Weight goal calculator
Updated on 18 September 2026
The tool estimates the time to reach your target weight at a weekly pace. Healthy loss pace: 0.25 to 0.75 kg/week. One kilo of fat ≈ 7,700 kcal, i.e. ~0.5 kg/week for a deficit of about 500 kcal/day.
Losing or gaining weight takes time, and setting a realistic deadline avoids a lot of discouragement. This tool estimates the time needed to reach your goal at the weekly pace you choose. Spoiler: sustainable always beats fast.
Enter your current weight and a different target.
Choosing a sustainable pace
For fat loss, a pace of 0.25 to 0.75 kg per week is the healthiest: it preserves muscle and holds over time. Going faster often loses muscle and regains the weight afterward. For a bulk, aim even slower to limit fat.
The tool assumes a constant pace, but reality fluctuates: some weeks stall, others surprise you. What matters is the trend over several months, not week-to-week variation.
Linking your goal to your calories
A weight pace translates directly into calories: losing about 0.5 kg per week implies a deficit of roughly 500 kcal per day, and gaining as much needs a comparable surplus. Set a realistic pace here first, then turn it into concrete targets with the calorie calculator.
Beware, loss is not linear: water, salt, the hormonal cycle and digestive content make the scale swing from day to day. Judge your progress on a weekly average, not a single weigh-in.
Going the distance
What decides success is not speed but consistency: a moderate pace held for months always beats an aggressive diet abandoned in three weeks. Pick a pace you can sustain without suffering or frustration.
Think about the after, too: reaching your goal is pointless if you cannot maintain it. Pair your transformation with strength training and enough protein to preserve muscle, and plan a stabilisation phase once you arrive.
Weight loss vs fat loss
The number on the scale doesn't reflect fat alone: water, glycogen and sometimes muscle mass move too. Early in a diet, part of the rapid loss comes from water and glycogen, which is why the first weeks often look more dramatic than what follows.
That's why waist measurements, photos and how clothes fit usefully complement the scale. A weight goal remains a practical reference, but the real target is almost always body composition: more muscle, less fat, not just a lower number.
Adjusting the pace along the way
Starting weight affects the achievable speed: someone with more fat to lose can often aim for a faster pace at first (up to about 1% of body weight per week), then slow down as they get closer to their goal, where the margin for maneuver shrinks.
If the chosen pace no longer holds after three to four weeks of serious tracking, adjust your calories rather than your patience: the calorie calculator lets you recompute a deficit or surplus suited to your new reality, without questioning everything.
Bulking goals: the same principle in reverse
For a bulk, the same logic applies in mirror: a moderate calorie surplus (roughly 250 to 350 kcal per day) allows you to gain muscle while limiting accumulated fat. Too generous a surplus doesn't build muscle faster — it mostly grows fat tissue, which you'll have to remove later.
Expect a gain of 0.25 to 0.5 kg per week at most if you're a beginner or coming back after a break; more experienced lifters often progress more slowly, since their muscle-building potential is already largely tapped. Here too, patience beats rushing.
Frequently asked questions
Why not aim for faster loss?expand_more
Too rapid a loss almost always comes with muscle loss, fatigue and a yo-yo effect afterward. A moderate pace, combined with enough protein and strength training, preserves muscle and gives far more lasting results.
How long to lose 5 kg?expand_more
At a healthy pace of 0.5 kg per week, count about ten weeks — a little more in practice, since loss slows over time. The tool estimates this duration from the pace you choose.
How many calories is a kilo of fat?expand_more
The rule of thumb is about 7,700 kcal per kilo of body fat. That is why a deficit of roughly 500 kcal per day corresponds to about 0.5 kg per week — in theory, since the body adapts.
Why does my weight stall some weeks?expand_more
Swings in water, salt and digestion often mask a very real fat loss. A one- to two-week stall is normal; only worry if the trend over a month does not move.
Is it better to lose fast or slowly?expand_more
Slowly, almost always: a moderate pace preserves muscle, holds over time and limits the yo-yo effect. Going too fast often regains the weight — and more — once the diet stops.
Why do I lose a lot the first week then less afterward?expand_more
The initial rapid loss is mostly water and glycogen, not fat. The pace then settles around your real fat loss, usually slower — that's normal and expected.
Should the pace differ based on starting weight?expand_more
Yes: the more fat you have to lose, the faster a pace you can aim for at first (up to about 1% of body weight per week), then slow down as you approach your goal.
Should my target weight account for muscle?expand_more
Ideally yes: a weight goal alone ignores body composition. Two people at the same weight can look very different depending on their muscle mass — keep that in mind when setting your target.
What if I'm not hitting the planned pace?expand_more
Reassess your calories rather than your motivation: a 100-200 kcal per day adjustment is often enough to restart stalled progress. The calorie calculator helps you recompute that figure.
Does the same pace apply to bulking?expand_more
The principle is the same but reversed: aim for a moderate surplus (250-350 kcal/day) and a gain of 0.25-0.5 kg per week at most. Going faster mostly grows fat mass, not muscle.
Does the pace change with training experience?expand_more
Yes: a beginner can often lose or gain weight faster than an experienced lifter, whose margin for progress is smaller. Adjust your expectations to your training age rather than a general average.
Track your progress, not just your calculations
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