How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Start from your maintenance calories — the amount that holds your weight steady — and subtract a deficit. A deficit of about 550 kcal/day produces roughly 0.5 kg (about 1 lb) of fat loss per week, the sustainable rate most guidelines recommend. For example, if your maintenance is 2,200 kcal, eating around 1,650 kcal/day puts you on track for about 0.5 kg a week. This calculator works out your maintenance from your height, weight, age, sex and activity (the Mifflin-St Jeor equation), then subtracts the deficit for the weekly rate you choose — and warns you if the target would drop below a safe minimum.

How much weight can I safely lose per week?

For most people, 0.25–1 kg (0.5–2 lb) per week is a safe, sustainable range. A good rule of thumb is up to about 1% of your bodyweight per week — heavier people can safely lose a little faster at first, while those closer to their goal should aim for the gentler end to protect muscle. Losing much faster than this usually means giving up muscle and is hard to keep off. This calculator flags any rate above roughly 1% of your bodyweight, and any target that falls below a safe minimum intake (about 1,200 kcal/day for women, 1,500 for men).

Is this a free weight loss calculator?

Yes — it is completely free, needs no sign-up, and runs entirely in your browser, so none of your numbers are sent anywhere. Enter your details, choose how fast you want to lose, and you get your maintenance calories, a daily calorie target, the deficit behind it, and an estimated timeline to your goal weight.

How does the weight loss calculator work?

It uses energy balance — the principle that you lose fat when you eat fewer calories than you burn. First it estimates the calories you burn in a day (your maintenance, or TDEE) from your stats and activity level using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Then it applies the weekly loss rate you pick: since roughly 7,700 kcal equals 1 kg of fat, a target rate of 0.5 kg/week works out to a 550 kcal daily deficit, which it subtracts from maintenance to give your daily calorie target. If you enter a goal weight, it also estimates how many weeks the plan will take.

How long will it take me to reach my goal weight?

That depends on how much you have to lose and the pace you choose. At 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week, losing 10 kg takes about 20 weeks; at 0.75 kg/week, about 13–14 weeks. Enter a goal weight above and the calculator gives you an estimated number of weeks and a target month. Remember that real-world loss is rarely perfectly linear — weight can stall for a week or two and then drop — so judge progress on the multi-week trend, not day to day.

Do I need to count calories to lose weight?

Not necessarily, but knowing your target helps. Some people lose weight by tracking calories precisely; others succeed by building consistent habits — more protein and vegetables, fewer liquid calories, controlled portions — that naturally create a deficit. The number this calculator gives you is a benchmark to aim for, however you choose to get there. If you would rather restrict when you eat than count calories, the Intermittent Fasting Calculator estimates the deficit that fasting schedules create instead.

Why am I not losing weight even in a calorie deficit?

The most common reasons are an inaccurate calorie count (portions and cooking oils are easy to underestimate), water-weight fluctuations masking real fat loss, and metabolic adaptation after a long diet. Maintenance is also only an estimate — yours may be lower than the formula predicts. Give any change 2–3 weeks, track honestly, and if the scale trend is flat, trim the target slightly or add activity. If you have been dieting hard for months, a short break at maintenance can help before resuming.

Calorie & Deficit Planner

Weight Loss Calculator — Calories to Lose Weight

How many calories should you eat to lose weight? Enter your stats, pick your pace, and get your maintenance calories, your exact daily calorie target, the deficit behind it, and a realistic timeline to your goal.

Weight Loss Calculator

Gender

Required: we use your biological sex to estimate your maintenance calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, and to set a safe minimum-intake floor.

Age (years)

Range: 15–100 years

Weight (kg)

Range: 30–300 kg

Height

cmft·in

Enter your height in centimeters (e.g., 170 cm)

Range: 100–250 cm

Activity Level

How fast do you want to lose?

0.5 kg (about 1 lb) a week is the sustainable sweet spot for most people. We’ll work out the daily calorie target it takes.

Goal weight (kg) (optional)

Add a target and we’ll estimate how many weeks it takes at your chosen pace.

Known maintenance calories (optional)

Already know your maintenance (TDEE)? Enter it to skip the estimate — age, height and activity aren’t needed then.

Don't know your maintenance? Calculate your TDEE free

*This calculator is for informational purposes only. Please consult a healthcare professional before making any health decisions. See our medical disclaimer for more information.

Quick Answer

How Many Calories Should You Eat to Lose Weight?

To lose weight you need a calorie deficit — eating fewer calories than you burn. Start from your maintenance calories (the amount that holds your weight steady) and subtract a deficit: about 550 kcal a day gives roughly 0.5 kg (about 1 lb) of fat loss per week. This calculator estimates your maintenance from your height, weight, age, sex and activity, then subtracts the deficit for the pace you choose — and tells you the exact daily calorie target to hit. Enter your details above to see your number.

The Only Thing That Drives Fat Loss: Energy Balance

Every diet that works — keto, fasting, low-fat, calorie counting — works for one underlying reason: it puts you in a calorie deficit. When you take in less energy than your body uses, it makes up the difference by burning stored fat. There is no way around this and no need to over-complicate it. The two numbers that matter are the calories you burn (your maintenance, or TDEE) and the calories you eat.

