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.