Weight Loss Calorie Calculator

When it comes to losing weight, most people simply aim to “eat less” and “cut calories.”

Yes, it is true that you do need to be in a calorie deficit in order to lose weight, cutting too many calories can cause the whole process to backfire.

Your metabolism slows, your hormones can become disrupted, and weight loss inevitably slows and stalls out.

So, no, just cutting a bunch of calories and adopting a 1200 or 1500 calorie diet isn’t the solution.

Instead, you need a calorie deficit that promotes fat loss while also keeping your metabolism firing away.

It’s not about cutting as many calories as you can possibly withstand… or hearing what worked for a friend, and copying that.

It’s about being in a calorie deficit that keeps you moving toward your weight loss goal without feeling so hungry or deprived of your favorite foods that you give up altogether.

So let’s dive in a determine how many calories YOU should be eating….

There are 2 critical steps, so be sure to follow all the way to the end!

Step #1: Determine your TDEE

What the hell is TDEE? We’re so glad you asked!

TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure, also known as BMR (basal metabolic rate).

It’s a combination of what your body burns at rest – to “keep the lights on” as they say. Things like keeping your heart beating, lungs breathing, and brain functioning. This is your basal metabolic rate.

Then to get total TDEE we add your resting metabolic rate to your average daily calorie burn.

So enter your age, gender, height, and weight then CLICK calculate below. That will calculate your BMR.

From there, choose an activity level and the associated calories that suit you best. That will be the TDEE you’ll use below for Step #2.

This will give you a good idea of how many calories per day you need to maintain your weight which is great to have when reversing out of a fat loss phase.

Step #2: Determine your calorie deficit from your maintenance calories

Now you’re going to take the number you got in step 1 and subtract 15-20% of that number. Use 15% if you’d like a smaller calorie deficit, and 20% if you’d like a more aggressive yet safe calorie deficit.

So let’s say your TDEE is 2200 calories.

We’ll take 2200 – 20% = 1760 calories

[Pro tip: for a 15% deficit, take your TDEE and multiply by 0.85. For a 20% deficit, take your TDEE and multiply by 0.80]

So the calorie deficit you’d want to start at is 1760 calories per day.

Keep in mind this is just a starting number, and over time it will need to be adjusted as you lose weight.

Are you thinking “whoa! That’s WAY more calories than I was expecting?!”

Congrats! You get to actually eat and enjoy foods you love, keeping it within a reasonable daily calorie goal.

No more hunger pangs.

No more turning down your favorite foods.

No more deprivation and misery.

Welcome to a sustainable plan that allows you to quite literally have your cake and lose weight, too!