A common mistake people make when tracking calories is picking a target that is aggressively, unsustainably low.
When you use a generic calculator and tell it you want to lose 1kg (2 lbs) per week, it might return a number like 1,200 calories. For many adults, this is miserable. It can lead to poor sleep, difficult workouts, extreme hunger, and ultimately giving up.
Start with Maintenance
Before you can decide how many calories to cut, you need an estimate of how many you burn. This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) or "maintenance calories."
If you eat your maintenance calories, your weight will stay roughly the same. This number is heavily influenced by your height, weight, gender, age, and activity level. You can use our free TDEE calculator to get a baseline estimate.
The Golden Rule of Deficits
A larger deficit doesn't mean "better" weight loss. It usually means higher muscle loss, harder workouts, and a higher chance of rebounding. The goal is to eat as much as possible while still seeing the scale trend downward.
Choosing Your Deficit
Once you have your maintenance estimate, you apply a deficit based on your goals. A mathematical rule of thumb is that a 500-calorie daily deficit results in about 0.5kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week.
- A Gentle Cut (-250 kcal/day)Example Target: ~0.25kg / 0.5 lbs per weekBest for people who are already lean, people who want to prioritize gym performance, or those who prefer gradual changes. It takes patience, but it can be highly sustainable.
- A Standard Cut (-500 kcal/day)Example Target: ~0.5kg / 1 lb per weekA common starting point. It produces visible changes over time without completely draining your energy or forcing you to skip social meals.
Safety Guardrails
No matter what a formula suggests, Calorie Curve applies transparent guardrails to keep estimates sustainable:
- The 20% Cap: Calorie Curve limits your requested deficit to a maximum of 20% of your TDEE. Larger deficits are harder to sustain and increase the risk of muscle loss (which you can further protect against by hitting an adequate protein target).
- The 1,200 Calorie Floor: Very few adults should routinely eat less than 1,200 calories a day without professional supervision. Below this threshold, it becomes extremely difficult to get adequate micronutrients and protein. Calorie Curve's targets will not drop below this floor.
If your calculated deficit hits these guardrails, your target will be adjusted. If your estimated maintenance is already at or below 1,200 calories, a self-directed deficit is not recommended, and you should seek professional guidance.
Ready to find your target?
You can calculate a static target using our calculator, or you can build a free Calorie Curve plan. Calorie Curve starts with a formula, but adapts automatically as it learns your working metabolism.