Calorie Goal Calculator
Turn your maintenance calories into a daily target with a modest deficit or surplus.
How it works
Enter your maintenance calories, choose maintain, deficit or surplus, then enter the adjustment in kcal per day or as a percentage of maintenance. The target is maintenance minus the deficit, or plus the surplus.
Percentage: adjustment = maintenance × percent ÷ 100
Target = maintenance − adjustment (deficit)
Target = maintenance + adjustment (surplus)
Limits: adjustment ≤ 25% of maintenance; target ≥ 1,200 kcal/dayExample
Maintenance 2,200 kcal/day with a 10% deficit: adjustment = 2,200 × 10 ÷ 100 = 220 kcal, so the target is 2,200 − 220 = 1,980 kcal/day.
Common mistakes
- Using a maintenance figure that is a guess. If it is too high, every target built on it will be too high as well.
- Choosing a large deficit. Smaller adjustments are usually easier to keep up, which is why this tool stops at 25%.
- Entering a percentage in the kcal box, or the other way round. Check the unit shown next to the amount.
Results are estimates and are not a substitute for medical advice.
About this calculator
This calculator subtracts or adds an amount you choose to your maintenance calories and shows the resulting daily target. You can enter the amount in kcal per day or as a percentage of maintenance. If you don't know your maintenance figure, the TDEE calculator can estimate one.
It is arithmetic only. Energy balance is one factor among many, and the calculator makes no prediction about weight change. The adjustment is capped at 25% of maintenance, and it will not show a target below 1,200 kcal/day.
Frequently asked questions
How is the target calculated?
Target = maintenance − deficit, or maintenance + surplus. A percentage adjustment is applied to your maintenance figure first: 10% of 2,200 kcal is 220 kcal, so a 10% deficit gives 1,980 kcal/day.
Why is there a limit on the adjustment?
Deficits and surpluses are each capped at 25% of maintenance. Very large changes are better planned with a doctor or dietitian than with a calculator.
Why do I see a message instead of a number?
The calculator never shows a daily target below 1,200 kcal/day. If your inputs would go lower, it shows a message instead. A lower target is best discussed with a doctor or dietitian.
Will this tell me how much weight I will lose or gain?
No. It only does the subtraction or addition. Energy balance is one factor, and individual results vary, so the tool makes no prediction.