Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Find out how many calories your body burns at rest and with activity. Plan your diet for weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance.
Pick your mode at the top. Calculate BMR & TDEE shows your baseline metabolic rate and total daily calorie burn—that's how many calories your body needs.
Fill in your stats: age, sex, weight, height. Switch between imperial and metric anytime. Men and women burn different amounts—body composition and hormones.
Activity level is where most people screw up. Desk job plus three gym sessions per week? You're "Lightly Active," not "Moderately Active." Pick wrong and you'll be off by 300-500 calories.
Weight Loss Planning adds your goal weight and how fast you want to lose. You'll get your daily calorie target, timeline to goal, and week-by-week projections. Go slower and keep more muscle.
Weight Gain Planning works the same way but for building muscle. Slower gains mean more muscle, less fat. Simple as that.
Macro Calculator breaks down your calories into protein, carbs, and fats. Fat loss diets emphasize protein. Muscle gain diets load up on carbs for workout fuel.
Want to get technical? Pick your BMR formula in advanced options. Stick with Mifflin-St Jeor unless you've got DEXA scan body fat data—then use Katch-McArdle.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is how many calories your body burns lying in bed all day doing nothing. Breathing, circulating blood, keeping your brain running—all that takes energy.
BMR makes up 60-75% of what you burn daily. It's the biggest piece of your energy expenditure. Your organs don't stop working just because you're sitting on the couch.
Body size matters. A 250-pound person burns more than a 150-pound person because there's more tissue to maintain. Age matters too—metabolism drops about 1-2% per decade after 30, mostly because people lose muscle as they age.
Men burn more calories at rest than women of the same weight. Why? More muscle, less fat. Muscle burns roughly 6 calories per pound per day at rest. Fat burns only 2. This is why body composition beats scale weight.
Genetics? Yeah, they matter. But way less than you think. Genetic variation in metabolism accounts for maybe 10-15% difference between people of similar size. Most "fast" or "slow" metabolism stories are just differences in muscle mass and activity level.
True BMR measurement requires lying in a lab while machines track your oxygen and CO2 after an overnight fast. Online calculators (like this one) use formulas based on your age, sex, weight, and height. They're accurate within 10% for most people.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is everything you burn in 24 hours. BMR plus walking, exercising, fidgeting, digesting food—all of it.
TDEE has four parts. BMR is your baseline. The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) is about 10% of what you eat—your body burns calories just processing food. Protein burns the most (20-30%), carbs are middle (5-10%), fat burns the least (0-3%).
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) is your workouts. Could be zero if you're sedentary, or 1,000+ calories if you're an athlete.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is everything else—walking around, standing, fidgeting, maintaining posture. NEAT can vary by 2,000 calories between two people with similar jobs. Some people just move more.
TDEE is what matters for weight. Eat at TDEE to maintain. Below it to lose. Above it to gain. Your TDEE changes with activity level, body weight, even the season.
This calculator multiplies your BMR by an activity factor (1.2 to 1.9). Sedentary person with 1,500 BMR? TDEE is 1,800 (1,500 × 1.2). Very active with the same BMR? TDEE is 2,600 (1,500 × 1.725).
Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate for most people. Developed in 1990, uses weight, height, age, and sex. For men: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) - (5 × age) + 5. For women: same but -161 instead of +5. Accurate within 10%.
Harris-Benedict is the original from 1919, revised in 1984. Similar to Mifflin-St Jeor but runs about 5% high. For men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × kg) + (4.799 × cm) - (5.677 × age). For women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × kg) + (3.098 × cm) - (4.330 × age).
Katch-McArdle uses lean body mass instead of total weight. BMR = 370 + (21.6 × lean mass in kg). More accurate for lean people or those with unusual muscle mass because it accounts for body composition.
Katch-McArdle works better because muscle burns way more than fat. At 180 pounds and 10% body fat, you have way more metabolically active tissue than someone at 180 pounds and 30% body fat. Standard formulas ignore this. Katch-McArdle doesn't.
