Weight goal calculator
Start from your maintenance calories, choose a goal and a pace, and see a daily target with an estimated date to reach your goal weight.
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What your result means
Your daily target is your maintenance calories minus a deficit to lose weight, or plus a surplus to gain muscle. A bigger change moves your weight faster but is harder to stick to.
The estimated date assumes your weight changes at a steady rate. Real progress is not a straight line: water, food volume and your body's own adjustments move the scale day to day. Check in every few weeks and update your numbers.
The target is never shown below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 calories for men. If a pace would take you under that, the target is raised to the minimum and the date is based on the smaller change.
How it's calculated
Formula
- Daily target = maintenance − deficit (lose) or maintenance + surplus (gain)
- Deficit choices: 250, 500, 750, 1,000 or 1,250 kcal a day (default 500). Surplus choices: 150, 300 or 500 kcal a day (default 300)
- Weekly change (kg) = daily change (kcal) × 7 ÷ 7,700
- Days to goal = weight to change (kg) × 7,700 ÷ daily change (kcal), rounded up
- Minimum target: 1,200 kcal (women), 1,500 kcal (men)
Assumption: about 7,700 kcal of energy balance equals 1 kg of body weight. This is a rule of thumb. It assumes the change is constant, while in practice the rate slows as you lose weight.
A pace is flagged as aggressive when the deficit is more than 1,000 kcal a day, or when it would mean losing more than 1% of your body weight per week.
Sources
Learn more in the Academy
Frequently asked questions
Very low calorie intakes make it hard to get enough nutrients and are not suitable for most people without medical supervision. The calculator never goes below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 calories for men.
Treat it as a rough guide. It assumes a steady rate, but weight loss usually slows over time and varies from week to week.
A smaller change is easier to keep up and leaves more room to eat enough protein and fuel your training. If you are unsure, start with the default and adjust after a few weeks. Pace is flagged as aggressive when it is more than 1,000 calories a day or more than 1% of your body weight per week.
No. A surplus gives your body the energy to build muscle, but you also need resistance training and enough protein. Use the protein calculator to see a range for your weight.
Calculators give estimates for healthy adults and are not medical advice. Talk to a qualified professional before changing your training or nutrition, especially if you have a health condition.
Track this in Atlas
Log your food and training in Atlas and keep your targets in one place.
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