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Cutting calorie calculator
A cut is a stretch of eating under maintenance to lose fat while keeping your muscle. This calculator sets your calories from a weekly loss of 0.5 to 1% of your body weight, the pace research on lifters supports, then gives the protein, fat and carbs to match and the weeks to your goal.
Calculate your cutting calories
Calories a day to cut at 0.7% a week
2,320kcal a day
That is 630 kcal under your estimated maintenance of 2,950, for a loss of about 1.3 lb a week, or 5 lb over the first 4 weeks.
Your deficit is over 500 kcal a day. In a 2022 meta-analysis, a deficit of about that size was enough to stop lifting from adding lean mass, while strength still went up (Murphy and Koehler, 2022). If building muscle as you cut matters more than speed, pick the slow rate.
Protein, fat and carbs at 2,320 kcal
| Protein, the middle of 131 to 196 g | 164 g |
|---|---|
| Fat, 25% of calories | 64 g |
| Carbs, the rest | 272 g |
When to adjust
- Weigh yourself most mornings and compare weekly averages. Single days swing with water and food.
- The first week often drops faster, from water and stored carbohydrate. Judge your pace from weeks 2 and 3.
- Losing slower than 1.3 lb a week? Eat about 50 kcal a day less for each 0.1 lb a week you are short. Losing faster? Eat that much more.
- Run the numbers again every 4 weeks or so. A lighter body burns less, so the same intake loses more slowly over time.
Show the math
- Maintenance: 2,950 kcal, the NASEM 2023 estimate for your age, sex, height, weight and activity. The maintenance calculator shows the working and the likely range.
- Losing 0.7% of your weight a week, at 7,700 kcal per kg: 81.65 kg × 0.7% × 7,700 ÷ 7 = 629 kcal a day. 2,950 − 629 = 2,321, shown rounded to 2,320.
- Protein: 1.6 to 2.4 g per kg of body weight (Hector and Phillips, 2018): 81.65 kg × 1.6 to 2.4 = 131 to 196 g a day. The split uses the middle, 164 g.
- Fat: 25% of 2,320 kcal, which is 64 g at 9 kcal a gram.
- Carbs: 2,320 − 164 × 4 − 64 × 9 = 1,088 kcal, which is 272 g at 4 kcal a gram.
- 7,700 kcal per kg (3,500 per lb) is a planning number. What a kilo lost holds depends on how much of it is fat (Hall, 2008), and over months, loss runs slower than the rule predicts (Thomas et al., 2013). Your weekly average weight is the real test.
For adults 19 and over. Not for pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for anyone with a past or present eating disorder. General information, not medical advice.
How many calories should you eat to cut?
Subtract about 11 kcal a day per kg of body weight for each 1% you want to lose a week. At 0.7% a week, an 82 kg (180 lb) man who maintains on 2,950 kcal eats about 2,320 kcal a day, and a 64 kg (140 lb) woman who maintains on 2,210 eats about 1,720. Research on lifters supports losing 0.5 to 1% a week (Helms et al., 2014).
At 0.5% a week he eats about 2,500 and loses about 0.41 kg (0.9 lb) a week; at 1%, about 2,050 for 0.82 kg (1.8 lb). The sum is weight × pace × 7,700 kcal per kg ÷ 7 days. For him at 0.7%: 81.6 kg × 0.7% × 7,700 ÷ 7 = 629 kcal a day, and 2,950 − 629 = 2,321, rounded to 2,320.
Both examples are 30 and low active, 5 ft 10 in and 5 ft 4 in tall, with maintenance from the NASEM 2023 equations (NASEM, 2023). The calculator above runs the same sum on your numbers, or on a maintenance you already know from your logs. The maintenance calorie calculator explains the estimate and how far off it can be.
How fast should you cut?
Lose 0.5 to 1% of your body weight a week (Helms et al., 2014; Ruiz-Castellano et al., 2021). Slower keeps more muscle: in a trial in elite athletes, those losing 0.7% a week gained 2.1% lean mass, while those losing 1.0% a week lost 0.2% of theirs (Garthe et al., 2011). Lean lifters should lose 0.5% a week or less (Roberts et al., 2020).
| Pace | Loss a week | Under maintenance | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow, 0.5% a week | 0.41 kg (0.9 lb) | 450 kcal a day | Lifters who are already lean, or who want to keep adding muscle as they cut |
| Steady, the default, 0.7% a week | 0.57 kg (1.3 lb) | 630 kcal a day | Most lifters |
| Fast, 1% a week | 0.82 kg (1.8 lb) | 900 kcal a day | Lifters with more fat to lose |
In that trial, 24 elite athletes who lifted 4 times a week dieted towards a 0.7% or a 1.4% weekly loss; the faster group managed 1.0%. Both groups lost about 5.5% of their weight, the slower one over 8.5 weeks against 5.3. But the slower group lost 31% of its body fat against 21%, and gained lean mass while the faster group lost a little (Garthe et al., 2011).
