Calorie Deficit Calculator (2024)

Enter the values into this caloric deficit calculator to get the calorie deficit for your weight loss plan.

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Calorie Deficit Calculator

This calorie deficit calculator estimates how many calories you need to consume daily to lose weight. Enter the required entities and the calculator is capable of calculating the following:

Calories Deficit
Calories to maintain weight
Calories to lose weight
Table that shows estimations for your daily calorie intake
Weight reduction chart
Health Factors including TDEE, BMR, RMR, BMI, PAL, IBW

These calculations by this calorie deficit calculator help people take control of their health and make sustainable lifestyle changes. However, these all are only estimations.

Limitations:

What is a Calorie Deficit?

“A calorie deficit means consuming fewer calories than you need each day”

This deficit of calories leads to weight loss over time. Conversely, consuming more calories than your body needs can lead to weight gain. There are also some other factors that may influence weight fluctuation including:

Diet
Physical activity
Hormones
Hydration
Medications
Stress
Lifestyle habits
Underlying health conditions
Genetics
Sleeping habits

How to Achieve a Calorie Deficit?

Creating a calorie deficit is considered the key to losing weight. It involves burning more calories than you take in diet. Achieving a calorie deficit can be done by reducing your calorie intake or increasing your physical activity levels. You can do both at the same time.

For example: You decided to create a deficit of 700 calories each day. This can be achieved by cutting 350 calories from your daily diet plan and remaining 350 work out calories.

Reduce Calorie Intake:

This involves:

Eating smaller portions
Choosing lower-calorie foods
Reducing sugary drinks
Avoid unhealthy snacks and more

Food Group	Specific Examples	Daily Servings
Whole Grains	Brown rice, quinoa, oats, whole-wheat bread, etc.	3-5
Vegetables	Variety of colorful vegetables	4-5
Fruits	Berries, apples, pears, etc.	Limit fruit juices
Fish	Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines)	2-3 servings per week
Nuts and Seeds	Handful	Most days
Low-fat Dairy	Low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, skim milk	Include as desired

Increase Calorie Expenditure:

You can boost your daily movements through physical activities like:

Exercise (cardio, strength training)
Increasing daily movement

Activity (1 hour)	125 lb person	155 lb person
Golf (using cart)	198	246
Walking (3.5 mph)	215	267
Swimming (free-style, moderate)	397	492
Tennis (general)	397	492
Running (9 minute mile)	624	773
Bicycling (12-14 mph, moderate)	454	562

By combining healthy calorie-consuming habits with regular workouts and using a free calorie deficit calculator for weight loss as assistance, you can sustainably reach your target weight goal.

How To Calculate Calorie Deficit?

Calorie Deficit = TDEE − Calories Consumed

Where:

TDEE: Total number of calories a body needs to maintain its current weight
Calories Consumed: Total number of calories you consume through any activity

To calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), there is a following formula:

TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor

In the TDEE formula, BMR is the number of calories expended as your body performs the basic functions of life. For calculating BMR, try our BMR calculator or just put values in the given Mifflin-St Jeor equations.

For Men:

BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × weight in kg) + (4.799 × height in cm) − (5.677 × age in years)

For Women:

BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × weight in kg) + (3.098 × height in cm) − (4.330 × age in years)

Another term in the TDEE formula is the activity factor. This depends on your activity level:

Sedentary (little or no exercise): TDEE = BMR x 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): TDEE = BMR x 1.375
Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): TDEE = BMR x 1.55
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): TDEE = BMR x 1.725
Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): TDEE = BMR x 1.9

Once you have your TDEE, subtract your daily calorie intake from it to get your caloric deficit.

For Example:

Let's say your total daily energy expenditure is 1800 calories on a daily basis and want a calorie deficit of 500. Then how many calories do you consume for a deficit?

TDEE = 1800 calories
Calories Consumed = 500 calories

Formula:

Calorie Deficit = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) − Calories Consumed

Calorie Deficit = 1800 calories - 500 calories

Calorie Deficit = 1300 calories

The resultant value aims at the consumption of 1300 calories for a deficit. You can also use the best calories deficit calculator to get personalized estimation by considering activity level.

What is a My Calorie Deficit For Weight Loss?