Problem? You need accurate body fat %. Bathroom scales and handheld devices are garbage—off by 5-10 percentage points. Only DEXA scans, hydrostatic weighing, or Bod Pod are reliable. Don't have accurate body fat? Stick with Mifflin-St Jeor.
The difference between formulas is usually 50-100 calories per day. Not huge. Pick one, track for 2-3 weeks, adjust based on real results. That matters more than formula choice.
Pick the wrong activity level and you'll be off by 300-500 calories. That'll wreck your results.
Sedentary (1.2) means you sit most of the day. Desk job, drive to work, sit on the couch. Under 5,000 steps. No regular exercise. If you barely move, this is you.
Lightly Active (1.375) is desk job with some movement—walking breaks at lunch, 7,000-10,000 steps, or hitting the gym 1-2 times per week. Here's where most people screw up: three gym sessions per week doesn't make you "moderately active." It makes you lightly active. Those 3 hours don't offset 165 hours of sitting.
Moderately Active (1.55) means you're on your feet for work (nurse, teacher, retail) getting 10,000-15,000 steps. Or you have a desk job but train hard 3-5 times per week. Key word: consistent. Not occasional workouts.
Very Active (1.725) is physical labor (construction, warehouse, server) or training 6-7 days per week. Running, lifting, sports—at least an hour daily. You move vigorously most days.
Extremely Active (1.9) is for athletes. Marathon runners doing 50+ miles per week. CrossFit athletes training twice daily. Construction workers who also train hard. If you're wondering whether you qualify, you don't.
When in doubt, pick the lower level. You can always adjust up if you're losing weight too fast or feeling wiped out.
Your activity level changes. Start a new program? Increase it. Switch from standing job to desk job? Decrease it. Recalculate when your routine shifts.
Your body burns calories digesting food. About 10% of your daily expenditure.
Protein burns the most at 20-30%. Eat 100 calories of protein, you burn 20-30 just processing it. Net: 70-80 calories. This is why high-protein diets work for fat loss.
Carbs burn 5-10%. Fat burns almost nothing at 0-3%. Your body stores fat super efficiently.
High-protein diet (35-40% protein) can boost your TDEE by 50-100 calories versus a low-protein diet. Not huge, but it adds up. At 2,000 calories with 40% protein, you burn 240 calories through TEF. Same calories with 15% protein? Only 90 calories burned. That's 150 calories difference daily.
"A calorie is a calorie" is technically true but practically misleading. Energy balance determines weight change, but where those calories come from affects how many you absorb. Don't expect miracles from TEF manipulation, but it's a small edge.
NEAT is all the calories you burn that aren't exercise. Walking around, fidgeting, maintaining posture, household chores. It's the most variable part of TDEE and can differ by 2,000+ calories between people.
Overfeeding studies show why some people stay lean easily. Give people 1,000 extra calories daily—some gain 10 pounds, others gain 2 pounds. Same surplus. The lean ones unconsciously move more, burning off excess through fidgeting and activity.
Construction worker? You might burn 1,000-1,500 calories through NEAT. Office worker? 300-500 calories. But even with the same job, NEAT varies by 500-800 calories. Some people pace during calls, take stairs, park far away, stand while working, fidget constantly. Others sit whenever possible and minimize movement.
Standing desk burns 50 extra calories per hour. Walking 10,000 steps burns 300-500 calories. Fidgeting and restless movement? 100-300 calories daily.
You can boost NEAT deliberately. Stand and move every hour. Take calls while walking. Park farther away. Always take stairs. Do chores vigorously. Small increases add up.
When dieting, your body conserves energy by reducing NEAT unconsciously. You sit more, fidget less, move slower. This is why some dieters plateau despite eating the same deficit—their NEAT dropped. Stay aware and keep moving.
Fitness trackers lie. They say you burned 300 calories in a workout, but if that makes you crash on the couch all day, your NEAT drops 200 calories. Net gain? Only 100 calories. Track daily steps, not just exercise.
