HomeAll ToolsAboutBlog
Body Composition

Body Weight Planner

Enter your current stats and goal weight to get a personalised daily calorie target, weekly progress rate, and estimated timeline to reach your goal. Works for weight loss and muscle gain. Supports kg/lbs.

Body Weight Planner Calculator

TDEE-based · Timeline · Daily calorie target

Units
—
Daily Calorie Target

This planner uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your TDEE, then applies a daily calorie deficit (for fat loss) or surplus (for muscle gain) to calculate how long it will take to reach your goal weight at your chosen rate. The result includes TDEE, daily calorie target, weekly deficit/surplus, protein recommendation, and a milestone schedule.

How to Use the Body Weight Planner

Enter your current weight, goal weight, height, age, sex, activity level, and target rate of change. The planner will calculate your TDEE, set a daily calorie target to hit your goal at the chosen pace, and give you a milestone timeline.

Recommended Weekly Rates

GoalRateCalorie AdjustmentNotes
Lean bulk+0.25 kg/week+200–250 kcal/dayMinimal fat gain, slowest muscle gain
Standard bulk+0.5 kg/week+400–500 kcal/dayGood muscle gain, some fat gain
Mild deficit−0.5 kg/week−500 kcal/daySustainable, good muscle retention
Moderate deficit−0.75 kg/week−750 kcal/dayFaster loss, slightly higher muscle risk
Aggressive cut−1 kg/week−1,000 kcal/dayMax safe rate; high protein essential

Understanding Your TDEE

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the cornerstone of any body weight plan. It represents the total number of calories you burn each day, including your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the energy needed just to stay alive — plus the energy used for physical activity, digestion (thermic effect of food), and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).

TDEE is not fixed — it adapts as you lose or gain weight, which is why weight loss tends to plateau after 8–12 weeks. When you lose body mass, your BMR drops. This means your calorie target needs to be periodically recalculated every 4–6 weeks to keep making progress.

Activity multipliers used in this calculator: Sedentary (×1.2), Lightly Active (×1.375), Moderately Active (×1.55), Very Active (×1.725), Extremely Active (×1.9). Choose the level that honestly reflects your weekly activity — most people overestimate activity level.

Frequently Asked Questions

A daily deficit of 500 kcal below TDEE produces approximately 0.5 kg/week fat loss for most people (since 1 kg fat ≈ 7,700 kcal). For example, if your TDEE is 2,500 kcal/day, eating 2,000 kcal/day creates a 500 kcal deficit and should produce roughly 0.5 kg/week loss. Adjust every 4–6 weeks as your TDEE changes with weight loss.
Weight loss stalls for two main reasons: (1) Metabolic adaptation — as you lose weight, your TDEE decreases, so the same calorie intake that was a deficit is now maintenance. Recalculate your TDEE and reduce calories by 75–100 kcal. (2) Unaccounted calorie intake — tracking errors, restaurant meals, and "small" snacks commonly add 200–500 kcal/day without being recorded. Accurate food logging for 2 weeks usually reveals the issue.
During a caloric deficit, protein intake should be 1.8–2.7 g per kg of body weight to maximise muscle retention. Higher protein (up to 3.1 g/kg) is beneficial during aggressive cuts (>750 kcal/day deficit). Adequate protein also increases satiety, making deficit eating easier to sustain. Prioritise whole food protein sources: chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, legumes.
Faster loss (1 kg/week) achieves goals sooner but risks more muscle loss, hormonal disruption, and is harder to sustain. Slower loss (0.5 kg/week) retains more muscle, is more adherent, and produces better long-term outcomes. Research consistently shows that people who lose weight more slowly are more likely to keep it off. The sweet spot is typically 0.5–0.75% of body weight per week.
Very low calorie diets (VLCD) below 800 kcal/day should only be done under medical supervision. Even eating below 1,200 kcal/day (women) or 1,500 kcal/day (men) significantly increases risk of nutrient deficiency, muscle loss, metabolic slowdown, gallstone formation, and bone density loss. If your calculator produces a target below these thresholds, reduce your weekly rate target instead of cutting further.

Related Calculators

Cutting CalculatorCalorie and macro targets for a cutting phase.Calculate → Bulking CalculatorSurplus calories and macros for muscle gain.Calculate → Weight Loss CalculatorHow long to reach your goal weight with calorie targets.Calculate → Caloric Needs CalculatorFind your maintenance calories (TDEE).Calculate →