Guide · Calorie deficit
Weekly calorie balance and weekly deficit, explained
One day tells you little. A week tells you a lot. Your weekly balance shows whether you're really in a deficit.
In short
Your weekly calorie balance is the energy you burned in a week minus the calories you ate. If it's positive, you have a weekly deficit. Example: 17,500 calories burned − 14,000 eaten = a 3,500-calorie weekly deficit, roughly enough for about 1 lb (0.5 kg) of fat loss.
Weekly calorie deficit
The difference between your energy expenditure and your energy intake over seven days. It's the sum of all your daily balances – big and small days cancel out.
Weekly calorie balance
Expenditure (BMR, daily life, exercise, steps) set against intake (food and drinks) for one week. Positive = deficit, negative = surplus.
The formula
Weekly deficit = (BMR × activity factor × 7) + extra movement − calories eaten that week
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| BMR × 1.3 × 7 | 1,700 × 1.3 × 7 = 15,470 calories |
| Extra calories from steps | + 2,000 calories |
| Weekly expenditure | 17,470 calories |
| Eaten Mon–Sun | − 14,000 calories |
| Weekly deficit | 3,470 calories |
Get your BMR with the BMR & TDEE calculator and pick a deficit with the calorie deficit calculator.
Why the weekly view is more honest
- Daily balances swing a lot. A 15,000-step day and a couch day can differ by 500 calories in burn alone.
- Eating swings too. Dinners out, birthdays – single days are rarely typical.
- The scale lags behind. Whether a deficit works shows up over weeks in your weight trend.
Weekly deficit and weight loss
| Weekly deficit | rough loss per week* |
|---|---|
| 1,750 calories | ≈ 0.5 lb / 0.25 kg |
| 3,500 calories | ≈ 1 lb / 0.5 kg |
| 5,250 calories | ≈ 1.5 lb / 0.75 kg |
| 7,000 calories | ≈ 2 lb / 1 kg |
*Rule of thumb: 3,500 calories per lb. It overestimates loss over time because your expenditure adapts (Hall et al., 2011).
How Weekfuel shows your weekly balance
Weekfuel adds up your meals across the week, converts your Apple Health steps into calories and shows your real deficit per day and per week. One red day doesn't turn the week red – the total is what counts. More on steps & deficit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my weekly calorie deficit?
Daily expenditure times seven, plus extra movement, minus everything you ate that week.
What's a healthy weekly deficit?
For most adults 2,000 to 3,850 calories a week (300 to 550 a day on average). More only with care and not for long.
Can I hit a weekly deficit with a surplus day?
Yes. A surplus day is absorbed by the other days as long as the total adds up.