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Weight loss calculator: calories and your next 16 weeks
See how much to eat a day to lose weight at your pace, and what your weight could be week by week for the next 16 weeks.
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Enter your details to see your result.
This calculator is not a medical or health product and does not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian. For health concerns, eating disorders, or special dietary needs, please talk to a qualified professional. Nutrition values are for general guidance, not medical advice.
How it works
First come your maintenance calories: resting calories from the Mifflin-St Jeor formula times your activity level, as in the calorie calculator.
As a rough guide, 7,700 kcal equal about 1 kg of body weight. To lose 0.5 kg a week you eat about 550 kcal less a day than your maintenance calories. The goal never goes below 1,200 kcal (female formula) or 1,500 kcal (male formula). The pace gets slower instead.
The chart keeps your daily calories the same for 16 weeks, starting today. Each week it works out your maintenance calories again from the new weight. A lighter body uses a little less energy, so the line flattens over time.
Sources
Calories to lose 0.5 kg a week
Example: 35 years, 170 cm, light movement. Calories rounded to 10 kcal, weight after 16 weeks at the same calories.
| Weight | kcal a day, female formula | After 16 weeks, female formula | kcal a day, male formula | After 16 weeks, male formula |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | – | – | – | – |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 1,570 kcal | 53 kg (117 lb) | 1,840 kcal | 53 kg (117 lb) |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 1,730 kcal | 63 kg (139 lb) | 2,000 kcal | 63 kg (139 lb) |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 1,890 kcal | 73 kg (161 lb) | 2,160 kcal | 73 kg (161 lb) |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 2,050 kcal | 83 kg (183 lb) | 2,320 kcal | 83 kg (183 lb) |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 2,210 kcal | 93 kg (205 lb) | 2,480 kcal | 93 kg (205 lb) |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 2,370 kcal | 103 kg (227 lb) | 2,640 kcal | 103 kg (227 lb) |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 2,530 kcal | 113 kg (249 lb) | 2,800 kcal | 113 kg (249 lb) |
| 130 kg (287 lb) | 2,690 kcal | 123 kg (271 lb) | 2,960 kcal | 123 kg (271 lb) |
Questions & answers
How fast should I lose weight?
For many adults 0.25 to 0.75 kg a week works well. A slower pace is easier to keep up and helps keep your muscles, especially with enough protein and some strength training.
Why does weight loss slow down?
As you lose weight, your body needs less energy. With the same calories your deficit gets smaller, so each week you lose a little less. Check your goal again every few kilos.
Why does my weight go up on some days?
Water, salt, food in your gut and your cycle can move the scale by 1 to 2 kg from one day to the next. Look at the trend over weeks, not at single days.
What does kcal mean?
kcal is short for kilocalorie, the unit for energy in food. In everyday language people just say calories.
What does PAL mean?
PAL stands for physical activity level. It says how active your typical day is. This calculator uses 1.4 (mostly sitting) to 2.0 (very active). Your maintenance calories are your resting calories times your PAL.
Why is there a minimum?
Below 1,200 or 1,500 kcal it gets hard to get enough nutrients from food. The AI Calorie Count app never sets a lower goal on its own, and neither does this calculator.
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From the blog
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Your target is three numbers: resting calories, an activity factor and a deficit. Here is each one, with a worked example.
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Keep track every day.
AI Calorie Count sets up your goal and counts along. Track calories for free, or log a meal with one photo and a quick check with Premium.
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