TDEE Calculator For Weight Loss
Find the daily calorie target that drives steady, sustainable fat loss. Built on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, with macros tuned to protect muscle in a deficit.
Your Stats
Enter your stats to see your TDEE and macro targets.
What is a Weight Loss TDEE?
Your weight loss TDEE is your daily calorie burn minus a moderate deficit. Eat below it and your body taps stored fat to make up the gap. The size of the deficit decides how fast you lose, and how easy it is to keep the loss off.
For most people the sweet spot is 10 to 25 percent below TDEE. That produces 0.5 to 1.5 pounds of fat loss per week without crushing training, hunger, or hormones.
- • Mild cut: 10 percent below TDEE, easiest to live with
- • Moderate cut: 20 percent below TDEE, the standard target
- • Aggressive cut: 25 percent below TDEE, short blocks only
- • Protein floor: 1.6 to 2.4 g per kg of body weight
How We Calculate Your Weight Loss Calories
We start with your TDEE from the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, then apply the deficit you choose. The default cut goal subtracts 500 calories per day, which lands close to a 20 percent deficit for most adults.
Calculate TDEE
BMR from Mifflin-St Jeor, multiplied by your activity level. This is the number you need to maintain weight.
Apply Your Deficit
We subtract calories from TDEE to set your fat loss target. Default is 500 per day, which fits most people.
Split into Macros
Protein scales with body weight to protect muscle. Fat covers hormone health. Carbs fill in the rest to fuel training.
Factors That Affect Weight Loss
Calorie balance is the boss, but these levers move how easy or hard the deficit feels.
Protein Intake
High protein protects muscle, controls hunger, and burns more calories during digestion. The single most important macro in a cut.
Food Quality
Whole foods with fiber fill you up at lower calories. Ultra processed foods make hunger spike and the same deficit feels twice as hard.
Daily Movement (NEAT)
NEAT often drops 200 to 500 calories in any diet without you noticing. Step targets and standing breaks fight that.
Diet Length and Adaptation
Long deficits lower TDEE on top of the natural drop from weight loss. Diet breaks every 8 to 12 weeks help reset.
Sleep and Stress
Bad sleep and high cortisol raise hunger hormones, lower NEAT, and slow recovery. Same calories, harder fat loss.
Diet History
Years of yo-yo dieting can lower the calorie level your body settles at. Slower, steadier deficits work better than another crash diet.
Tips for Steady, Sustainable Fat Loss
- 1
Pick a Deficit You Can Repeat
The best deficit is the one you can hold for 8 to 12 weeks. A boring 400 calorie gap beats a heroic 1,000 calorie gap that fails on day 9.
- 2
Anchor Every Meal with Protein
Aim for 30 to 45 grams of protein at each main meal. Hunger drops and lean mass holds.
- 3
Walk Every Day
10,000 steps is a great target, but anything more than your current baseline helps. Walking is the cheapest way to defend NEAT.
- 4
Lift 3 to 4 Times a Week
Strength training tells your body to keep its muscle, so the weight you lose is fat instead of lean tissue.
- 5
Recalculate Every 4 to 6 Weeks
Your TDEE drops as your weight drops. Stale numbers are the most common reason fat loss stalls.
- 6
Plan a Maintenance Phase
After 8 to 12 weeks of cutting, eat at maintenance for 1 to 2 weeks. Hormones, training, and adherence all reset.
TDEE For Weight Loss FAQ
Quick answers to the questions people ask most.