Calorie Deficit Calculator: Daily Energy Difference

Energy balance compares energy used with energy consumed over a period. A positive expenditure-minus-intake difference is an arithmetic deficit; a negative difference is a surplus.

Enter your own daily expenditure and intake figures for the same period. The calculator subtracts intake from expenditure. It does not estimate expenditure from age, weight, sex, or activity. For example, if expenditure is 2300 kcal/day and intake is 2000 kcal/day, the arithmetic gap is +300 kcal/day. If intake is 2600 instead, it is −300; equal figures yield zero. These are examples, not recommended intakes.

The signed number is a snapshot based on the two figures you supplied. It does not show how much weight someone will lose or when a goal will be reached.

No. Arithmetic alone cannot determine an appropriate energy intake for a person. Individual circumstances, including growth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, illness, and eating-disorder history, need individual guidance.

Daily expenditure and reported intake can be uncertain and may change. Use consistent time periods and review where each figure came from before interpreting the difference.

Energy expenditure changes as body weight and behavior change. A constant daily gap cannot be converted into a reliable weekly weight-loss rate or goal date.

For adult weight planning, NIDDK provides a separate Body Weight Planner with a dynamic model and its own eligibility limits.