Calorie Deficit Calculator

Find how many calories to eat for a chosen deficit: enter TDEE or a Mifflin profile, subtract the daily gap, and read intake plus a weekly mass estimate. At 2,200 minus 500 you get 1,700 kcal and about 0.45 kg/week (~1 lb). The chart shows the gap between maintenance and intake.

Inputs

Step 1

Maintenance (TDEE)

I don’t know TDEE — compute from profile (Mifflin × PAL)

Enter mass, height, age, sex, and activity together. Mifflin TDEE then replaces the field above.

Step 2

Daily deficit

Pick a pace or enter your own number. 500 kcal is the classic start (~1 lb/week in the US rule of thumb).

Step 3 · optional

Goal weight → weeks estimate

If the profile has weight, that is “current”. Without a profile, enter current weight here. Goal must be lower.

Result

Enter TDEE (step 1) and a deficit (step 2). After Calculate you will see intake, the weekly mass estimate, and the balance chart.

Intake = TDEE − deficit. Estimate kg/week with the 7700 constant. Maintenance is on the TDEE calculator. Protein is on protein requirement.

How it works

A calorie deficit on this page is maintenance (TDEE) minus the daily gap you choose. At TDEE 2200 and a 500 deficit, intake is 1700 kcal. The mass estimate is (deficit × 7) / 7700: 500 × 7 = 3500, and 3500 / 7700 ≈ 0.45 kg per week. At 2500 and 300 you get 2200 kcal and about 0.27 kg. A zero deficit at 1800 leaves 1800 kcal and 0.00 kg. At 2000 and 750, intake is 1250 kcal and about 0.68 kg per week.

If you do not know TDEE, complete the profile: mass, height, age, sex, and activity. Then TDEE = Mifflin-St Jeor × PAL and replaces the entered TDEE field. Example: a man 80 kg, 180 cm, age 30, moderate activity (×1.55), deficit 500 — BMR 10×80 + 6.25×180 − 5×30 + 5 = 1780, TDEE 2759, intake 2259 kcal.

Female example: 65 kg, 165 cm, age 28, light activity (×1.375), deficit 400 — TDEE 1898, intake 1498 kcal, estimate about 0.36 kg per week. Male example: 95 kg, 175 cm, age 45, active (×1.725), deficit 600 — BMR 1823.75, TDEE 3146, intake 2546 kcal.

A warning appears when the deficit is larger than TDEE or when intake falls below BMR from the profile. A woman 55 kg, 160 cm, age 40, sedentary (×1.2), deficit 700: BMR 1189, TDEE 1427, intake 727 kcal — below BMR. That is still formula output, not an order to eat under rest. An incomplete profile with empty TDEE stops the math; an incomplete profile with entered TDEE keeps the entered number.

The deficit must be zero or a positive number. The US switch converts pounds and inches with 0.453592 and 2.54, then applies the same Mifflin equation. The 7700 kcal per kilogram constant does not change with the header units. Protein grams are not on this page — use the protein requirement calculator. The surplus calculator next to this one adds to TDEE instead of subtracting.

Treat 1700 kcal and 0.45 kg/week as worked arithmetic, not as a finished meal plan. Enter 2200 and 500, click Calculate, and check 1700. Then complete the full profile 80 kg, 180 cm, age 30, male, PAL 1.55 and deficit 500 to see 2259 kcal from TDEE 2759.

How to use

  1. Enter TDEE from another page, or leave it blank if you will complete the full profile: mass, height, age, sex, and activity.
  2. Enter the daily deficit in kcal, or pick a pace of 250 / 500 / 750. Zero is allowed and leaves intake equal to TDEE, with a 0.00 kg/week estimate.
  3. A full profile replaces entered TDEE with Mifflin times PAL. An incomplete profile does not guess sex and keeps entered TDEE.
  4. In US units enter weight in pounds and height in inches. The formula converts to kilograms and centimeters, then subtracts the deficit.
  5. Read intake kcal, TDEE used, and the kg/week estimate. 2200 minus 500 should give 1700 and about 0.45 kg. Maintenance without subtraction is on the TDEE page.