The size of the deficit matters too. In a 2022 meta-analysis, lifting in a deficit still added lean mass, but a deficit of about 500 kcal a day was enough to stop that, while strength kept rising (Murphy and Koehler, 2022). At 0.7% a week the deficit stays under 500 kcal up to about 65 kg (143 lb), and at 0.5% up to about 91 kg (200 lb).
How many calories a day to lose 1 lb a week?
About 500 kcal a day under maintenance, at 3,500 kcal per lb (7,700 per kg). 2 lb a week takes about 1,000. In kilos, 0.5 kg a week takes about 550 kcal a day and 1 kg about 1,100. Whether a pace suits you depends on your weight: 1 lb a week is 0.57% of body weight at 80 kg, and 2 lb is 1.13%.
| Loss a week | Under maintenance | At 60 kg (132 lb) | At 80 kg (176 lb) | At 100 kg (220 lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | 250 kcal | 0.38% | 0.28% | 0.23% |
| 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 500 kcal | 0.76% | 0.57% | 0.45% |
| 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) | 750 kcal | 1.13% | 0.85% | 0.68% |
| 2 lb (0.91 kg) | 1,000 kcal | 1.51% | 1.13% | 0.91% |
For the public, the CDC suggests a gradual 1 to 2 lb a week (CDC, 2025). For a lifter keeping muscle, 2 lb a week is over 1% of body weight for anyone under about 91 kg (200 lb), which is why this calculator sets the pace as a share of your weight instead.
Cutting calories by body weight
Your deficit grows with your weight: about 11 kcal a day per kg for each 1% a week. At 0.7% a week, that is about 460 kcal a day at 60 kg and 770 at 100 kg. Find your weight, then read across to your pace.
Men
| Weight | Maintenance | 0.5% a week | 0.7% a week | 1% a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 2,630 | 2,300 | 2,170 | 1,970 |
| 65 kg (143 lb) | 2,700 | 2,340 | 2,200 | 1,990 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 2,780 | 2,400 | 2,240 | 2,010 |
| 75 kg (165 lb) | 2,850 | 2,440 | 2,270 | 2,030 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 2,930 | 2,490 | 2,310 | 2,050 |
| 85 kg (187 lb) | 3,000 | 2,530 | 2,350 | 2,070 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 3,080 | 2,590 | 2,390 | 2,090 |
| 95 kg (209 lb) | 3,150 | 2,630 | 2,420 | 2,110 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 3,230 | 2,680 | 2,460 | 2,130 |
| 105 kg (231 lb) | 3,300 | 2,720 | 2,490 | 2,150 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 3,380 | 2,780 | 2,530 | 2,170 |
Women
| Weight | Maintenance | 0.5% a week | 0.7% a week | 1% a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 2,050 | 1,780 | 1,670 | 1,500 |
| 55 kg (121 lb) | 2,110 | 1,810 | 1,690 | 1,510 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 2,170 | 1,840 | 1,710 | 1,510 |
| 65 kg (143 lb) | 2,230 | 1,870 | 1,730 | 1,520 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 2,290 | 1,910 | 1,750 | 1,520 |
| 75 kg (165 lb) | 2,350 | 1,940 | 1,770 | 1,530 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 2,410 | 1,970 | 1,790 | 1,530 |
| 85 kg (187 lb) | 2,470 | 2,000 | 1,820 | 1,540 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 2,530 | 2,040 | 1,840 | 1,540 |
Taller, younger or more active than the tables? Your maintenance is higher, and so is your target: use the calculator above.
Protein, fat and carbs on a cut
Eat 1.6 to 2.4 g of protein per kg of body weight a day on a cut (Hector and Phillips, 2018), or 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean mass if you know your body fat (Helms et al., 2014). Keep fat at 20% of calories or more (Thomas et al., 2016); this calculator uses 25%. Carbs fill the rest.
| Macro | Rule | A day |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | The middle of 1.6 to 2.4 g per kg, which is 131 to 196 g | 164 g |
| Fat | 25% of calories, at 9 kcal a gram | 64 g |
| Carbs | The rest, at 4 kcal a gram | 272 g |
If he measured 20% body fat, he would have about 65 kg of lean mass, and the lean-mass range would give 150 to 202 g a day. A review of fat loss in resistance-trained athletes suggests 2 to 5 g of carbs per kg a day (Ruiz-Castellano et al., 2021): 163 to 408 g for him, so 272 g fits.
