Calorie Deficit Calculator

Achieving weight loss starts with understanding how many calories your body needs daily and how to create a calorie deficit safely. Use this calculator to find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and determine the calorie reduction required to meet your weight loss goals.

Calorie Deficit Calculator

Input Fields:

  1. Age: (in years)
  2. Gender: (Male/Female)
  3. Height: (in cm or inches)
  4. Weight: (in kg or lbs)
  5. Activity Level: (dropdown menu with options):
    • Sedentary (little or no exercise)
    • Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
    • Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
    • Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week)
    • Super Active (very hard exercise, physical job, or twice-a-day training)
  6. Weight Loss Goal: (dropdown menu):
    • Lose 0.5 lb/week (250 kcal deficit/day)
    • Lose 1 lb/week (500 kcal deficit/day)
    • Lose 1.5 lb/week (750 kcal deficit/day)
    • Lose 2 lb/week (1000 kcal deficit/day)

Formula:

  1. Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):
    • For Men:
      BMR = 10 × Weight (kg) + 6.25 × Height (cm) − 5 × Age (years) + 5
    • For Women:
      BMR = 10 × Weight (kg) + 6.25 × Height (cm) − 5 × Age (years) − 161
  2. Calculate TDEE:
    TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier (based on selected activity level):
    • Sedentary = 1.2
    • Lightly Active = 1.375
    • Moderately Active = 1.55
    • Very Active = 1.725
    • Super Active = 1.9
  3. Apply Calorie Deficit:
    Adjust TDEE by subtracting the chosen calorie deficit:
    Daily Calorie Target = TDEE − Deficit

Output:

  1. Your TDEE: e.g., “Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is 2,200 calories.”
  2. Calorie Deficit Recommendation: e.g., “To lose 1 lb per week, aim for 1,700 calories per day.”
  3. Health Tip: “Ensure you don’t go below 1,200 calories/day for women or 1,500 calories/day for men to avoid nutritional deficiencies.”
Dr. Nada Ahmed El Gazaar, Licensed Dietitian
Dr. Nada Ahmed El Gazaar, Licensed Dietitian

Nada Ahmed El Gazaar is a certified nutritionist and health educator with a pharmaceutical background and a deep passion for preventive health and balanced nutrition. She is the founder of What Diet Is It, where she shares evidence-based health and diet insights to help readers make sustainable, realistic changes.

Nada personally experienced how anti-inflammatory dietary choices—free from sugar, gluten, and artificial additives—can dramatically improve well-being. Drawing from both scientific study and lived experience, she focuses on gut health, inflammation, and holistic recovery strategies.

Nada holds a certification in Nutrition Science from Zewail International Academy and continues to expand her expertise through ongoing medical and nutritional research to ensure her readers receive accurate, actionable guidance.

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