Formula

BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) = 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age, then +5 (male) or −161 (female). TDEE = BMR × PAL with a full profile, otherwise entered TDEE. intake = TDEE − deficit. kg/week = (deficit × 7) / 7700. Deficit ≥ 0.

2200 − 500 → 1700 kcal · ≈0.45 kg/week
TDEE2200
deficit500
intake1700

Deficit, TDEE, and 7700 on this page

You subtract a daily deficit from maintenance and estimate kg/week. At TDEE 2200 and a 500 deficit, intake is 1700 kcal and about 0.45 kg/week at the 7700 constant.

TDEE
Daily maintenance kcal. Enter it or compute it from a Mifflin × PAL profile. 2200 minus 500 gives intake 1700.
BMR
Mifflin base from a full profile before PAL makes TDEE. A warning appears when intake falls below BMR or the deficit exceeds TDEE.
PAL
Activity multiplier when you compute TDEE from weight, height, and age. Sedentary ×1.2, moderate ×1.55.
Mifflin
Mifflin-St Jeor on the optional profile: 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age, then +5 or −161. Then TDEE = BMR × PAL, then minus deficit.
deficit
How many kcal you subtract from TDEE each day. 500 for 7 days is 3500 kcal, and 3500 / 7700 ≈ 0.45 kg/week.

Why 7700 kcal per kilogram — a press-ready explainer

US readers usually meet the ~3500 kcal per pound rule of thumb. Convert it: 3500 ÷ 0.4536 ≈ 7716 kcal per kg — essentially the same educational scale as this page’s 7700 kcal per kg. At 500 kcal/day for 7 days you get 3500 kcal, and 3500 / 7700 ≈ 0.45 kg/week (about 1 lb/week).

Polish coaching often labels maintenance as CPM before subtracting a deficit; here that slot is TDEE. The markets differ in units and naming, not in a separate law of physics. NIDDK’s Body Weight Planner is more adaptive than this linear model — we stay clear about that limit.

That contrast is article-ready: two thumb rules, one energy scale; a BMR-floor warning; and worked numbers (2200−500→1700; 80 kg man → 2259) as arithmetic demos, not clinical meal plans. Cite the math, then ask a dietitian about adaptation and morning scale noise.

Two thumb rules, one energy scale
US ~3500 kcal ≈ 1 lb 500×7 → ~1 lb/week estimate Metric page 7700 kcal ≈ 1 kg 3500/7700 ≈ 0.45 kg/week Same classroom scale — different labels

Examples

Example 1

  • TDEE 2200
  • Deficit 500
  • No profile

1700 kcal, 0.45 kg/week

2200 minus 500 gives 1700 kcal and about 0.45 kg per week.

Example 2

  • TDEE 2500
  • Deficit 300
  • No profile

2200 kcal, 0.27 kg/week

2500 minus 300 gives 2200 kcal and about 0.27 kg per week.

Example 3

  • TDEE 1800
  • Deficit 0
  • No profile

1800 kcal, 0.00 kg/week

1800 minus 0 gives 1800 kcal and about 0.00 kg per week.

Example 4

  • 80 kg, 180 cm, age 30, male
  • PAL 1.55
  • Deficit 500
  • Goal 75 kg

2259 kcal · ≈11 weeks to 75 kg

BMR 1780 × 1.55 gives TDEE 2759; minus 500 is 2259 kcal and 0.45 kg; with a 75 kg goal ≈ 11 weeks.

Example 5

  • 65 kg, 165 cm, age 28, female
  • PAL 1.375
  • Deficit 400

1498 kcal from TDEE 1898

With this female profile, TDEE is 1898; minus 400 gives 1498 kcal and about 0.36 kg/week.

