How to Calculate a Calorie Deficit (With Examples)
Calculate your calorie deficit in 3 steps: estimate BMR, multiply by activity for TDEE, then subtract 300–500 kcal. Worked examples for women and men.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
"Calorie deficit calculator" is one of the most searched weight loss terms, in English and in almost every language. You can do the calculation yourself in three steps.
Step 1: Estimate your BMR
BMR is how many calories your body uses at complete rest. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is a widely used estimate:
- Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
More in BMR explained.
Step 2: Multiply by your activity level (TDEE)
| Activity | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (desk job, little exercise) | 1.2 |
| Lightly active (exercise 1–3 days/week) | 1.375 |
| Moderately active (3–5 days/week) | 1.55 |
| Very active (6–7 days/week) | 1.725 |
| Extremely active (physical job + training) | 1.9 |
Step 3: Subtract your deficit
Subtract 300–500 kcal for steady weight loss. Don't go below about 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men) without medical guidance. See is 1200 calories too low.
Example 1: Woman
35 years, 163 cm, 72 kg, lightly active.
- BMR = 720 + 1,019 − 175 − 161 = 1,403 kcal
- TDEE = 1,403 × 1.375 = 1,929 kcal
- Deficit target = 1,929 − 400 ≈ 1,530 kcal/day
Example 2: Man
40 years, 180 cm, 95 kg, moderately active.
- BMR = 950 + 1,125 − 200 + 5 = 1,880 kcal
- TDEE = 1,880 × 1.55 = 2,914 kcal
- Deficit target = 2,914 − 500 ≈ 2,410 kcal/day
Step 4: Check against reality
Formulas can be off by 10% or more for individuals. After 3–4 weeks:
- Losing roughly 0.5–1% of body weight per week? Keep going.
- Not losing? Check your logging, then reduce by 100–200 kcal. See calorie deficit not losing weight.
Don't double-count exercise
If you used an activity multiplier, don't also add back every workout's calories from your watch. That's a common way to accidentally erase a deficit.
Let the app do it
Nutora asks for your age, sex, height, weight, activity and goal, and calculates your daily calories and macros, including how fast you'll reach your goal at the pace you choose. Read calorie deficit and TDEE explained for the background.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my calorie deficit?
Estimate BMR, multiply by an activity factor to get TDEE, then subtract 300–500 calories.
Is a calorie deficit calculator accurate?
It gives a good starting point; your weight trend over several weeks tells you how to adjust.
What's a 500-calorie deficit?
Eating 500 calories less than your TDEE per day, which leads to roughly 0.45 kg (1 lb) of loss per week at first.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
If your activity factor already includes exercise, mostly no.
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