Calorie Deficit Calculator

Calculate the daily calorie deficit needed for a target weekly weight loss and your goal calorie intake.

550 kcal

Daily calorie deficit

Daily deficit550 kcal
Goal calories / day1,950 kcal
Weekly deficit3,850 kcal
ℹ️ Don't cut calories too low: generally not below 1200 for women and 1500 for men per day.
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This calorie deficit calculator shows how big your daily calorie deficit needs to be to reach a chosen weekly weight loss. You enter your daily expenditure and a weekly goal, and it gives you a clear target calorie intake to aim for.

How the calculator works and what it’s for

How the calorie deficit is calculated

Weight loss comes down to spending more energy than you take in from food. Losing a kilogram of fat requires a large total energy deficit, which is spread evenly across the days of the week.

The calculator takes your weekly goal in kilograms, converts it into the weekly deficit required and divides it across seven days. That daily deficit is subtracted from your expenditure to give your goal calories.

What you enter and what you get

Enter your daily expenditure (TDEE) in kilocalories and how many kilograms you want to lose per week. If you don't know your TDEE, estimate it first with a separate expenditure calculator.

The results show your daily deficit, your goal calories per day, and the total deficit that builds up over the week. You see at a glance how much you can eat and where it leads.

Who it is for

It is handy when you want a steady, controlled approach to weight loss instead of guessing portion sizes. A moderate deficit is usually easier to sustain than a crash diet.

Use it as a starting point and track your weight over a couple of weeks. If the scale won't move or drops too fast, adjust the target.

Good to know

Don't cut calories too low. Intake should generally not go below 1200 kcal for women or 1500 kcal for men per day, so that nutrient intake stays adequate.

The figures are estimates: metabolism, activity and water balance all affect the real rate of loss.

🔄 Reviewed June 2026

Frequently asked questions

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