free, and no email needed
Your deficit, no fairy tales
Eat less than you burn. This works out how much you burn (maintenance) and how much to eat to lose at a pace you can keep. None of that “20 lbs in a month.”
Already know your number? See My Program →$39/month · cancel anytime
Your numbers
Tell me about you
Your numbers
EstimateWith a −20% deficit (0 fewer calories a day than your maintenance).
With your numbers, your maintenance is already at that minimum or below it. I don't recommend eating less: here the deficit comes from moving more (steps and weights). If you can, talk it over with your doctor or a dietitian.
What you burn in a day (TDEE). Eating this, you neither gain nor lose. Your daily life adds 0 and training adds 0 a day.
0.7–1.0 g per pound of your goal weight (0 lbs, estimated for your height). It keeps you full and protects your muscle while you lose.
An estimate (0% of your body weight a week). The scale bounces around: watch the weekly average, not the daily number.
It's an estimate using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Every body responds differently: adjust based on what you see over 2–3 weeks. I'm not a dietitian; this is what I used.
If you want me alongside you, your number turns into your plans, and every month you generate them again with your new numbers.
or save it for free
Not yet? Save your number to your email.
Leave me your email and I'll send you your number, what to do with it and my free guide, “How I Started.”
Done! I sent it to your email. It arrives instantly. If you don't see it, check spam or promotions.
Questions
About the deficit
How do you calculate a calorie deficit?
First you estimate your resting metabolism with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (it uses weight, height, age and sex). That number is multiplied by your day-to-day activity (your job, not counting the gym), and then your training sessions are added separately, about 1.4 calories per pound of body weight per session, spread across the week. The total is your maintenance: the calories that keep you where you are. They're counted separately on purpose: the single multiplier in the classic tables mixes work and training, and it gives extra calories to people who have a desk job but train. The deficit is eating below that maintenance number, and that's where you lose fat.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
There's no universal number: it depends on your weight, height, age, sex and how much you move. That's why the calculator gives you your own maintenance and your own deficit target, instead of repeating the usual "eat 1,500 calories" that doesn't fit everyone. And it never gives you less than 1,200 calories a day if you're a woman or 1,400 if you're a man.
How much protein should I eat a day?
Between 0.7 and 1.0 grams per pound of your goal weight. If you weigh 220 lbs today and want to get to 176, that's about 130–175 g a day. It's based on your goal because, when you're carrying a lot of extra weight, your current weight gives numbers that don't fit in a day of eating. Protein keeps you full and protects your muscle while you lose, so you lose fat and not muscle.
Is the calculator free?
Yes, it's free and it doesn't ask for your email. It gives you your maintenance calories, your calorie target for losing weight and your daily protein.
Does this replace a dietitian or a doctor?
No. It's a math estimate, not a diagnosis or medical advice. I'm not a dietitian: I'm sharing what I learned going from 326 to 190 lbs over about two years. Results vary. This is my story, not a promise. If you have a health condition, talk it over with a professional.