Weight loss requires eating below your TDEE. Eat 300-500 calories under TDEE for 0.5-1 pound lost per week. One pound of fat = 3,500 calories, so a 500-calorie daily deficit = 1 pound per week.
Don't eat below your BMR. Yeah, you'll lose faster, but it's unsustainable. You're not even providing energy for basic functions. Result? Metabolic slowdown, muscle loss, fatigue, wrecked immune system, diet failure. If your BMR is 1,500 and TDEE is 2,000, aim for 1,500-1,700 calories. Not 1,200.
Max safe deficit is 500-1,000 calories daily, or 20-25% of TDEE. Bigger deficits = more muscle loss, more hunger, more stress, higher failure rate. Got 50+ pounds to lose? You might handle larger deficits at first. As you get leaner, you'll need to shrink them.
Metabolic adaptation is real but modest. When you diet, your BMR drops 5-10% beyond what weight loss explains—that's 50-150 calories per day. Your body conserves energy through less NEAT, lower body temp, hormonal shifts. But it doesn't stop weight loss. "Starvation mode" where you stop losing completely? That's a myth.
To keep muscle, eat 0.7-1.0g protein per pound of body weight daily. Lift 2-4 times per week. Without this? You'll lose 20-30% of your weight as muscle, not fat.
Plateaus happen. As you lose weight, your TDEE drops. Your deficit shrinks. Started with 500 calories below TDEE? After losing 20 pounds, your TDEE might be 300 calories lower. Now you're only 200 calories below. Recalculate and adjust every 10-15 pounds.
Diet breaks help. After 8-12 weeks, take 1-2 weeks at maintenance. Restores hormones, boosts NEAT, gives you a mental break. You won't lose fat during the break, but you'll be set up for continued loss after.
Track weekly average weight, not daily. Daily weight swings 2-5 pounds from water, food volume, sodium, hormones. Weigh daily if you want, but compare weekly averages. Not dropping after 2-3 weeks? Cut 100-200 calories and wait another 2-3 weeks.
Building muscle requires eating above TDEE and lifting heavy. But surplus size determines whether you gain muscle or fat.
Modest surplus of 200-300 calories daily (10-15% above TDEE) optimizes muscle gain, minimizes fat gain. You'll gain 0.5-1 pound per week for men, 0.25-0.5 pounds for women.
Muscle growth is slow. Perfect training, nutrition, sleep? Natural lifters gain 1-2 pounds of pure muscle per month in year one, dropping to 0.5-1 pound monthly after. Gaining 2 pounds per week? Most of it's fat.
250-calorie surplus (0.5 lb/week) = 60-70% muscle, 30-40% fat for beginners. 500-calorie surplus (1 lb/week) = 50-60% muscle, 40-50% fat. 1,000-calorie surplus (2 lb/week) = 30-40% muscle, 60-70% fat. Go slow to stay lean.
Protein: 0.7-1.0g per pound daily. Same as cutting. More doesn't build more muscle. But hitting this threshold is critical—without enough protein, excess calories become fat.
Progressive overload beats calorie surplus. You can't build muscle without lifting heavier weights, more reps, or more volume over time. Eat in a surplus without training hard? You'll just get fat. Beginners can build muscle in a small deficit with proper training ("recomposition"). Gets harder as you advance.
Carbs matter more for bulking than cutting. They fuel hard training, replenish glycogen, stimulate insulin for muscle protein synthesis. Low-carb works but most people build better on 1.5-2.5g carbs per pound of body weight.
Bulk and cut cycles work—eat 300-500 above TDEE for 4-8 months, then cut for 2-4 months to reveal muscle. But staying leaner year-round with smaller surpluses (200-300 calories) builds similar muscle without the weight swings.
Track weekly. Gaining over 1 lb/week (0.5 lb for women)? Too much fat. Cut your surplus. Not gaining after several weeks? Add 100-200 calories or fix your tracking.
Three macros: protein, carbs, and fats. Each does different things.
