Calorie Goal Calculator
Enter your goal weight and timeline to get your daily calorie target and macros (protein, fat and carbs).
1. What do you want to do?
2. Where you are now
Activity level
Not sure? Work it out first with the maintenance calorie calculator.
3. How far, and by when?
Timeline
122 days from today (about 17.4 weeks)
Daily calorie target
—kcal/day
Enter your height, age and current weight to see your result.
Good to know
How do you set a calorie target?
Start from your maintenance calories (the daily calories at which your weight stays the same), then add or subtract as much as your goal needs. Changing your weight by 1 kg takes a deficit (or surplus) of about 7,700 kcal.
Calorie target = maintenance + (goal weight − current weight) × 7,700 ÷ days
For example, if your maintenance is 2,200 kcal and you want to go from 75 kg to 70 kg over 16 weeks (112 days), you need a deficit of about 344 kcal a day, so your calorie target is about 1,860 kcal.
A healthy pace for losing or gaining
- For weight loss, 0.5–1% of your body weight per week is a sensible pace. Cutting more than 25% below maintenance raises the risk of muscle loss, so the calculator stops there.
- For gaining, a surplus of around 10% of maintenance works well. Above 20%, most of the extra weight is fat, so the calculator stops there.
- Weight changes over less than 2 weeks are mostly water, so the shortest timeline is 2 weeks.
How to split your macros
Set protein first, then fat, and fill the remaining calories with carbs. Protein and carbs have 4 kcal per gram; fat has 9 kcal.
| Goal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lose fat (cut) | Body weight × 2.2 g | Body weight × 0.9 g | The rest |
| Build muscle (lean bulk) | Body weight × 1.8 g | Body weight × 0.9 g | The rest |
| Recomp (both at once) | Body weight × 2 g | Body weight × 0.9 g | The rest |
| Maintain | Body weight × 1.6 g | Body weight × 0.9 g | The rest |
During a cut, protein is set highest to protect your muscle. For hormonal health, it is best not to drop fat below 0.5 g per kg of body weight.
Which goal should I pick?
- Lose fat — If your body fat is on the higher side (commonly 20%+ for men, 30%+ for women), it is best to lose fat first.
- Build muscle (lean bulk) — When your body fat is on the lower side (commonly 15% or less for men, 25% or less for women) and you want to add muscle.
- Recomp — Keep your weight the same while building muscle and losing fat. It works especially well if you are new to training or coming back after a long break.
- Maintain — When you are happy with your body as it is. Eat at maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
How much weight is reasonable to lose in a month?
About 2–4% of your body weight (0.5–1% a week) is a sensible pace. At 70 kg, that is 1.4–2.8 kg a month. The first 1–2 weeks may look faster because you lose water.
What happens if I set my target date too soon?
The calculator only cuts calories by up to 25% of maintenance (or adds up to 20% when gaining) and tells you the date you can reach at that pace. Too big a deficit raises the risk of muscle loss, binge eating and rebound weight gain.
Should I eat the same calories on rest days?
Your weekly average matters more than any single day. Keeping the same calories every day is the simplest approach and the easiest to stick with.
What if my weight isn't dropping as planned?
Your weight can swing by nearly 1 kg within a single day, so look at the 2–3 week trend. If it has still stalled, cut another 100–200 kcal a day, or work out your real maintenance from what you ate and how your weight changed, and reset your target.
Will I gain fat when I bulk?
Some is unavoidable. Keep your surplus small, around 5–10% of maintenance, and take a break if your body fat rises by more than 2–3 percentage points.
This calculator provides general health information for reference only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or advice. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to a professional.