Losing weight sounds simple, but one question stops many people at the start: how much should I actually eat? Eat too much and nothing changes. Eat too little and you feel hungry, tired, and ready to give up. Our tdee weight loss calculator removes the guesswork. It works out how many calories your body burns each day, then turns that number into clear daily targets you can follow with confidence.
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure. In plain words, it is the total number of calories your body burns in a full day. It covers everything you do, from your job and your exercise to walking to the shops and climbing the stairs. To lose weight, you eat a little below that number. Your body then uses stored fat to make up the difference, and your weight slowly goes down.
Quick answer: a deficit of about 500 kcal a day gives about 0.45 kg (1 lb) of loss per week for most people. You do not have to use that exact deficit, though. The calculator below gives you your maintenance number, the amount that keeps your weight the same, plus three ready-made targets: mild, standard, and faster. Pick the one that fits your life, give it a few honest weeks, and adjust if you need to.
TDEE Weight Loss Calculator
Your weight loss targets:
Mild loss (deficit 250): 2,509 kcal/day — about 0.23 kg (0.5 lb) per week
Standard loss (deficit 500): 2,259 kcal/day — about 0.45 kg (1 lb) per week
Faster loss (deficit 750): 2,009 kcal/day — about 0.68 kg (1.5 lb) per week
What Is TDEE?
Your TDEE starts with a smaller number called your BMR, or basal metabolic rate. Your BMR is what your body burns at complete rest, doing nothing at all. Even if you stayed in bed all day, your body would still use energy to breathe, pump blood, keep your heart beating, repair cells, and stay warm. For most adults, this resting burn is the biggest part of the daily total, often around 60 to 70 percent of all calories used.
TDEE then adds everything else on top of your BMR. It adds the movement of your normal day, like walking, cleaning, working, and carrying the shopping. It adds any exercise you do, from a gentle swim to a hard gym session. It even adds digesting food, because breaking down a meal takes energy too, roughly 10 percent on top. Add all these parts together and you get your true daily burn.
We use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula to work out your BMR, because it is the most trusted simple formula for most adults. It uses your sex, age, weight, and height. We then multiply the result by your activity level to get your TDEE. That step matters: two people with the same body can burn very different amounts if one sits at a desk and the other works on their feet.
If you only want your maintenance number, our Maintenance Calories Calculator page focuses on that. This page goes one step further: it turns your maintenance number into weight loss targets, so you know exactly how much to eat.
Your Weight Loss Targets, Explained
Every target below works the same way. The bigger the gap between what you eat and what you burn, the faster you lose weight, but the harder the plan can feel. These three choices let you match the plan to your body and your patience.
Mild loss (250 kcal deficit). This is the slow, gentle option. You eat a little less than usual, so hunger stays low and normal life feels almost the same. It suits people who have only a little to lose, who are close to their goal, or who want no real hunger at all. You lose about 0.23 kg (0.5 lb) a week, but it is steady and very easy to keep up.
Standard loss (500 kcal deficit). This is the classic choice for most people, and the best place to start if you are unsure. The progress is clear, about 0.45 kg (1 lb) a week, yet meals still feel normal and filling. Give it a few weeks, watch how your body responds, and only then decide if you want a gentler or faster plan.
Faster loss (750 kcal deficit). This option is only worth choosing if you have more weight to lose and you know you can stick to it. You lose about 0.68 kg (1.5 lb) a week, but the plan takes more care and more willpower. If every day feels like a struggle, step back up to the standard target. A slower plan you keep beats a fast plan you quit.
Safety always comes first. The calculator never goes below 1,200 kcal a day for women or 1,500 kcal a day for men, the usual safe minimum levels. Eating below them for long can leave you tired and short of nutrients. If a target would fall below the floor for your sex, the calculator raises it to that floor and shows a short safety note.
Here is how the three targets look for three example people:
| Person | TDEE | Mild (-250) | Standard (-500) | Faster (-750) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man, 30, 80 kg, moderately active | 2,759 | 2,509 | 2,259 | 2,009 |
| Woman, 40, 75 kg, lightly active | 1,953 | 1,703 | 1,453 | 1,203 |
| Man, 25, 95 kg, sedentary | 2,309 | 2,059 | 1,809 | 1,559 |
How Fast Should You Lose Weight?
A safe rate of loss is about 0.25 to 0.75 kg per week. Another good guide is roughly 0.5 to 1 percent of your body weight per week, so a heavier person can safely lose a little more than a lighter person. If your weight is dropping inside this range, your plan is working, even on weeks when it feels slow.
Faster is not better. A deficit that is too big costs you muscle, energy, and willpower. You may feel weak, think about food all day, and find normal life hard. Worst of all, weight lost in a rush usually returns when the hard plan ends. Steady loss that you can keep up for months beats one hard month followed by giving up. Think of this as a calm, long walk, not a sprint.
Why Your TDEE Changes as You Lose Weight
Your TDEE is not fixed for life. As you lose weight, your body gets lighter, and a lighter body burns fewer calories each day. Moving a smaller body takes less energy, and your resting burn drops a little too. That is why the same target slowly stops working over time, even when you follow it just as carefully as you did at the start.
The simple fix is to recalculate every 4 to 6 weeks, or after losing about 5 kg, and use your new number. A plateau of 2 to 3 weeks is normal, so do not panic. First check your tracking honestly: small snacks, drinks, and weekend meals often explain it. If the scale still does not move, lower your target by 100 to 200 kcal, or add more daily steps, and give the change another two weeks.
Simple Ways to Hit Your Target
A target only works if real life lets you hit it most days. These simple habits make that much easier, without special foods or long workouts.
- Eat protein at every meal. Protein keeps you full for longer and helps protect your muscle as you lose weight. Use our Macronutrient Calculator to find your daily protein grams, then spread them across your meals.
- Walk more. You do not need one long workout. Short walks after meals, stairs instead of the lift, and small step goals all add up across the week. Our Step Calorie Calculator shows what your steps are worth.
- Sleep 7 to 9 hours. Poor sleep raises hunger and makes treats much harder to resist the next day. A regular bedtime is a quiet weight loss tool that many people forget.
- Track your food honestly. Write down everything, including drinks, sauces, and small bites, for at least two weeks before you judge the plan. Honest tracking shows you the real picture, and most people find one or two easy wins in it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of a deficit do I need to lose weight?
Any target below your TDEE loses weight over time. A 500 kcal daily deficit is the classic start and gives about 0.45 kg (1 lb) of loss per week for most people.
How accurate is this TDEE weight loss calculator?
It is a good estimate, usually within about 10 percent. Track your weight for 2 to 3 weeks: if nothing changes, adjust your target by 100 to 200 kcal.
Should I eat below my BMR?
Eating below your BMR for long periods is not a good plan, because your body needs that energy for basic functions. Stay at or above the safe floors of 1,200 kcal for women and 1,500 kcal for men.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
Recalculate every 4 to 6 weeks, or after you lose about 5 kg, because a lighter body burns fewer calories each day.
What if I exercise a lot but also sit all day?
Choose the activity level that matches your whole day, not just your workout hour. When you are unsure, pick the lower level - most people overestimate their activity.
Your TDEE is the map, and your calorie target is the plan. Start with the standard target, give it three honest weeks, and then adjust slowly based on what your weight actually does. For the full picture of daily eating, read our guide on how many calories should I eat daily. Small steps, repeated most days, are what change your weight for good.