Protein (4 cal/gram) builds and repairs muscle, skin, hair, enzymes, hormones. It keeps you full longer than carbs or fat. Burns 20-30% of its calories during digestion. You need it to keep muscle when dieting or build it when bulking.
Carbs (4 cal/gram) are quick energy. Your brain and muscles use glucose from carbs. Stored as glycogen for ready fuel. Not technically essential—your body can make glucose from protein and fat—but carbs make you perform better and recover faster.
Fats (9 cal/gram) are calorie-dense. Essential for hormones (testosterone, estrogen), vitamin absorption (A, D, E, K), brain function. Your body loves storing fat. Excess calories become body fat no matter where they came from.
How to set macros: Hit 0.7-1.0g protein per pound of body weight first. Keep fat at minimum 0.3-0.5g per pound for hormones. Fill the rest with carbs and extra fat based on activity and preference. Train hard? More carbs. Sedentary? Less carbs, more fat.
"Balanced" split: 30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat. At 2,000 calories that's 150g protein, 200g carbs, 67g fat. Works for most people. But optimal macros are individual.
For fat loss: 30-40% protein, 30-40% carbs (higher if active), 20-30% fat. For muscle gain: 25-30% protein, 45-55% carbs, 20-25% fat. For keto: under 10% carbs (under 50g), 20-25% protein, 65-75% fat.
Quality matters for health, less for body comp. Animal protein is better for muscle than plant protein. Whole food carbs beat refined carbs. Unsaturated fats beat saturated fats and trans fats. But for losing or gaining weight? Calories and total macros matter most.
Protein is king for body composition. Losing fat, building muscle, or maintaining—you need enough protein.
Sedentary couch potato? 0.4-0.6g per pound minimum to avoid deficiency. That's the RDA. If you lift or want to look good, that's not enough.
Maintaining muscle at maintenance calories? 0.7-0.8g per pound. A 160-pound person needs 110-130g daily. Easy: 8 oz chicken (56g), 2 eggs (12g), 1 cup Greek yogurt (20g), 1 scoop whey (25g), plus bits from grains and veggies.
Cutting fat? Bump it to 0.8-1.0g per pound. Go higher (1.0-1.2g) if you're already lean. Higher protein preserves muscle when your body wants to burn it for fuel. It keeps you full and burns more calories during digestion.
Building muscle? 0.7-1.0g per pound is plenty. Research shows going beyond 0.8g/lb doesn't add more growth—you've maxed out muscle protein synthesis. A 180-pound lifter needs 125-180g daily.
Competitive bodybuilders getting shredded (under 10% body fat for men, under 18% for women)? Up to 1.2-1.8g per pound during aggressive cuts. Your body aggressively breaks down muscle at very low body fat. Most people never need this much.
Timing matters a bit. Spread protein across 3-5 meals with 20-40g each. Steady amino acid supply. But hitting your daily total beats perfect timing.
The post-workout "anabolic window"? Overrated. Eat protein within a few hours of training and hit your daily total. That's it. Unless you train fasted—then eat protein soon after since you've gone hours without food.
Protein powder is convenient, not necessary. You can hit your target with chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, tofu. But a scoop of whey (25g protein, 120 calories) costs $0.50-1.00 and beats cooking when you're short on time.
Both carbs and fats fuel your body. The best ratio? Whatever you can stick to. Your activity level matters way more than any magic macro split.
Carbs are king for high-intensity work. Sprinting, heavy lifting, sports—your muscles burn glucose (from carbs), not fat. Athletes need more carbs because they're constantly depleting glycogen stores.
Fat fuels low-intensity stuff. Walking, sitting, sleeping—you're burning fat. Even lean people have 50,000+ calories stored as body fat. That's unlimited fuel for easy activity.
Training hard 4+ times per week? Lifting, CrossFit, sports? You'll perform better with 40-55% carbs. They fuel intense sessions and speed up recovery.
For fat loss, it doesn't matter. Dozens of studies show identical results comparing low-carb to low-fat at equal calories. Pick the one you can stick to.
