Find your maintenance calories and a daily target that loses fat at a pace you can sustain. Built on the equations dietitians actually use, with guard rails so it never suggests something reckless.
years
kg
cm
Light exercise 1–3 days a week
≈ 0.64% of body weight per week. 0.5–1% is the sweet spot for keeping muscle.
Your daily target1,504kcalDeficit of 550 kcal/day (26.8% of maintenance)
BMR1,494kcalBurned at complete rest
TDEE2,054kcalMaintenance with activity
Expected rate0.5kg/wkAfter safety limits
Quick reference
Weekly loss
Daily deficit
Eat per day
0.25 kg
275 kcal
1,779 kcal
0.5 kg
550 kcal
1,504 kcal
0.75 kg
825 kcal
1,229 kcal
1 kg
1100 kcal
1,200 kcal(floor)
Every formula is an estimate with roughly ±10% error. Eat at this target for 2–3 weeks, compare your weekly average weight, then adjust by 100–150 kcal. See the timeline tool for your goal date.
Weight change is governed by energy balance. Your body burns a baseline amount of energy at rest
(BMR), which is multiplied by an activity factor to estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure
(TDEE). Eating below TDEE creates a deficit; roughly 7,700 kcal of cumulative deficit equals one
kilogram of body weight.
We estimate BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation by default, because
validation studies consistently show it predicts measured metabolic rate within 10% for more
people than any other formula. Harris-Benedict is offered for comparison. Katch-McArdle uses
lean mass instead of total weight, which matters if you are unusually lean or muscular.
Choosing a rate of loss
0.25–0.5 kg per week (0.5–1 lb): gentle, easy to sustain, almost no muscle
loss. Ideal if you have less than 10 kg to lose or you lift weights.
0.5–0.75 kg per week: the standard recommendation for most people.
1 kg per week or more: only realistic with a lot of weight to lose and high
maintenance calories. The calculator will cap the deficit if it exceeds 25% of your TDEE.
What to do with the number
Eat at your target for two to three weeks and weigh yourself daily, comparing weekly averages.
If you are losing at roughly the expected pace, change nothing. If not, adjust by 100–150 kcal
and repeat. Your target will need to drop slowly as you get lighter; the timeline tool shows exactly how much.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
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Total Daily Energy Expenditure is everything you burn in a day: your basal metabolic rate (BMR) plus digestion, daily movement and exercise. Eat at your TDEE and your weight holds steady; eat below it and you lose.
Which formula should I use?
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Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate for the general population and is what the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends. Use Katch-McArdle only if you have a reliable body-fat measurement; it is better for very lean or very muscular people.
How big should my deficit be?
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Aim for 10–25% below maintenance, which usually means losing 0.5–1% of your body weight per week. Bigger deficits cost muscle, energy and adherence. This calculator caps deficits at 25% of TDEE (or the standard 550 kcal for 0.5 kg a week, whichever is larger) and never goes below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men).
Why am I not losing weight at this number?
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Formulas have a ±10% error and food logging is usually 20–30% under. Track your weekly average weight for three weeks. If it has not moved, cut 100–150 kcal or add 2,000 steps, then re-check. See our plateau guide.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
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If you chose an activity level that already includes your workouts, no. Fitness trackers overestimate exercise burn by 30–90%, so eating those calories back usually erases the deficit.
Ethereal provides general educational information and estimates only. It is not medical advice and
does not replace an assessment by a doctor or registered dietitian. Do not use it if you are under
18, pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating without professional guidance.
Read the full disclaimer.