Example 6

  • TDEE 2000
  • Deficit 750
  • No profile

1250 kcal, 0.68 kg/week

2000 minus 750 gives 1250 kcal and about 0.68 kg per week.

Example 7

  • 95 kg, 175 cm, age 45, male
  • PAL 1.725
  • Deficit 600

2546 kcal from TDEE 3146

BMR 1823.75 × 1.725 gives TDEE 3146, minus 600 gives 2546 kcal and about 0.55 kg.

Example 8

  • 55 kg, 160 cm, age 40, female
  • PAL 1.2
  • Deficit 700

727 kcal, warning under BMR

TDEE 1427 minus 700 gives 727 kcal, under BMR 1189, about 0.64 kg.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate a calorie deficit?

Subtract your daily deficit from maintenance (TDEE). Estimated kg/week = (deficit × 7) / 7,700. At TDEE 2,200 and a 500 deficit, intake is 1,700 kcal and about 0.45 kg per week.

How can I figure out my calorie deficit for weight loss?

Start from maintenance, then choose a daily gap. A common starting point is 500 kcal/day (~0.45 kg/week, or about 1 lb/week under the US 3,500 kcal/lb rule of thumb). Gentler is 250; higher is 750. The calculator shows the arithmetic, not a clinic plan.

What is a 500 calorie deficit in this calculator?

Intake = TDEE − 500. Weekly mass estimate = (500 × 7) / 7,700 ≈ 0.45 kg. With TDEE 2,200 that is 1,700 kcal to eat. Your own TDEE changes the intake number, not the weekly estimate from the deficit alone.

Is 1,200 calories a day a deficit?

Only if it is below your TDEE. At TDEE 2,000, 1,200 is an 800 kcal deficit; at TDEE 1,100 it would not be a deficit at all. Enter your TDEE (or a full Mifflin profile) and the target intake to see the gap.

Where does the 7,700 constant come from?

The model assumes about 7,700 kcal per 1 kg of fat tissue. It is an educational estimate, not a morning scale reading or a guaranteed weekly rate. The US ~3,500 kcal/lb rule is roughly the same scale (~7,716 kcal/kg).

When does the Mifflin profile overwrite entered TDEE?

When you complete weight, height, age, sex, and activity together. Then TDEE = Mifflin × PAL replaces the TDEE field. An incomplete profile does not guess missing fields and keeps the entered TDEE.

Does the calculator work for women and men?

Yes. Sex changes the Mifflin constant (+5 male, −161 female). Example: a woman 65 kg, 165 cm, age 28, light activity, deficit 400 → TDEE 1,898 and intake 1,498. A man 80 kg, 180 cm, age 30, moderate, deficit 500 → intake 2,259 from TDEE 2,759.

How is this different from a TDEE calculator?

Here you subtract a daily deficit from TDEE and get intake kcal plus a kg/week estimate. The TDEE page computes maintenance (BMR × PAL) without a required deficit.

Do header units change the Mifflin equation?

No. In US mode you enter pounds and inches; the calculator converts to kilograms and centimeters, then uses the same Mifflin formula and the same 7,700 constant.

Is intake below BMR a diet prescription?

No. When intake falls below estimated BMR or the deficit exceeds TDEE, a warning appears. That is arithmetic feedback, not a clinic order.

Is a zero deficit allowed?

Yes. Zero leaves intake equal to TDEE and a 0.00 kg/week estimate. It is a quick check that subtraction works.

Where do weeks to goal weight come from?

From kg difference × 7,700, divided by deficit × 7. From 80 kg to 75 kg at 500 kcal: 5 × 7,700 / (500 × 7) = 11 weeks. The model is linear and ignores metabolic adaptation.

· Hubert Ligocki

At TDEE 2200 and a 500 deficit, intake is 1700 kcal; the estimate is about 0.45 kg/week with the 7700 constant.

Knowledge sources

Intake = TDEE − deficit. Weekly mass estimate uses 7700 — energy-balance context, not a clinical order.

Page updated November 4, 2026.