Calorie Deficit Calculator
Pick a daily deficit and see exactly how many calories to eat, how fast the weight comes off, and how long it takes to reach your goal.
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Formula: Mifflin-St Jeor (1990). General fitness information, not medical advice.
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How a calorie deficit works
Weight loss comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn, and a pound of body fat stores roughly 3,500 calories. Subtract your chosen daily deficit from your maintenance calories (TDEE) and you get the intake that produces steady, predictable loss — 500 a day works out to about a pound a week. The table compares all four common deficit sizes so you can trade speed against sustainability. This is a general guideline, not medical advice; very low intakes deserve a conversation with a professional first.