Plan your calorie intake for weight loss or muscle gain. See your daily target and estimated timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). A moderate deficit of 500 calories per day results in approximately 1 pound of fat loss per week. Very low calorie diets below 1,200 cal/day for women or 1,500 for men are generally not recommended without medical supervision.
A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your body burns. Your body then taps into stored energy (primarily fat) to make up the difference. A deficit of 3,500 calories roughly equals 1 pound of fat loss, though this can vary based on individual metabolism and body composition.
A 1,000 calorie daily deficit (aiming for 2 lbs/week loss) is at the upper limit of what is generally considered safe for most people. Larger deficits increase the risk of muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, metabolic slowdown, and are harder to sustain long-term. A 500-calorie deficit is more sustainable.
The timeline depends on your deficit size. At a 500 cal/day deficit (1 lb/week), losing 20 lbs takes about 20 weeks. At a 750 cal/day deficit (1.5 lbs/week), it takes about 13 weeks. These are estimates — actual results vary due to metabolic adaptation, water weight fluctuations, and adherence.
It depends on how your TDEE was calculated. If your TDEE already accounts for your activity level, you do not need to eat back exercise calories. If you calculated a sedentary TDEE and exercise on top of that, you may want to eat back 50-75% of exercise calories to avoid too large a deficit.
Roughly 3,500 calories equals 1 pound of body fat. A 500 cal/day deficit leads to about 1 lb/week loss. A 500 cal/day surplus leads to about 1 lb/week gain (though muscle gain is slower).