Daily Calorie Target by Goal Calculator
Calculate your daily calorie target for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain from your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and selected goal.
How to use this tool
- Enter daily calorie needs (tdee) and goal in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your daily calorie target and the full breakdown beneath it.
Educational estimate — not medical advice. Consult a clinician.
Your daily calorie target is your TDEE adjusted by your goal. Deficits of 15–25% are sustainable for most healthy adults; larger deficits risk muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies. Surpluses for muscle gain are typically kept small (5–10%) to minimise fat accumulation.
Formula
Target (kcal/day) = round(TDEE × goal multiplier)
Weekly calorie difference = round((target − TDEE) × 7)
Expected weekly weight change (kg) = weekly calorie difference ÷ 7 700
Goal multipliers: fast loss 0.75 | loss 0.80 | mild loss 0.85 | maintain 1.00 | mild gain 1.05 | gain 1.10
How it works
This calculator scales your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) by a goal-specific multiplier to produce a daily calorie target. The weekly weight change is estimated using the widely cited 7 700 kcal-per-kilogram heuristic, which approximates the energy stored in 1 kg of body fat. TDEE itself is not calculated here and should come from a separate TDEE calculator; results assume a stable activity level.
Worked example
Worked example
- Inputs: TDEE = 2 000 kcal/day, goal = maintain.
- Multiplier for 'maintain' = 1.00.
- Target: round(2 000 × 1.00) = 2 000 kcal/day.
- Weekly difference: round((2 000 − 2 000) × 7) = 0 kcal/week.
- Expected weekly change: 0 ÷ 7 700 = 0.0 kg/week.
Daily calorie target: 2 000 kcal/day; weekly weight change: 0.0 kg.
Key terms
- TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)
- The total number of calories your body burns in a day, including basal metabolism and physical activity.
- Caloric deficit
- Consuming fewer calories than TDEE, creating an energy shortfall that the body compensates for by burning stored fat.
- Caloric surplus
- Consuming more calories than TDEE, providing excess energy that the body can use to build muscle or store as fat.
- 7 700 kcal rule
- The approximation that 1 kg of body fat stores roughly 7 700 kcal of energy, used to estimate weight change from calorie deficits or surpluses.
- Maintenance calories
- The daily calorie intake at which body weight remains stable — equal to TDEE.
Frequently asked questions
- What is TDEE?
- Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the calories you burn in a typical day including basal metabolism, activity, and the thermic effect of food. Use a dedicated TDEE calculator (Mifflin-St Jeor or Katch-McArdle) to estimate yours.
- How accurate are weekly weight change predictions?
- The 7,700 kcal/kg approximation is a population average. Individual variation, metabolic adaptation, water retention, and glycogen changes mean actual week-to-week weight fluctuates. Track trends over 4+ weeks.
- How large should a cutting deficit be?
- Research suggests a deficit of 300–500 kcal/day (roughly 15–25%) preserves more muscle mass than larger deficits, especially combined with adequate protein and resistance training.