People with weekends
Friday takeout, Saturday brunch, Sunday dinner with family. A weekly budget plans for it instead of punishing it.
Feature · Weekly budget
A calorie budget for the whole week
A weekly budget takes the pressure off any single day. You see what you've eaten and how much is left for the days ahead.
In short
A weekly calorie budget is the sum of your daily targets over seven days. With a target of 2,000 calories a day, that's 14,000 per week. Eat 2,600 on Saturday and you have 600 fewer for the remaining days combined – and the week still stays on plan.
Weekly calorie budget
The number of calories you can eat in a week to reach your goal – for example with a 3,500-calorie weekly deficit for fat loss. It equals your daily energy expenditure times seven, minus your chosen weekly deficit.
Your week in Weekfuel
Monday to Sunday are stacked on one screen. Each day shows your meals, your target and a status:
- Green: on target.
- Orange: slightly over.
- Red: clearly over.
At the top you see how much of your weekly budget is left. A red Friday isn't the end of the world – it's just a bigger day that the others can absorb.
The math behind it
- Find your TDEE: BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) times an activity factor, e.g. 2,500 calories a day.
- Weekly expenditure: 2,500 × 7 = 17,500 calories.
- Pick a weekly deficit: for about 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week, roughly 3,500 calories.
- Weekly budget: 17,500 − 3,500 = 14,000 calories, about 2,000 a day on average.
Work out your BMR with the BMR & TDEE calculator and your weekly budget with the calorie deficit calculator. The weekly calorie calculator shows what's left mid-week.
Who it's for
Irregular schedules
Shift work, travel days, training days: when no two days look alike, a weekly target fits better than a fixed daily cap.
Anyone who's quit before
Lots of people stop tracking after one “bad” day. With a weekly budget there's no reason to.
Planners
Wedding on Saturday? Eat a little less in the days before and enjoy it without regret. The weekend calculator helps.
Limits worth knowing
A weekly budget isn't a license for extreme swings. Huge surpluses one day and starving yourself the next are neither pleasant nor smart. Spread bigger extras over several days and don't stay very low on any day. The 3,500-calories-per-pound rule is only a rough estimate – your real progress shows up in your weight trend.
Frequently asked questions
How big should my weekly calorie budget be?
It depends on height, weight, age, activity and goal. Calculate your TDEE, multiply by seven and subtract a moderate deficit, around 2,000 to 3,500 calories a week.
What happens if I go over my weekly budget?
Nothing dramatic. That week is maintenance instead of a deficit. Start the next week normally rather than punishing yourself with very little food.
When does the week start?
The week view lists the days from Monday to Sunday.
Is calorie banking the same as a weekly budget?
Almost. Calorie banking means deliberately “saving” calories on some days to spend them later. The weekly budget is the frame that makes it work. Read more in calorie banking explained.