Weight Loss Timeline Calculator

About this calculator

This calculator projects a weight loss timeline — the calendar date you'd expect to hit your goal weight — from your starting weight, goal weight, and a target weekly loss rate, starting from a chosen start date. It relies on the well-established rule of thumb that roughly 3,500 kcal of cumulative deficit equals about 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat loss, so a chosen weekly loss rate implies a specific, steady daily calorie deficit.

Health guidelines from organizations like the CDC generally recommend a safe, sustainable pace of about 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lb) per week, since faster rates are harder to sustain, more likely to cause muscle loss alongside fat loss, and more likely to trigger the rebound weight regain common with aggressive crash diets.

People setting weight loss goals use this timeline to set a realistic target date, check whether an ambitious deadline (like an event or vacation) is actually achievable at a healthy pace, and adjust their weekly rate up or down to see how it shifts the expected finish date.