Higher protein can pay off in a hard cut. In 40 young men eating about 40% under their needs while lifting and doing intervals 6 days a week for 4 weeks, those on 2.4 g of protein per kg gained 1.2 kg of lean mass and lost 4.8 kg of fat; those on 1.2 g gained 0.1 kg and lost 3.5 kg (Longland et al., 2016).
How long should a cut last?
As long as your goal takes at your pace. Losing 10% of your body weight takes about 21 weeks at 0.5% a week, 15 at 0.7% and 10 at 1%, re-running the numbers every few weeks as you get lighter. Diet breaks at maintenance are optional: in lifters they eased hunger without changing the result (Peos et al., 2021).
| Lose | 0.5% a week | 0.7% a week | 1% a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (4 kg at 80 kg) | 10 weeks | 7 weeks | 5 weeks |
| 10% (8 kg at 80 kg) | 21 weeks | 15 weeks | 10 weeks |
| 15% (12 kg at 80 kg) | 32 weeks | 23 weeks | 16 weeks |
The two best-known trials of diet breaks point different ways. In men with obesity who were not training, alternating 2 weeks of dieting with 2 weeks at maintenance lost more fat over the same weeks of dieting: 12.3 kg against 8.0 kg (Byrne et al., 2018). In 61 resistance-trained adults, a week at maintenance after every 3 weeks of dieting gave the same body composition as dieting straight through, with less hunger (Peos et al., 2021). Breaks cost calendar time either way.
Why the scale stalls on a cut
Usually water, an estimate that was off, or intake creeping up. Stored carbohydrate holds three to four parts water (Kreitzman et al., 1992), so the scale can hide fat loss for a week or two. And maintenance falls as you lose: a smaller body burns less, so the same intake loses more slowly over time.
- The estimate. For about 1 in 3 people, true maintenance sits more than 340 kcal (men) or 250 kcal (women) from the calculated number (NASEM, 2023).
- The log. People tend to under-log what they eat: by 12 to 14% for men and 16 to 20% for women in one large study (Subar et al., 2003). Logging the same way every day keeps the error steady, so your weekly average still tells you where you stand.
- Adaptation. In 32 men without obesity eating half their needs for 3 weeks, resting burn fell by 266 kcal a day, 108 kcal of it more than their smaller bodies explained (Müller et al., 2015).
- The rule itself. 7,700 kcal per kg fits people with more than about 30 kg of body fat; for leaner people each kg lost holds less energy (Hall, 2008), and projected over months the rule overpredicts loss (Thomas et al., 2013).
Hold your intake steady for 2 to 3 weeks and compare weekly averages. If you are losing more slowly than planned, eat about 110 kcal a day less for each 0.1 kg a week you are short (50 for each 0.1 lb).
How low is too low?
No single number is safe for everyone. This calculator stops at 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 for men, the bottom of the daily ranges a US obesity guideline offers as one way to set a diet (Jensen et al., 2014). That guideline keeps diets under 800 kcal a day for limited cases, with close medical monitoring. Under a BMI of 18.5, where NICE’s healthy range starts, the calculator gives no cut at all (NICE, 2025).
For athletes, a better guide is energy availability: what you eat minus what training burns, per kg of fat-free mass. Under 30 kcal per kg of fat-free mass a day is linked to impaired health and performance, a line first studied in women (Thomas et al., 2016). If you feel unwell on a cut, eat at maintenance and talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.
Can you build muscle while cutting?
Yes, if the deficit is modest and protein is high. In a 2022 meta-analysis, lifting in a deficit still added lean mass until the deficit reached about 500 kcal a day, and strength rose either way (Murphy and Koehler, 2022). A review also found many studies of trained lifters gaining muscle while losing fat (Barakat et al., 2020).
The slower group in the elite athletes’ trial gained 2.1% lean mass while losing 31% of its fat (Garthe et al., 2011), and young men in a steep deficit on high protein gained 1.2 kg of lean mass in 4 weeks (Longland et al., 2016). If adding muscle matters more than speed, cut at 0.5% a week and keep protein near the top of its range.
Not sure a cut is right for you yet? Check whether to cut or bulk. Gaining instead? Use the bulking calculator.
Questions
How much weight can I lose in a month on a cut?
