TDEE and Calorie Deficit Calculator With a Protein Target

By Purpose with Presence Fitness · Updated November 3, 2026 · free, runs in your browser

Quick answer: Your maintenance calories are resting energy from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation times an activity factor between 1.40 and 2.40. A fat-loss intake sits below that, with a floor around 1,200 to 1,500 calories for women and 1,500 to 1,800 for men, and protein near 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight to keep muscle while lifting.

We are an independent affiliate of the training programs linked on this page and earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. This tool is not medical advice; it gives estimates from published equations and studies, and anyone with a medical condition, an injury, or who is pregnant should consult a qualified professional before changing training or diet. See our affiliate disclosure.

Pairs with: 2X / Week DB-Only Full Body Splits (Beginner Friendly) (affiliate link, details below).

How is the number calculated?

Resting energy expenditure comes from the 1990 equation built on 498 adults: "REE (males) = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) + 5; REE (females) = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161" (Mifflin et al. 1990). In a 2005 systematic review of prediction equations, this one was the most reliable of those compared in healthy adults, while the older Harris-Benedict equation tended to overestimate (Frankenfield et al. 2005). Maintenance intake multiplies resting energy by a physical activity level. The FAO/WHO/UNU classification is "Sedentary or light activity lifestyle 1.40-1.69 Active or moderately active lifestyle 1.70-1.99 Vigorous or vigorously active lifestyle 2.00-2.40" (FAO 2001, chapter 5). The NIH Body Weight Planner uses a similar scale, where "The default value of 1.6 describes someone who does very light activity at school or work (mostly sitting) and moderate physical activity (such as walking or cycling) at least once a week" (NIDDK Body Weight Planner).

How much protein keeps muscle in a deficit?

The 2018 meta-analysis of 49 studies with 1863 participants found that "Protein supplementation beyond total protein intakes of 1.62 g/kg/day resulted in no further RET-induced gains in FFM", with the break point reported as "1.62 (1.03, 2.20) g/kg/day" (Morton et al. 2018). A review of athlete requirements puts "protein intakes in the range of 1.3-1.8 g · kg(-1) · day(-1) consumed as 3-4 isonitrogenous meals" as the amount that maximises muscle protein synthesis (Phillips and Van Loon 2011). For lean, resistance-trained people dieting hard, the figure is higher and expressed per kilogram of fat-free mass: "likely 2.3-3.1g/kg of FFM scaled upwards with severity of caloric restriction and leanness" (Helms et al. 2014). The calculator reports the 1.62 g/kg figure and the 1.3 to 1.8 range; it does not estimate fat-free mass, so the Helms range is for readers who know their body composition.

Why does lifting matter during a deficit?

Dieting without resistance training loses muscle as well as fat. In a 2021 umbrella review, "Resistance training reduced lean mass loss during weight loss (1 SR-MA, MD: 0.8 [95%CI: 0.4-1.3] kg)" (Bellicha et al. 2021), and in older adults with obesity, "RT reduced 93.5% of CR-induced LBM loss (0.819 kg [0.364 to 1.273])" (Sardeli et al. 2018). The federal guideline sets the floor at "muscle-strengthening activity, like lifting weights or doing push-ups, at least 2 days each week" (HHS Physical Activity Guidelines). The two-day dumbbell plan and the 15-minute plan both clear that floor; our fat-loss pace planner turns the deficit into a weekly target.

Which program pairs with a deficit?

Two full-body sessions a week with dumbbells is the smallest plan here that still meets the guideline and keeps every major muscle under load while you eat below maintenance.

2X / Week DB-Only Full Body Splits (Beginner Friendly): 8 weeks, 2 sessions a week, dumbbells and a bench; $149.00 (a $179.00 figure also shown, unlabeled), as shown on the product page on November 3, 2026.

See the 2-day dumbbell program

Frequently asked questions

Is TDEE the same as the calories I burn on a watch?+

No. The calculator estimates total daily energy from a resting-energy equation times an activity factor, which is a population average. Wearables estimate the same thing from heart rate and movement with their own errors. Neither is a measurement. Use the number as a starting point, track bodyweight for two to three weeks, and adjust the intake by the trend you see.

How big should the deficit be?+

The tool offers 250, 500 and 750 calories below maintenance. Public-health guidance frames the goal as about 1 to 2 pounds a week, which most adults reach with a moderate deficit. Larger deficits push intake under the low-calorie floors and cost more muscle. The pace planner on this site shows what each weekly rate means in your case.

Why is my target under 1,200 or 1,500 calories flagged?+

Because MedlinePlus describes low-calorie diets as about 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 for men, and very-low-calorie diets near 800 calories as medically supervised and only for adults with obesity who need to lose weight for health reasons. The flag is a prompt to pick a smaller deficit or ask a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Does the protein target change if I use pounds?+

The tool converts pounds to kilograms before applying the per-kilogram figures, so the gram target is the same whichever unit you enter. The research expresses protein per kilogram of bodyweight, or per kilogram of fat-free mass in the athlete review, which this tool does not estimate because it does not know your body composition.

Does the calculator store anything?+

No. It runs in your browser with no form submission, no cookie and no account; nothing you type leaves the page. The only external link on the page that earns us anything is the program link in the recommendation box, and the disclosure above explains that relationship.

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