Calorie deficit calculator
How many calories to eat a day to lose weight at the pace you pick, and roughly how long it takes to reach your goal. Enter your details; the result updates as you type.
Eat about
2,190kcal / day
Your maintenance is 2,740 kcal, so that’s a deficit of 550 kcal a day.
| Expected loss | 0.5 kg / week |
| Time to reach 72 kg | about 16 weeks |
How it's worked out
First, your maintenance calories (TDEE): your resting burn from the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, multiplied by your activity level. That’s what keeps your weight where it is — the TDEE calculator explains it in more detail.
Then the deficit. A kilogram of body weight is roughly 7,700 kcal, so losing 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) a week means eating about 550 kcal a day under maintenance; 0.25 kg a week is about 275 kcal, and 0.75 kg about 825 kcal.
Never below the floor. If the deficit would take you under 1,500 kcal (men) or 1,200 kcal (women) — the minimums most guidance gives for dieting without medical supervision — the target is raised to the floor, and the time to your goal is worked out from the smaller deficit you’d actually be eating.
Picking a pace
Faster isn’t always better. A bigger deficit means more hunger, less energy for training and a greater share of the loss coming from muscle. For most people, 0.25–0.5 kg a week is sustainable; the faster rate suits people with more to lose. Keep protein high while you’re in a deficit — the protein calculator gives a daily number.
Why the scale won't follow the line exactly
Water, salt, carbs and digestion move your weight by a kilogram or more from one day to the next, so a single weigh-in says little. Look at the trend over two or three weeks: if it’s falling slower than expected, eat a little less or move a little more; if faster, you can eat a little more. The time to your goal is an estimate on the same terms — your body burns slightly less as you get lighter, so the last few kilos usually take a bit longer.
Know your number? Now hit it.
easymacros sets your calorie target from the same formula, shows your weight trend as a 7-day average, and makes logging a meal take seconds — search a food, scan its barcode, or just tell the coach what you ate.
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Questions
How big should my calorie deficit be?
Most people do well with 275–550 kcal a day under maintenance, which loses about 0.25–0.5 kg (0.5–1 lb) a week. Larger deficits are harder to keep up and cost more muscle.
How many calories do I need to burn to lose 1 kg?
Roughly 7,700 kcal — about 3,500 kcal per pound. Spread over a week, that's a deficit of around 1,100 kcal a day for 1 kg, or 550 kcal a day for half a kilo.
Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit?
Usually because the deficit is smaller than it looks: portions are underestimated, cooking oil and drinks go unlogged, or the activity level was set too high. Water retention can also hide fat loss for a week or two. Log everything for two weeks and compare against your weight trend, not a single weigh-in.
Is it better to eat less or exercise more?
Both create a deficit. Eating less is usually easier to control; exercise helps keep muscle and adds to the deficit. Exercise calories are often overestimated, so count them conservatively.