Weight Loss Pace Calculator
Plug in a goal weight and a deadline. Get the daily deficit, calorie target, a realistic-vs-aggressive verdict, and a starting macro split.
Your Stats
Your Plan
- Pace Required
- — lb / week
- Daily Calorie Target
- —
- calories per day
- Suggested Macro Split
Fill in your stats, target weight, and timeline to see a verdict.
Protein floor is set near 0.9 g per lb of bodyweight (the practical mid-point of the 0.8–1.0 g/lb LBM range). Fat is the larger of 0.3 g/lb or 20% of target calories. Carbs fill the rest.
How the Pace Math Works
One pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories. That number is a useful first approximation, not a law — water swings, glycogen drops, and metabolic adaptation all bend it — but it’s the right starting point for picking a deficit. To lose 1 lb/week, you need an average daily deficit of roughly 500 cal. To lose 2 lb/week, ~1,000 cal/day.
This calculator computes your TDEE (Mifflin-St Jeor BMR × activity multiplier — the same engine as the TDEE Calculator), subtracts the deficit your timeline requires, and gives you a calorie target plus a starter macro split with a protein floor and a fat floor.
How to read the verdict
- Realistic (0.5–1 lb/week): the sustainable sweet-spot for most lifters and recreational athletes. Easier adherence, better lean-mass retention.
- Aggressive but doable (1–2 lb/week): possible for heavier bodies and short cuts. Expect more hunger; protein and steps matter more.
- Unsustainable (>2 lb/week or target below BMR): add weeks or shrink the goal. Faster than 2 lb/week reliably costs you muscle.
Once you have a calorie target, drop it into the Macro Calculator to refine the protein, fat, and carb split — and to see the PE ratio of the macros you land on.
Goal-Anchored Reading
How Many Calories to Lose a Pound a Week
The 3,500-cal-per-lb rule, where it breaks, and the deficit ranges that actually work.
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month
The deficit math, the water-weight head-fake in week one, and who can actually pull it off.
How to Lose 20 Pounds (Calorie Deficit Plan)
Time horizons from 8 to 20 weeks, why the last 5 lbs are the hardest, and refeed strategy.
Calorie Deficit for Women 5'2 and Shorter
The 1,400–1,800 TDEE reality, the 1,200-calorie problem, and why NEAT is the real lever.
Calorie Deficit for Men Over 200 lbs
Why big guys can run 1,000+ cal deficits early — and why that has to slow down.
Reverse Dieting After Fat Loss
The evidence, the metabolic-adaptation problem, and a week-by-week ramp protocol.
Body Fat Percentage Calculator
The scale is only half the picture. Estimate body fat three ways and track the number that says whether you’re losing fat or muscle.