Plan Your Daily Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss

Losing 20 lb over 12 weeks requires roughly an 830-calorie daily deficit, leaving about 1,370 kcal/day at a 2,200-calorie maintenance. We use the widely cited 3,500 kcal-per-pound rule and flag any plan that implies more than 2 lb of loss per week as aggressive. The chart projects your weight week by week.