Calorie Calculator (UK)

Calculate exactly how many calories you need each day to lose, maintain, or gain weight. Free, science-backed, no signup.

Creating a Sustainable Calorie Deficit

To lose body weight, you must create a calorie deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories than your body burns. This forces your body to draw energy from stored body fat to meet its daily energy requirements.

A healthy, sustainable deficit is typically 350 to 500 calories below your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This moderate approach allows you to lose roughly 0.5 to 1.0 pound of fat per week without triggering extreme hunger, brain fog, or lean muscle loss.

Avoid crash diets that require severe restriction. Severe deficits signal the body to enter a protective mode, lowering your thyroid hormones, reducing energy levels, and accelerating muscle breakdown, which ultimately makes long-term weight management much more difficult.

Frequently Asked Questions