many Calories to Eat for 1 lb/Week
Most people guess at how many calories to eat for weight loss. Here is how to calculate it precisely using your body data, with the CDC-recommended safe minimum and a full macro split that preserves muscle.
Try it: Calorie Calculator
Enter your age, gender, weight, height, activity, and goal — the calculator returns your TDEE, daily calorie target, weekly loss rate, and macro split.
Calorie Calculator
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body needs at rest.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is your BMR multiplied by your activity level.
Weight Management:
- Weight Loss: 500 calorie deficit = ~1 lb (0.5kg) loss per week
- Weight Gain: 500 calorie surplus = ~1 lb (0.5kg) gain per week
- Maintenance: Calories in = Calories out
Activity Levels:
- Sedentary: Little or no exercise
- Light: Exercise 1-3 days/week
- Moderate: Exercise 3-5 days/week
- Active: Exercise 6-7 days/week
- Very Active: Physical job + daily exercise
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, considered more accurate than older formulas. Individual results may vary based on genetics, metabolism, and other factors.
How our calorie calculator works
Enter your stats
Type your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level. We use these to compute BMR (basal metabolic rate) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate for most adults.
See your daily calorie needs
We multiply your BMR by an activity factor to get TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). The result is the calories you need to maintain your current weight.
Pick a goal
Choose weight loss, maintenance, or weight gain. For loss, we subtract 500-750 calories; for gain, we add 300-500. The calculator shows the safe minimum (1200 women, 1500 men).
Key things to know about our calorie deficit calculator:
- TDEE is the foundation: Of any weight plan: eat at it to maintain, below it to lose, above it to gain. Recompute every 10-15 pounds.
- Deficit size matters: A 500 calorie/day deficit yields about 1 lb of fat loss per week. Going below 1200 calories is generally unsafe without medical supervision.
- Pair with TDEE: For activity-based calorie math, use the TDEE calculator. For weight loss targets, use the calorie deficit calculator.
For related calculations, try our TDEE calculator.
The full calculator includes a goal timeline projection and a safe-deficit range based on CDC minimums (1,200 cal women, 1,500 cal men).
Open the full health calculatorThe Core Math of Weight Loss
One pound of body fat equals approximately 3,500 calories (the original Wishnofsky 1958 approximation still used in clinical practice). To lose 1 pound per week, you need a daily deficit of 500 calories:
Daily Calories = TDEE − 500
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (calories your body burns daily)
But your TDEE is not one number — it is a function of your age, sex, weight, height, and activity. Step 1 is calculating that number. Step 2 is subtracting the deficit that matches your goal.
Step 1: Calculate Your TDEE
TDEE is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) multiplied by an activity factor. We use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990), which the American Dietetic Association considers the most accurate BMR formula validated in research:
Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier (1.2 to 1.9)
Worked example: 180 lb (82 kg), 5'10" (178 cm), 35-year-old male, moderately active:
- BMR = 10 × 82 + 6.25 × 178 − 5 × 35 + 5 = 1,758
- TDEE = 1,758 × 1.55 (moderate activity) = 2,725
- For 1 lb/week loss: 2,725 − 500 = 2,225 calories/day
Step 2: Pick a Weekly Loss Rate
| Goal | Daily Deficit | Daily Calories (TDEE 2,725) | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 lb/week | 250 cal | 2,475 | Easy — minimal hunger |
| 1 lb/week | 500 cal | 2,225 | Moderate — recommended |
| 1.5 lb/week | 750 cal | 1,975 | Hard — more hunger |
| 2 lb/week | 1,000 cal | 1,725 | Aggressive — not recommended long-term |
Most experts recommend 1-2 pounds per week as the sweet spot for sustainable loss that preserves muscle. Going below 1,200 cal/day (women) or 1,500 cal/day (men) should only be done under medical supervision — per the CDC, this is the safe minimum for meeting micronutrient needs at very low intakes.
Step 3: Set Your Macros
At 2,225 calories/day, a balanced macro split for weight loss that preserves muscle:
- Protein (35%): 195g = 780 cal — preserves muscle during deficit, highest satiety per calorie
- Fat (30%): 74g = 668 cal — hormone production, satiety, vitamin absorption
- Carbs (35%): 194g = 777 cal — energy for workouts, fiber, micronutrients
Protein is the priority macro: aim for 0.7-1.0 grams per pound of body weight (about 130-180g for a 180 lb person). Going higher on protein and lower on carbs (e.g. 40/30/30) works well for some — especially those doing strength training.
Tips for Hitting Your Calorie Target
- Track everything with a food scale or app (MyFitnessPal, Cronometer) for the first 2 weeks — most people underestimate intake by 30%
- Eat high-volume, low-calorie foods: vegetables, lean protein, broth-based soups (fills the stomach on few calories)
- Drink water before meals — a 2015 study (PubMed 25893719) showed 500ml 30 min before meals reduces intake by ~13%
- Avoid liquid calories: soda, juice, fancy coffee drinks, alcohol — they add hundreds of calories without triggering satiety
- Prioritize sleep — poor sleep raises ghrelin (hunger) and lowers leptin (fullness), sabotaging the deficit
- Plan for refeed days every 4-6 weeks: eat at maintenance for 1-2 days to reduce metabolic adaptation and psychological fatigue
Why Plateaus Happen (and How to Break Them)
If you have been losing consistently and the scale stops moving for 2-3 weeks, the cause is almost always one of three things:
- Water retention masking fat loss — common after high-sodium meals, intense exercise, or for women in the luteal phase. The fat loss is still happening; wait it out.
- Underreporting intake — as you lose weight, TDEE drops (less body to fuel). Recalculate every 10-15 lb lost.
- Metabolic adaptation — your body has downregulated metabolic rate in response to sustained deficit. The fix: a 1-2 week diet break at maintenance calories, then resume the deficit.
The wrong fix is to cut calories further. The right fix is to audit your tracking, accept the water-retention week, and consider a planned refeed.
Key Takeaways
- Calculate your TDEE first using Mifflin-St Jeor, then subtract 500 for 1 lb/week loss
- Protein should be your priority macro at 0.7-1.0 g per pound — it preserves muscle and keeps you full
- Never go below 1,200 cal/day (women) or 1,500 cal/day (men) without medical supervision
- Track for at least 2 weeks before adjusting — initial estimates are just starting points
- Use our Calorie Deficit Calculator for a personalized plan with exact macros, or our Calorie Calculator for a full TDEE-based daily target
About this guide
Methodology: TDEE via Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) with the 5-level activity multiplier. Calorie deficit target uses 500-750 cal/day per CDC safe-rate guidance; minimum 1,200 cal women / 1,500 cal men. Macros use 35% protein / 30% fat / 35% carbs as a default for muscle preservation during a deficit. Reviewed by the Jonathan Reed (Master of Applied Mathematics) on October 9, 2026.