Question 1

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Accepted Answer

For sustainable fat loss, aim for a 15–25% calorie deficit below your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). For most adults that lands at 300–700 kcal under maintenance. Larger deficits speed up the scale but cost muscle, hormones, and adherence — the calculator above gives you a deficit that's aggressive enough to see results without burning out.

Question 2

What's the difference between BMR and TDEE?

Accepted Answer

BMR (basal metabolic rate) is what your body burns at complete rest — keeping organs running, brain firing, body temperature stable. TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is BMR plus everything else: digestion, walking, training, fidgeting. To lose weight you eat below TDEE, not below BMR. Eating below BMR for any sustained period stalls progress and triggers metabolic adaptation.

Question 3

Is a 500-calorie deficit safe and effective?

Accepted Answer

For someone with 15+ kg to lose, yes — a 500 kcal/day deficit (the classic '1 lb per week' rule) is well-tolerated and produces visible results in 4–6 weeks. For leaner athletes already under 15% body fat, that same deficit can cost muscle and crash energy; a 250–350 kcal deficit is safer. The calculator factors your starting weight into the suggestion.

Question 4

How accurate are online calorie calculators?

Accepted Answer

Mifflin-St Jeor (the formula used here) is accurate within ±10% for most adults — about as good as it gets without lab measurement. The bigger source of error is your activity multiplier: most people overestimate how active they are. If after 2–3 weeks the scale isn't moving, your real TDEE is probably 200–400 kcal lower than the calculator says — adjust down and re-test.

Question 5

How do I split my calories between protein, carbs, and fat?

Accepted Answer

For weight loss with muscle preservation: protein 1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight (roughly 25–35% of calories), fat 0.8–1.0 g per kg (25–30% of calories), and carbs filling the rest. For muscle gain: same protein, slightly more carbs to fuel training. KusWise tracks all three macros from a photo, voice note, or text so you don't need a separate macro app.

Question 6

Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit?

Accepted Answer

Five usual suspects, in order: (1) underestimating portions — most people underlog by 20–40%, (2) weekend drift — a 'maintenance' weekend wipes out a weekday deficit, (3) overestimating activity — fitness trackers inflate calorie burn by 30–50%, (4) water retention from new training or high sodium, (5) genuine plateau requiring a 100–200 kcal further cut. Track every bite for 14 days, then re-evaluate.

Question 7

Should women eat fewer calories than men to lose weight?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on average — women have lower BMR per kg due to lower muscle mass and smaller body size. A typical adult woman maintaining at 1,800–2,200 kcal will lose at 1,400–1,800 kcal. A typical adult man maintaining at 2,400–2,900 kcal will lose at 1,900–2,400 kcal. The calculator handles this automatically. Women also need to track cycle-based water fluctuations (1–2 kg swings are normal).

Question 8

How often should I recalculate my calories?

Accepted Answer

Every 4–5 kg of weight change, or every 6–8 weeks during a cut. As you lose weight, both BMR and TDEE drop because there's less of you to maintain. Stick to the same calorie target for too long and the deficit shrinks, then disappears. Re-run the calculator with your new weight whenever progress stalls for two weeks.

Question 9

How do I calculate my calorie deficit?

Accepted Answer

Take your TDEE (the number this calculator gives you when you pick 'Maintain' as the goal) and subtract 300–500 kcal. That's your deficit intake. The calculator handles this automatically when you pick 'Lose weight' as the goal — protein stays high (1.8 g/kg) to protect muscle, calories drop to a sustainable deficit. Eat this number on average over 7 days; daily noise (±200 kcal) is fine.

Question 10

Is the 7,700 kcal per kg of fat number accurate?

Accepted Answer

Yes — it's the standard figure cited by the British Dietetic Association. The math: body fat is ~87% triglyceride, triglyceride yields ~9 kcal per gram, so 1 kg of stored adipose tissue ≈ 1,000 × 0.87 × 9 ≈ 7,830 kcal. Rounded to 7,700 for simplicity. Useful for planning, but real-world weight loss includes water and muscle changes, so the scale doesn't move in lockstep with the fat math week to week.

Calculate your calorie deficit.

How macros add up to calories.

Energy per gram

Acceptable distribution (AMDR)

How distribution shifts by goal

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Calorie & macro questions, answered.