Low-carb (under 100-150g daily) helps some people. Those with insulin resistance see better blood sugar control. Serial carb snackers find it easier to control appetite. The fast initial drop (mostly water) can be motivating.
Low-fat (20-25% of calories) works too, especially for high-carb responders or volume eaters. Don't go below 15-20% though—you'll mess up hormones and vitamin absorption.
Most people do fine with 30-40% carbs, 25-35% fat, 30-35% protein. But these are guidelines, not laws. If you crush workouts on 50% carbs, do that. Prefer 25% carbs and 40% fat? Also fine. Just hit your calories and protein.
Try moderate carbs for 4-6 weeks. Track energy, performance, hunger. Then try lower carbs for 4-6 weeks. Your response beats any theoretical ideal. The best diet is the one you'll actually follow.
Let's kill some bullshit.
Myth: "Starvation mode" stops weight loss. Completely false. Your metabolism slows 5-10% when dieting beyond what weight loss explains, but it doesn't "shut down." Famine victims and anorexics keep losing weight. If you're not losing, you're not in a deficit. Period.
Myth: Some people have "fast" or "slow" metabolisms. Variation exists but it's way smaller than people think. Control for body size, muscle mass, age, and sex? Metabolic rates differ by only 10-15%. A 150-pound woman's BMR ranges from 1,300-1,500, not 800 or 2,000. Most "slow metabolism" claims are just low NEAT or bad tracking.
Myth: Eating 6 small meals boosts metabolism. Nope. TEF depends on total calories and macros, not meal frequency. 2,000 calories in 6 meals burns the same as 2,000 calories in 3 meals. Meal timing is preference, not optimization.
Myth: Don't eat late because your metabolism shuts down at night. Your body burns calories 24/7. Your heart beats and lungs breathe while you sleep. Meal timing doesn't affect fat storage—only total calories matter. Late-night eating correlates with weight gain because people snack more calories, not because the clock says 9pm.
Myth: Celery has "negative calories." No food burns more calories to digest than it provides. Celery has 6 calories per stalk and doesn't require 6+ calories to digest. High-water veggies have high TEF but still provide net positive calories.
Myth: Yo-yo dieting "damages" your metabolism permanently. Nope. Repeated weight cycling isn't ideal (you lose muscle, regain fat), but your metabolism returns to normal for your body size. You can lose weight after years of yo-yo dieting. Your metabolism responds like anyone else at your weight.
Myth: Supplements significantly boost metabolism. Green tea, caffeine, capsaicin might add 50-100 calories daily. Maybe. That's modest and doesn't replace diet and training. If a supplement claims to boost metabolism 20-30% or "burn fat without diet or exercise," it's snake oil or dangerous. There's no magic pill.
Truth: Building muscle increases BMR long-term. Muscle burns 6 cal/lb/day at rest. Fat burns 2 cal/lb/day. Gain 10 pounds of muscle? Your BMR goes up 40-50 calories daily. Not huge, but it adds up. The real win is looking better, getting stronger, and improving metabolic health.
Metabolism slows with age, but it's more modest than you think. And much of it's preventable.
A 2021 study in Science (Pontzer et al.) tracked over 6,600 people across the lifespan. Metabolic rate peaks in infancy, then declines through childhood. Here's the surprise: from age 20 to 60, your metabolic rate stays stable when you control for body size and muscle mass. No metabolic "cliff" at 30 or 40. Only after 60 does it drop significantly—about 0.7% per year.
That study controlled for muscle mass though. Most people lose muscle as they age, and that's why their metabolism drops. Starting around age 30, inactive adults lose 3-8% of muscle mass per decade (called sarcopenia). After 60, it accelerates. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, losing it tanks your BMR.
Example: A 30-year-old guy at 180 pounds and 20% body fat has 144 pounds of lean mass. BMR around 1,800 calories. By 60, if he's been sedentary, he's lost 20 pounds of muscle and gained 10 pounds of fat. Now 170 pounds at 27% body fat—124 pounds lean mass, 46 pounds fat. His BMR drops to 1,600 calories. That 200-calorie decrease? It's from muscle loss, not aging.
