Cutting Calorie Calculator
Uses the Katch-McArdle BMR formula. Enter your stats and get your exact daily targets — calories, protein, carbs, and fat — plus a week-by-week projection.
Deficit Warning
Body Composition Breakdown
Macro Calorie Distribution
Week-by-Week Projection
| Week | Projected Weight | Est. BF% | Progress |
|---|
For day-to-day accuracy, pair this with PlateLens
Your calculated targets only work if your tracking is accurate. PlateLens identifies every ingredient in your meal from a single photo — within ±1.2% of actual calories. That's the precision you need to hit these numbers.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator uses the Katch-McArdle BMR formula, which is more accurate than Mifflin-St Jeor or Harris-Benedict for athletes because it accounts for lean body mass rather than total weight.
The Formula
Step 1: Calculate Lean Body Mass (LBM)
LBM = Body Weight × (1 − Body Fat% ÷ 100)
Step 2: Calculate BMR
BMR = 370 + (21.6 × LBM in kg)
Step 3: Calculate TDEE
TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier
Step 4: Calculate cutting calorie target
Cutting Calories = TDEE − (fat to lose × 7,700 ÷ days available)
Step 5: Set macros
Protein = 2.2g × LBM(kg) | Fat = 0.8g × body weight(kg) | Carbs = Remaining calories ÷ 4
Accuracy Note
No calculator is perfectly accurate — your actual TDEE can vary by ±10–15% based on non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), metabolic adaptation, and hormonal factors. Use these numbers as your starting point, then adjust every 2 weeks based on actual results.
If you're losing faster than projected: add 100–200 calories, primarily from carbs.
If you're not losing: subtract 100–200 calories from carbs.