How to plan your weight loss
- Enter your sex, age, height, current weight and goal weight, and choose your usual activity level.
- Pick a pace. About 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week is the pace most health services recommend.
- Read your daily calorie target and the estimated date you reach your goal, with a week-by-week curve. Share the link to keep your plan.
Why the curve flattens
A common rule says a deficit of about 7,700 kcal (3,500 kcal per pound) loses one kilogram of fat. Simple calculators divide the weight to lose by a fixed weekly rate and promise a straight line. In reality your energy needs fall as you lose weight, because a smaller body burns less, so a fixed calorie intake produces slower losses over time. This planner sets a daily intake from your starting maintenance calories (Mifflin-St Jeor equation × activity) minus the deficit for your chosen pace, then recalculates your needs every day as your weight falls, which gives a more realistic goal date.
Intake is never set below about 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men, levels below which it is hard to meet nutrient needs without medical supervision, and goals below a BMI of 18.5 are not accepted. The scale will fluctuate day to day with water, salt and digestion, so judge progress over two to four weeks and adjust by 100–200 kcal if needed. Protein, strength training and sleep help keep muscle while losing fat. All calculations happen in your browser.
How fast can I safely lose weight?
For most people, 0.25–1 kg (½–2 lb) per week. Faster loss usually means more muscle loss and is harder to sustain.
Why does weight loss slow down?
Your maintenance calories drop as you lose weight, so the same intake creates a smaller deficit.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
No. Planned exercise is already included in your activity level.