You can prevent this. Even reverse it. Masters athletes in their 60s, 70s, and 80s maintain muscle mass similar to sedentary people in their 20s. Their metabolism stays high because they kept their lean mass through training.
Hormones matter too. Men's testosterone drops about 1% per year after 30. Lower T makes it harder to build and keep muscle, easier to store fat (especially belly fat). Women hit menopause (ages 45-55) with sharp drops in estrogen and progesterone. More fat storage around the midsection. Harder to maintain muscle.
NEAT drops with age. Older adults walk less, do fewer activities, sit more. Not inevitable—plenty of active older adults—but it's common. Lower muscle + hormonal changes + less NEAT can drop your TDEE by 300-500 calories compared to your 20s.
To maintain metabolism, lift weights 2-3 times per week. This is the most important thing. Keep protein at 0.7-1.0g per pound of body weight. Older adults might need slightly more due to "anabolic resistance"—muscles respond less efficiently to protein and exercise.
Stay active daily. You might not train as intensely as before, but you can walk, garden, play with grandkids, avoid sitting all day. And accept that your TDEE will drop somewhat with age, even with perfect habits. You won't eat as much at 60 as you did at 20. Recalculate your needs every few years.
Age-related metabolic slowdown is real but mostly preventable. What we blame on "aging" is really decades of sitting and eating poorly. You won't have a 20-year-old's metabolism at 60, but with lifting, protein, and activity, you'll crush most sedentary people your age.
Body composition matters more than weight. Two people at 180 pounds can have wildly different calorie needs based on muscle-to-fat ratio.
Muscle burns roughly 6 calories per pound per day at rest. Fat burns 2 calories per pound. Three-fold difference.
Example: Person A at 180 pounds with 20% body fat (144 lbs lean, 36 lbs fat) burns (144 × 6) + (36 × 2) = 936 calories from tissue. Person B at 180 pounds with 30% body fat (126 lbs lean, 54 lbs fat) burns (126 × 6) + (54 × 2) = 864 calories. Person A burns 72 more calories daily just from having more muscle. That's 26,280 calories per year—7.5 pounds of body fat.
Don't believe the hype though. Gaining 10 pounds of muscle adds 60 calories daily to BMR, not 300-500 like the fitness industry claims. Meaningful over time, but won't offset a bad diet. The real wins: easier to maintain deficits, better insulin sensitivity, looking better, getting stronger, aging better.
Muscle burns more during activity too. A muscular person might burn 400 calories in a workout that burns 250 for someone with less muscle. Heavier weights, higher intensity.
Building 20 pounds of muscle over years adds 120 calories daily to your BMR as long as you keep it. Makes weight maintenance easier—eat a bit more or have a buffer against occasional overeating.
Losing muscle during weight loss sabotages long-term success. Lose 30 pounds but 10 are muscle? Your BMR drops 60 calories daily. Easier to regain the weight later. This is why protein and lifting during cuts are non-negotiable.
Body recomposition: lose 10 pounds of fat, gain 10 pounds of muscle simultaneously. Scale doesn't move but BMR goes up 40 calories daily. You look dramatically different—leaner, more defined, stronger. The scale lies.
Lift 2-4 times per week with progressive overload. Eat 0.7-1.0g protein per pound. Be patient. Building muscle takes 1-2 pounds per month for beginners, 0.5-1 pound for intermediates. Benefits compound over years.
Calculators give you a starting point. Real success comes from tracking results and adjusting.
Eat at your calculated target for 2-3 weeks. Weigh daily (first thing in the morning, after bathroom, before eating) and calculate weekly averages. Daily weight fluctuates 2-5 pounds from water, food volume, sodium, hormones. Weekly averages reveal the trend.
After 2-3 weeks, compare averages. Losing 0.5-1.5 lbs per week? Keep going. Not losing or losing too slow? Cut 100-200 calories and wait another 2-3 weeks. Losing over 2 lbs per week? Bump calories up to prevent muscle loss.