The classic rule of thumb is that 1 kg of body fat stores about 7,700 kcal (3,500 kcal per pound). So a daily deficit of ~550 kcal adds up to about 0.5 kg a week. It’s an approximation — your body adapts as you lose, so loss slows over time — but it’s an excellent planning tool, and it’s exactly the math this calculator runs. Confirm your maintenance number across three formulas with the TDEE Calculator, or see what your body burns at complete rest with the BMR Calculator.

Bottom line: you don’t need a special diet — you need a deficit you can stick to. Pick the pace that feels sustainable, hit your daily target most days, and let consistency do the work.

Choosing Your Pace: How Fast Should You Lose?

Pace	Weekly loss	Daily deficit	Best for
Gentle	0.25 kg / ~0.5 lb	~275 kcal	The last few kg; preserving muscle
Steady	0.5 kg / ~1 lb	~550 kcal	Most people — the recommended default
Faster	0.75 kg / ~1.5 lb	~825 kcal	More to lose; watch minimum intake
Aggressive	1 kg / ~2 lb	~1,100 kcal	Higher starting weight, short term only

A safe target is up to about 1% of your bodyweight per week. Faster isn’t better: aggressive deficits cost you muscle, tank your energy, and are far harder to sustain — which is why crash diets rebound. If your target drops below a safe minimum (around 1,200 kcal/day for women, 1,500 for men), the calculator flags it and you should pick a gentler pace. Want the exact calorie number for a specific pace? See how many calories it takes to lose 2 pounds a week, or work out how much you’ll lose on 1,500 calories a day. Coming off a long diet and want to raise calories without rebound? Plan it with the Reverse Dieting Calculator.

How to Use This Weight Loss Calculator

Enter your stats. Gender, age, weight and height let the calculator estimate the calories you burn with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Pick your activity level. Be honest — most people overestimate. “Lightly active” fits a typical desk job with a little exercise.
Choose your pace. 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week is the sustainable default; go gentler near your goal.
Add a goal weight (optional). Get an estimated number of weeks and a target month to reach it.
Read your plan. You get your maintenance calories, your daily calorie target, the deficit behind it, your timeline, and a safety check.

Already know your maintenance (TDEE)? Type it into the optional field to skip the estimate. Want to turn your calorie target into protein, carb and fat goals? Hand it straight to the Macro Calculator, or pin down your exact finish date with the Goal Weight Calculator.

Making Your Deficit Actually Work

Prioritise protein. Around 1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight blunts hunger and protects muscle while you lose fat. The Macro Calculator sets your split.
Move more, not just less food. Adding steps or walking widens your deficit without eating less — see the Daily Steps and Walking calculators.
Mind liquid calories. Sugary drinks, juice and alcohol are the easiest deficit-killers because they don’t fill you up.
Judge the trend, not the day. Water swings hide fat loss. Weigh a few mornings a week and watch the 1–2 week average.
Track progress as a percentage. Losing 5% and 10% of your starting weight are clinically meaningful milestones — follow them with the Weight Loss % Calculator.

Weight Loss Calculator — Limitations

⚠Maintenance is an estimate. Mifflin-St Jeor lands within ~10% of measured metabolic rate for most adults, but yours may differ — adjust from real weekly weigh-ins.
⚠The 7,700 kcal/kg figure is an approximation. As you lose weight your maintenance falls, so loss slows and you may need to re-run the numbers.
⚠It assumes you hit your target consistently. Untracked snacks, oils and liquid calories are the usual reason real-world loss lags the projection.
⚠It does not account for medical conditions, medications, or large amounts of muscle that change metabolic rate — enter a known maintenance value if you have one.
⚠Early scale loss is mostly water and glycogen, not fat. Don’t extrapolate week-one numbers.

Safe Execution Protocol: Weight Loss Next Steps

Before acting on your results, follow these expert-validated guidelines to protect metabolic health and long-term progress:

Keep your daily target above the safe floor (about 1,200 kcal/day for women, 1,500 for men) unless a clinician is guiding you.
Aim to lose no more than ~1% of your bodyweight per week to protect muscle and energy.
Build meals around protein and fibre so the deficit doesn’t leave you ravenous and prone to overeating.
Judge progress on a 1–2 week weight trend, and re-check your maintenance as your weight comes down.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, or managing a medical condition, talk to a clinician before starting a calorie deficit.

Use the clinical routing dashboard below to execute these steps safely with verified professional resources.

CDC Assessment Guide

Precision Tracking Tools

Monitor your baseline metrics with clinical accuracy to ensure you stay on target.

View Tracking Guide

U.S. Dietary Guidelines

Custom Meal Design

Access foundational dietary blueprints structured for sustainable, long-term success.

Explore Meal Plans

Academy of Nutrition

Expert Coaching

Connect with certified professionals who can tailor strategies to your unique physiology.

Find a Dietitian

Scientific References

Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–247. PubMed
Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837. PubMed
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Overweight and obesity management (NG246). 2025. NICE

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