How many calories are in 1 pound of body fat?

There are approximately 3,500 calories in one pound of stored body fat. A daily deficit of 500 calories produces `500 × 7 = 3,500` calories of weekly fat loss (1 lb/week).

What is a safe rate of weight loss per week?

Health authorities recommend losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) per week to preserve lean muscle mass and ensure sustainable long-term results.

What are maintenance calories?

Maintenance calories are the exact number of daily calories required to maintain your current body weight at your current physical activity level.

How many calories should I eat to gain muscle without excess fat?

A modest caloric surplus of 250 to 500 calories above maintenance, paired with progressive strength training and adequate protein (1.6–2.2g/kg), maximizes lean muscle growth.

Why did my weight loss plateau while eating the same calories?

As you lose weight, your smaller body burns fewer calories at rest (lower BMR) and during movement, meaning your maintenance threshold has dropped and caloric targets must be recalculated.

How many calories equal one pound of body fat for weight loss planning?

One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. A daily caloric deficit of 500 calories produces approximately one pound of fat loss per week.

Health & Fitness Cluster

Calorie Calculator (Daily Calorie Needs for Weight Goals)

Calculate daily caloric intake targets for weight loss, maintenance, and lean muscle building.

TL;DR: Calorie Calculator computes your maintenance calories and establishes customized daily caloric deficits (for weight loss) or surpluses (for muscle growth).

Sex

Age

Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

Activity level

Goal

How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day to Lose Weight?

To lose weight at a safe rate of 1 pound per week, create a daily caloric deficit of approximately 500 calories below your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) (since 1 pound of fat ≈ 3,500 calories). For 2 pounds per week, use a 1,000-calorie daily deficit, ensuring minimum daily intake stays above 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 calories for men.

How to Use the Calorie Calculator (TDEE)

Our Calorie Calculator (TDEE) performs high-precision mathematical operations directly in your browser with zero latency and complete client-side privacy.

Enter your Age, Gender, Height, and Current Weight.
Select your Activity Level (Sedentary, Light, Moderate, Heavy, or Athlete).
Select your Primary Goal (Maintain Weight, Mild Weight Loss, Rapid Weight Loss, or Muscle Gain).
Click 'Calculate Calories' to view custom daily calorie targets.
Review the recommended macronutrient breakdown (protein, carbs, fats).

Mathematical Formula & Equations

Calculates daily caloric intake requirements for fat loss (300–500 kcal deficit), weight maintenance, or clean muscle growth (250–500 kcal surplus).

\[ \text{Target Daily Calories} = \text{TDEE} \pm \text{Caloric Deficit / Surplus} \]

Calculation Example

To lose 1 lb of fat per week (~3,500 kcal deficit/week), subtract 500 kcal from a 2,500 kcal TDEE = 2,000 kcal target daily intake.

100% Client-Side Privacy & Data Security

All calculations, amortization schedules, variables, and sensitive numerical datasets execute 100% locally in your web browser memory. Your financial, medical, and personal values are never transmitted, logged, or uploaded to any external server.

Frequently Asked Questions

: There are approximately 3,500 calories in one pound of stored body fat. A daily deficit of 500 calories produces `500 × 7 = 3,500` calories of weekly fat loss (1 lb/week).
: Health authorities recommend losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) per week to preserve lean muscle mass and ensure sustainable long-term results.
: Maintenance calories are the exact number of daily calories required to maintain your current body weight at your current physical activity level.
: A modest caloric surplus of 250 to 500 calories above maintenance, paired with progressive strength training and adequate protein (1.6–2.2g/kg), maximizes lean muscle growth.
: As you lose weight, your smaller body burns fewer calories at rest (lower BMR) and during movement, meaning your maintenance threshold has dropped and caloric targets must be recalculated.
: One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. A daily caloric deficit of 500 calories produces approximately one pound of fat loss per week.

Cite This Calculator

Need to reference this online calculator in a financial proposal, academic paper, blog post, or classroom curriculum? Copy a citation below.

NexLove.org. (2026). Calorie Calculator (TDEE) [Online Calculation Tool]. https://nexlove.org/tools/calorie-calculator

“Calorie Calculator (TDEE).” NexLove.org, 2026, nexlove.org/tools/calorie-calculator.

NexLove.org (2026) Calorie Calculator (TDEE). Available at: https://nexlove.org/tools/calorie-calculator (Accessed: 2026).

@misc{nexlove_calorie_calculator,
  title = {Calorie Calculator (TDEE)},
  author = {{NexLove.org}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://nexlove.org/tools/calorie-calculator}
}

Embed This Tool

Add the live Calorie Calculator (TDEE) to your own website with this snippet — it loads the real, working calculator in an iframe.

<iframe src="https://nexlove.org/embed/calorie-calculator.html" width="100%" height="600" style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:12px" title="Calorie Calculator (TDEE) — NexLove.org" loading="lazy"></iframe>

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