Your calorie deficit, kept safe.

How are the numbers set?

• Daily burn. The Mifflin–St Jeor equation estimates what you burn at rest from your weight, height, age and sex. It is multiplied by an activity factor for your day.
• The three options. 250, 500 and 750 calories a day under your burn. The pace beside each assumes about 3,500 calories per pound (7,700 per kilogram).
• The limits. No option goes more than 25% under your burn, or below 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,800 for men (1,500 if you'd rather not say), the levels a 2025 joint advisory links to missing vitamins and minerals. When an option hits a limit, it shows the limit and a slower pace.

How big should my calorie deficit be?

A common starting point is about 500 calories a day below your daily burn. Imi never goes more than 25% below your burn, and never below 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,800 for men, the levels below which a 2025 joint advisory says vitamins and minerals get hard to cover.

How is my daily burn worked out?

With the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, which estimates the energy you burn at rest from your weight, height, age and sex, multiplied by an activity factor. It is an estimate: your real burn can be higher or lower, so treat the result as a starting point.

Why does the pace say "about"?

The weekly pace assumes about 7,700 calories per kilogram (3,500 per pound) of body weight. Real weight change also swings with water and food in your gut, so weekly numbers bounce around even when the deficit is steady.