Compute your daily calorie target to reach your goal weight by your target date, with safe minimum warnings.
1 lb of body fat ≈ 3,500 kcal, so dividing by 7 days gives the daily deficit needed. Safe sustainable loss is 0.5-2 lb per week. Use the calculator above for personalized targets:
| Weekly goal | Daily kcal change | % of 2,000 kcal | Sustainable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lose 0.5 lb/wk | −250 kcal/day | 12.5% | Yes — gentle |
| Lose 1 lb/wk | −500 kcal/day | 25% | Yes — CDC standard |
| Lose 1.5 lb/wk | −750 kcal/day | 37.5% | Yes if overweight |
| Lose 2 lb/wk | −1,000 kcal/day | 50% | Max safe per CDC |
| Maintain | 0 kcal (TDEE) | 0% | Yes — maintenance |
| Gain 0.5 lb/wk | +250 kcal/day | 12.5% | Yes — lean bulk |
Max safe deficit per CDC and NIH: 500-1,000 kcal/day for sustainable loss. Minimums: 1,500 kcal/day for men, 1,200 kcal/day for women. Never go below these without medical supervision.
Using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation based on weight, height, age, and gender.
Your TDEE = BMR × activity factor. This is your maintenance calories.
Subtract 500 cal/day to lose ~1 lb/week. A sustainable rate for most people.
One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. A daily deficit of 500 calories creates a weekly deficit of 3,500 calories, resulting in about 1 pound of weight loss per week. This is considered a safe and sustainable rate by most health organizations.
Cross-checked against authoritative formulas (IRS, NIST, ACSM) and updated for 2025/2026 tax years and rates.
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FAQ
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A calorie deficit calculator is a free weight loss tool that determines the daily calorie intake needed to reach a target weight by a specific date. Our calorie deficit calculator shows the calorie target, weekly loss rate, and expected timeline. The calorie deficit calculator uses your TDEE minus a safe deficit (usually 500-1000 cal/day) to ensure sustainable loss.
How it works
Our calorie deficit calculator lets you find the daily calorie target needed to reach a goal weight by a target date.
Type your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level. The calorie deficit calculator uses this to find your TDEE (maintenance calories) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Type the weight you want to reach and when you want to reach it. The calorie deficit calculator computes the daily calorie target. The target date affects how aggressive the deficit can be.
The result shows the daily calorie target, weekly loss rate, and expected timeline. The calorie deficit calculator also shows the safe minimum (1200 for women, 1500 for men) and the recommended deficit range. The share button creates a link with your inputs pre-filled.