How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Your maintenance calories minus a deficit. For 0.5 kg a week, that is about 550 kcal below maintenance. Enter your details to get the exact number.

How big should my calorie deficit be?

Usually 0.5–1% of body weight per week. A 500 kcal daily deficit trends to about half a kilo a week for most people.

Is a bigger deficit faster and better?

Faster, not better. Large deficits cost muscle, energy and adherence. A moderate deficit you can sustain wins over an aggressive one you quit.

Why has my weight loss stalled?

A smaller body burns fewer calories, and logging drifts over time. Recalculate every few kilos and adjust the target down slightly.

Health & Fitness

Calorie Deficit Calculator

To lose weight you eat below what you burn. This finds your maintenance calories, then subtracts the deficit for the weekly rate you choose — so you get one clear daily number to aim for.

Your numbers

Result

Daily calorie target

2,161

kcal/day to hit your goal

Daily deficitkcal below maintenance: 550
Maintenance (TDEE)kcal/day: 2,711

Daily calories by loss rate
Weekly loss	Daily calories
0.25 kg (gentle)	2,436
0.5 kg (moderate)	2,161
0.75 kg (fast)	1,886
1 kg (aggressive)	1,611

How a calorie deficit works

First the calculator estimates your maintenance calories (TDEE) from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and your activity level. Roughly 7,700 kcal equals a kilogram of body mass, so losing 0.5 kg a week needs a deficit of about 0.5 × 7,700 ÷ 7 ≈ 550 kcal per day. Your target is maintenance minus that deficit.

How fast should you go?

A deficit of 0.5 to 1% of body weight per week is the usual sweet spot — fast enough to see progress, slow enough to keep muscle and stay sane. Bigger deficits are not better: they cost lean mass, tank energy and rarely last. If the target drops below roughly 1,200–1,500 kcal, choose a gentler rate.

Track and adjust

These are estimates — hold the target for two to three weeks and watch the trend on the scale, not day-to-day noise. If nothing moves, your maintenance or your logging is off by a little; trim another 100–200 kcal or tighten tracking rather than crashing lower.

Informational and educational result. Not a substitute for professional advice.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Mifflin-St Jeor equation (Am J Clin Nutr, 1990)
Approximate energy density of body mass (~7,700 kcal/kg)

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