For gaining, weekly average should go up 0.5-1 lb. Not gaining? Add 100-200 calories. Gaining over 1-1.5 lbs per week? Cut calories to minimize fat. Make small adjustments (100-200 cal) and give each 2-3 weeks before changing again.
Track accurately. Use a food scale for at least the first few weeks—most people suck at estimating portions. Track everything: oils, condiments, beverages, "just a few bites." Uncounted calories add up to 300-500 daily and wreck your deficit.
You don't need to track forever. 2-4 weeks teaches you proper portions. Many people maintain results after learning portions. If progress stalls, track again for a week to find where calories are sneaking in.
Take progress photos and measurements every 2-4 weeks. Photos from front, side, and back in consistent lighting. Measure waist, hips, thighs, arms, chest. Sometimes you're building muscle and losing fat (recomposition) and the scale doesn't move but you look way different.
Plateaus are normal. As you lose weight, your TDEE drops. Your deficit shrinks. Started with 500 cal below TDEE? After losing 20-30 pounds, your TDEE might be 200-300 cal lower. Now you're only 200-300 cal below. Recalculate every 10-15 pounds and adjust.
Diet breaks help. After 8-12 weeks, take 1-2 weeks at maintenance (your new maintenance). Restores hormones, boosts NEAT, gives you a mental break. You won't lose fat but you'll be set up for continued loss after.
Be patient. Weight loss isn't linear. Some weeks you lose more, some less, occasionally you gain from water. Look at 3-4 week trends. If the monthly average moves right and you feel decent with manageable hunger, you're good. Consistency beats perfection.
People fail because they screw up the application, not because formulas are wrong.
Overestimating activity level. The #1 mistake. Desk job + gym 3-4 times per week? You're lightly active, not moderately active. Those 4 hours don't offset 120+ hours sitting. Activity multiplier accounts for your entire week. When in doubt, pick the lower level.
Eating way below BMR for extended periods. Causes metabolic adaptation, muscle loss, fatigue, diet failure. Your deficit should come from reducing TDEE, not eating below what your organs need. BMR 1,500, TDEE 2,100? Aim for 1,600-1,900 calories. Not 1,200.
Not adjusting as weight changes. Your TDEE drops as you lose weight. A 180-pound person burns more than a 160-pound person doing identical activities. Calculate at 180, lose 20 pounds, never recalculate? You're probably at maintenance now, not a deficit. Recalculate every 10-15 pounds.
Tracking like garbage. "I can't lose weight in a deficit!" You're not tracking accurately. Not weighing food, not counting oils and condiments, forgetting beverages, ignoring weekend eating, not tracking "just a bite" throughout the day. Errors easily hit 500+ calories daily.
Expecting linear progress. Weight fluctuates daily from water, glycogen, food volume, sodium, hormones. You might "gain" 3 pounds overnight from salt or "lose" 2 pounds from dehydration. Not real fat change. Track weekly averages and monthly trends.
Comparing yourself to others. Someone your height and weight might have a TDEE 200 calories different due to more muscle, higher NEAT, thyroid differences, or genetics. Your TDEE is yours. Stop comparing.
Ignoring protein. Focus only on calories and you'll lose muscle in a deficit or gain fat in a surplus. Protein preserves muscle, keeps you full, burns more calories digesting. You need 0.7-1.0g per pound regardless of your calorie target.
Changing calories too frequently. Cut calories, see nothing after 3-4 days, cut again? You're not giving your body time to respond. Weight changes lag behind calorie changes. Make a change, wait 2-3 weeks, then adjust if needed.
Eating back all exercise calories. If your activity level already includes exercise (it should), eating back "burned" calories creates a surplus. Fitness trackers overestimate by 20-40%. Don't eat exercise calories back, or eat only 30-50% if you did way more than normal.
Giving up too fast. Your calculated TDEE might be off 10-15% from individual variation. That's normal. Use it as a starting point, track for weeks, adjust based on real results. Everyone needs trial and error to find their true numbers.