About 2 to 4% of your body weight: 0.5 to 1% a week for 4 weeks. For an 82 kg (180 lb) lifter, that is 1.6 to 3.3 kg (3.6 to 7.2 lb) of real loss. The scale often drops faster in the first week, because stored carbohydrate holds three to four parts water (Kreitzman et al., 1992).
Is 1,200 calories enough to cut?
It depends on your maintenance. 1,200 kcal a day is the bottom of the range a US obesity guideline offers women as one way to set a diet, and 1,500 the bottom for men; neither is a safety line (Jensen et al., 2014). A 64 kg (140 lb) woman who maintains on 2,210 kcal cuts at 1% a week on about 1,510, so 1,200 would be faster than the pace this page suggests.
Should I take diet breaks?
They are optional. In 61 resistance-trained adults, a week at maintenance after every 3 weeks of dieting gave the same body composition as dieting straight through, with less hunger (Peos et al., 2021). In men with obesity who were not training, 2-week breaks led to more fat loss for the same weeks of dieting (Byrne et al., 2018). Either way, breaks make the cut longer.
Does starvation mode stop fat loss?
No. Your body does burn less as you diet, but not enough to stop the loss. In 32 men eating half their needs for 3 weeks, resting burn fell by 266 kcal a day, and only 108 kcal of that was more than their smaller bodies explained (Müller et al., 2015). When loss stalls, the usual causes are water and how much you eat.
Do I need 1 g of protein per pound on a cut?
No, though it is a fine target. 1 g per lb is 2.2 g per kg, inside the 1.6 to 2.4 g per kg range for a deficit (Hector and Phillips, 2018). Lean lifters who know their body fat can use 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean mass instead (Helms et al., 2014).
Will I lose strength on a cut?
Not necessarily. In a 2022 meta-analysis, lifting in a deficit raised strength about as much as lifting without one, even where it added less lean mass (Murphy and Koehler, 2022). Keep lifting heavy, keep protein high, and cut at a pace you can train through.
Who should not use this calculator?
It is built for adults 19 and over. It is not for pregnancy or breastfeeding, for anyone with a past or present eating disorder, or for anyone with a medical condition that affects weight or appetite. It is general information, not medical advice: in those situations, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
Sources
- Barakat C, Pearson J, Escalante G, Campbell B, De Souza EO (2020). Body recomposition: can trained individuals build muscle and lose fat at the same time?. Strength and Conditioning Journal 42(5):7-21. doi:10.1519/SSC.0000000000000584
- Byrne NM, Sainsbury A, King NA, et al. (2018). Intermittent energy restriction improves weight loss efficiency in obese men: the MATADOR study. International Journal of Obesity 42(2):129-138. doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.206
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025). Steps for losing weight. Healthy Weight and Growth, 17 January 2025. cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/index.html
- Garthe I, Raastad T, Refsnes PE, et al. (2011). Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 21(2):97-104. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.21.2.97
- Hall KD (2008). What is the required energy deficit per unit weight loss?. International Journal of Obesity 32(3):573-576. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803720
- Hector AJ, Phillips SM (2018). Protein recommendations for weight loss in elite athletes: a focus on body composition and performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 28(2):170-177. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0273
- Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 11:20. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
- Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, et al. (2014). 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults. Circulation 129(25 Suppl 2):S102-S138. doi:10.1161/01.cir.0000437739.71477.ee
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- Longland TM, Oikawa SY, Mitchell CJ, et al. (2016). Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 103(3):738-746. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119339
- Müller MJ, Enderle J, Pourhassan M, et al. (2015). Metabolic adaptation to caloric restriction and subsequent refeeding: the Minnesota Starvation Experiment revisited. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 102(4):807-819. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.109173
- Murphy C, Koehler K (2022). Energy deficiency impairs resistance training gains in lean mass but not strength: a meta-analysis and meta-regression. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 32(1):125-137. doi:10.1111/sms.14075
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2023). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/26818
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2025). Overweight and obesity management. NICE guideline NG246, last updated 8 January 2026. nice.org.uk/guidance/ng246
- Peos JJ, Helms ER, Fournier PA, et al. (2021). Continuous versus intermittent dieting for fat loss and fat-free mass retention in resistance-trained adults: the ICECAP trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 53(8):1685-1698. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002636
- Roberts BM, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Fitschen PJ (2020). Nutritional recommendations for physique athletes. Journal of Human Kinetics 71:79-108. doi:10.2478/hukin-2019-0096
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Each figure quoted from a study was checked against the paper, or its abstract where the full text could not be read. Found an error? Email founder@topsets.app and the page will be corrected and its date updated.