Many obesity societies and guidelines recommend a calorie deficit of 500 - 1000 calories to lose weight per day. This is considered the optimal approach to lose weight but can vary depending on weight, height, and activity level.

FAQs:

Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit?

When you eat less, your body starts burning fewer calories while at resting and during exercise. This is referred to as the natural process to consuming less calories and even the most obvious reason why you people hit the weight loss plateaus. As a result, it becomes harder to reduce extra pounds as they get smaller.

Do you lose a pound with a 500-calorie deficit?

Yes, if you consume 500 calories on a daily basis, then you may lose weight of about 1 or half pounds a week. However, this reduction varies depending on body weight, activity level, and gender.

What is zigzag calorie cycling?

Zigzag calorie cycling is a dietary approach that is used to prevent the body from getting plateaus in weight loss. This calorie cycling is used alternatively between high and low-calorie days throughout the week.

How long does it take to see results from a calorie deficit?

In a deficit, the limit of the timeline depends on several factors including starting weight, activity level, and overall health. Some experts suggest a duration of about 12 weeks. Others recommend paying attention to your body and adjusting calorie intake accordingly as needed to prevent the negative consequences of prolonged deficit.

What are the benefits of losing weight?

Here are some benefits of losing weight listed by name:

Improved mobility
Reduced joint pain
Lower blood pressure
Improved blood sugar control
Reduced risk of heart disease
Reduced risk of stroke
Improved sleep apnea
Reduced risk of certain cancers
Increased energy levels
Improved mood and self-esteem

The information you enter in the calculator online is only used to make calculations, it is not stored or shared with any third party for any concerns. Read our Privacy Policy

FAQs

How do I figure out my calorie deficit? ›

To perform a manual calculation, moderately active people can multiply their current body weight by 15 to estimate how many calories they would need each day. Anything less than this is a deficit.

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Is 1500 calories a day a good deficit? ›

What Should Your Calorie Deficit Be? A good rule of thumb for healthy weight loss is a deficit of about 500 calories per day. That should put you on course to lose about 1 pound per week. This is based on a starting point of at least 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day for men.

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What calorie deficit do I need to lose 2 pounds a week? ›

To break it down, each pound of fat contains 3,500 calories, meaning you must have a 7,000-calorie deficit to shed 2 pounds of fat per week.

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Is 1200 calories a day a deficit? ›

In general, a calorie deficit under or equal to 1,200 calories per day is recommended for safe and sustainable weight loss (resulting in a weight loss of one to two pounds per week). However, weight loss is not linear and can fluctuate depending on factors such as water retention and muscle gain.

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How many calories should I be in deficit to lose weight? ›

Make These Changes

To lose a pound of fat, you'll need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume in a week. In other words, to drop one pound a week, you must have a deficit of 500 calories a day. For two pounds, you'll need a deficit of 1,000 calories a day.

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Can you lose weight on 800 calories a day? ›

On a VLCD, you may have as few as 800 calories a day and may lose up to 3 to 5 pounds (1.5 to 2 kg) week. Most VLCDs use meal replacements, such as formulas, soups, shakes, and bars instead of regular meals. This helps ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need each day.

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What happens if I eat 1000 calories a day for a month? ›

However, other studies show that while consuming 1,000 calories a day may result in significant weight loss, most people cannot sustain it and often experience significant weight regain . The reasons include regaining lost muscle mass and increased appetite. Also worth noting is that the human body can adapt.

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How much weight will I lose if I eat 1500 calories a day? ›

Some research suggests that the average person assigned female at birth can limit their daily caloric intake to 1,500 calories or less to drop 1 pound per week. The average person assigned male at birth may consume up to 2,000 calories a day to lose the same amount of weight.

Why am I not losing weight while eating 1200 calories a day? ›

The reason why this may be happening is due to metabolic adaptation. This is a term used to describe the bodies natural tendency to decrease its metabolism Rate of Metabolism (RMR) in response to caloric restriction, leading to slower fat loss than expected.

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Why am I gaining weight on 1200 calories a day? ›

So, if you're eating 1,200 calories and not losing weight, it could be that your body is really struggling to function on so little fuel and your metabolism is not functioning well enough to respond to a deficit in the way you'd like.

Calorie Deficit Calculator (2024)