Weight Loss / Weight Cut Calculator

This weight loss calculator is here to help you map out a weight loss phase or "cut". Enter in your information and we will break down your daily calorie deficit, and how many calories you need to eat every day based on your goals.

How to Properly do a weight loss phase or "cut"

There are countless things out there telling you how you should be losing body fat. Keto, starvation diets, low fat, etc. A good majority of them as well are misleading and sometimes entirely false.

Here's how to run a proper weight loss phase that gives you an end result you're proud of, from personal experience.

The Fundamentals of Losing Weight

First, we have to understand the basics. I’ll break down the main concepts as simply as possible to avoid information overload.

Calorie Deficit

This is simply how many less calories you’re eating per day, versus the amount your body burns (maintenance calories). If you burn 2,000 calories each day, and want to be in a 500 calorie deficit, eat 1,500 calories.

Maintenance Calories

This is what your body burns per day, including exercise. You can use online calculators for this, however the best method is to use something like Cronometer (not sponsored) to calculate your maintenance calories every day individually, not getting an estimate.

This is because obviously some days you have a lot of activity, and some days you have very little. And you don’t want to eat the same every single day if you want the best results.

Protein Intake

Protein keeps you full, and helps keep your existing muscle on your body during a cut. As you lose body fat, you also lose a percentage of your hard-earned muscle.

More protein = you feel full more, and keep more muscle. So eat more protein (0.8-1g / lb bodyweight)

Carbs and Fats

Many people fear monger others into thinking fats or carbs are the enemy. Not the case at all. You need both of them.

Carbs give your body energy, and fats help your cells function (among other things, but you just need to know the basics)

Weight Loss Speed (VERY IMPORTANT)

This is the most important part of all. Do not skip this.

The speed at which you lose weight determines how you look at the end of your cut.

If your deficit is too steep, you’ll end the cut looking deflated (lost muscle) and less lean than you’d like.

If your deficit is too shallow, you’ll end the cut not as lean, but you’ll retain muscle.

So, you need to find the balance where you can lose body fat, but hang onto as much muscle as possible. The ideal range is going to be between a 500-650 caloric deficit per day.

An example of too fast would be a deficit of above 900 calories per day (2,000 maintenance, 1,100 calories consumed). An example of a cut too slow, is below a 300 calories deficit per day.

Error Margins (2ND MOST IMPORTANT)

Tracking calories and exercise is kinda annoying. It’s also very hard to be accurate. And if you’re not accurate, you won’t get good results. For example, restaurants that report calories for each meal tend to have a big error margin. As well, fitness tracking apps tend to overestimate the calorie burn from an exercise.

Here’s how to be accurate:

Rules of thumb

Measure every bit of food you can to be accurate with calorie intake (get a food scale and measuring spoons/cups)
Underestimate calorie burn from exercise

Doing these two things will ensure you are hitting your targets more accurately.

Lifting weights

If you’re in a cut, you should ideally be lifting weights 3-5 times a week. Lifting weights with a focus on hypertrophy signals to your muscles that they need to stay for survival, even with the lack of calories. So, your body will focus on hanging onto more muscle.

In instances with beginner lifters, you can even gain muscle while in a cut if you lift weights.

How long should you be in a cut

Ideally, you want to be cutting weight for a long period of time (6 months) and be in a shallow deficit (400-500 calorie deficit per day). But, not everyone has the patience, or the need, for a cut that slow.

I personally recommend cutting for 3-4 months, at a 600-650 calorie deficit per day. This allows for slightly faster results, solid muscle retention, and good visible leanness by the end.

What a good cutting plan looks like

Here’s an example of a good weight loss plan. In this example, we’ll use an 185lb, 20% body fat male (John):

Nutrition

160+ grams of protein per day (0.8-1g / lb of bodyweight)
Carbs and fats balanced based on preference
5g creatine per day
Hitting as many micronutrient goals as possible (Cronometer again is good for this)
600-650 caloric deficit per day (assuming 2,500 maintenance calories, eating around 1,900 per day).

Exercise

Daily long walks (30-60 mins)
Ideally, 3 days of weight lifting per week

Time length

3-4 months

End Results

Solid visible leanness
Retained size

Weight Cut Nuances

There are some exceptions here to keep in mind.

If you are high body fat (25%+ for men, ~32%+ for women)

If this is you, you can cut harder than someone who is leaner. For instance, if someone is losing weight and already has slight visible abs, they can’t do a steep deficit like 850+.

But, if you are high body fat, you can afford to cut harder due to having more built in fuel to burn (fat). Having higher body fat also means you can retain more muscle during a steeper cut.

So if you are high body fat, you can consider steeper weight loss phases.

Summary

Weight loss is super hard, honestly. And to do it successfully, you have to get a lot of things right. So, keep it simple:

Measure, be accurate (and honest!)
Eat more protein
Get extra exercise so you can eat more (walking is great)
Try to lift weights to retain muscle
Keep your deficit between 500-650 (unless high body fat)

If you get those things right, you will end up with a physique you are very proud of.

Remember, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Keep your head up, and keep moving forward

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