How the plan is built
One kilogram of body fat stores roughly 7,700 kcal. The calculator divides your total loss across your timeframe to get a weekly rate, converts that into the daily calorie deficit required, and — if you enter your TDEE — shows the actual daily intake to aim for. The animated chart traces your projected path from today to goal day.
What a safe rate looks like
0.25–0.5 kg per week (a 250–550 kcal daily deficit) is the sustainable sweet spot for most people. 0.5–1 kg/week works for higher starting weights or short phases but demands high protein and strength training to protect muscle. Above 1 kg/week reliably costs muscle, energy and adherence — the calculator will flag it and suggest a longer timeframe instead.
Why the line won't be straight in real life
Expect a fast first week (water and glycogen, not fat), plateaus every few weeks, and daily fluctuations of ±1 kg from salt, carbs and hydration. Judge progress on the weekly average, not any single morning. And as you lose, your TDEE falls — recalculate every 4–5 kg and adjust the deficit.
The three levers that protect results
Protein at 1.6–2.2 g/kg preserves muscle in a deficit; resistance training 2–4× weekly tells the body to burn fat rather than muscle; and 7+ hours of sleep keeps hunger hormones workable. Get your maintenance number from the TDEE calculator, then split intake with the macro calculator and structure it with the meal plan calculator.
Sources & references
- Hall KD, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837.
- Wing RR, Phelan S. Long-term weight loss maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82(1 Suppl):222S–225S.
- Helms ER, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:20.