I was browsing Reddit when I came across an old post with a link to a calculator - you input your details and the number of calories you're planning to eat daily and it comes up with a timeline for when you should hit certain weights.

https://www.losertown.org/eats/cal.php

I thought I'd share as I found it super accurate. I put in my starting weight and it calculated it would take me 12 weeks to get to the weight I am now (give or take 1lb) and I did indeed begin calorie restriction 12 weeks ago so it's worth a try if you're wondering how long your weight loss journey is likely to take! It also shows how your calorie deficit reduces as you lose weight which I also found really useful.

For a long time I struggled with setting realistic goals for myself when it came to lifting and dieting. I always considered myself just a few months away from my ideal physique. When it didn’t come as quickly as I’d hoped, I started to wonder if maybe something was wrong with me.

After doing a bunch of research that’s probably common knowledge to most people here, I found out that I was severely under-estimating the time it took for me to reach my goals. So I made a calculator and a spreadsheet to track my progress.

It’s helped me out so much I thought I’d make it a website to help others set realistic goals for themselves. I finished the calculator today and I hope someone finds it helpful.

I apologize as my language is mainly targeted towards men who are lifting, but women should be able to find it useful as well.

Timetoswole.com

UPDATE: Wow! Thanks everyone for the feedback, and I really hopes this helps.

Regarding metric: Sorry about that! In actuality, since the association between kg and lbs is linear, just plug in your kg numbers and it will work just as well for you. The pre-filled numbers are for lbs so make sure you change those as you go down. I’ll add a kg / lbs swapper in there for sure to alleviate confusion.

Regarding genetic potential: It’s true this calculator is a bit “dumb” in that if you say you want to achieve numbers that may not, theoretically, be possible, it will still give you a time. I could build in some limitations but I’d rather keep the calculations simple and just provide the user with as much information as possible to decide things for themselves.

Regarding negative numbers: I need to fix a bug where the calculator will give negative numbers in the case that you currently have more lean mass than your goal. If this is the case: congratulations! Also be sure and check that your BF% is correct as it’s really easy to underestimate this number.

Regarding massive times to goal: Don’t lose hope! Strength training is a huge time investment and will better your life in every way. Also note that if you are 25%+ BF% feel free to crank that fat loss number up. According to the articles linked, cutting is highly efficient as long as you are training for strength so you can lose 2, 3 pounds a week with minimal muscle loss so that should help.

UPDATE 2: Just updated the algorithm so if you’re already too swole or too skinny then it won’t spit out negative numbers (I hope). There is an edge where you’re right on the border of swoleness and cutting will drive you below your goal lean mass. I’m working on this now. Keep the feedback coming!

Hi CICO community. This may be a dumb question but I've just started calorie counting and I've established a weight loss goal - now I just need to figure out how to calculate how long it will take me to achieve the goal. Is there a tool to do this? I know it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose a pound but I've also read that initial weight loss can be more rapid and as you lose weight, you burn less calories, and I've heard about people plateauing and all that. I'm probably waaaaay over complicating it for myself, so any general advice would be appreciated! It will just help motivate me if I can tell myself every day "I'll reach my goal by ____ if I stick to ___ calories!"

If it matters - I'm not technically overweight by BMI standards, but I've put on 15 pounds since the start of the pandemic and I've gone up two sizes, so even though I'm still considered "average," I will feel much better when I lose 15 pounds to get back to the weight I had been maintaining effortlessly for years. Plus I definitely need to tone lol. Thanks again everyone!

Other programs tell you “follow this plan and you’ll hit goal weight by X date.” WW just gave me points and I go with it. So far I’m losing about a pound a week and breastfeeding so I’m not looking to lose it quickly or reduce food because I’m ravenous, but curious if there’s anywhere in the app that gives me an “end date”.

My TDEE is 1,877 calorie. (25 yrs old, Male, 5"4' height).

My Current Weight is 65.8 kg (145 lbs).

I want to lose weight down to 57.6 kg (127 lbs).

If my daily calorie intake is 1,377 (500 calorie deficit).

How many days before I can reach [from 65.8 kg (145 lbs)] down to 57.6 kg (127 lbs)?... that's 8.2 kg (18 lbs) difference.

I'm not sure how to do the math right here.

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My TDEE is 1,877 calorie. (25 yrs old, Male, 5"4' height).

My Current Weight is 65.8 kg (145 lbs).

I want to lose weight down to 57.6 kg (127 lbs).

If my daily calorie intake is 1,377 (500 calorie deficit).

How many days before I can reach [from 65.8 kg (145 lbs)] down to 57.6 kg (127 lbs)?... that's 8.2 kg (18 lbs) difference.

if 500 cal = 0.142 lbs (single day), so 18 ÷ 0.14 = 128 days?

So, I'm reaching the end of my journey before long. I'm eighteen pounds away now, but when you've gone from 248lbs to 168lbs, that doesn't feel like it's AS much. (Not to say that the last ones aren't a little excruciating, ahaha.) And I was wondering what happens from there. The obvious answer is to keep using the health habits you've formed and maintain your weight, but in which way? Do I continue with CICO forever? Do I loosen up slightly, but then tighten the reins when I notice myself slip? Like having a warning weight, for when it's time to get back on track.

I also feel a bit like maybe my goal weight isnt... Enough? I'm a 5'5 F and 20 years old, and my goal of 150lbs is technically considered normal weight, but only by ONE BMI point exactly. Am I not reaching for the stars enough? Hahaha. So, people who have lost and maintained their weight, what tricks have helped you? How did you start to maintain?

There are plenty of weight loss calculators, but I am not sure that they are taking future weight and calories into consideration. I want to know if I eat X calories, how long will it take to get to my goal weight. Obviously, the loss will be more at the beginning and less closer to the goal. Is there one that will show my expected weight on each date in the future? I feel like I found one once, but now I can't find it... Thanks for your help.

Hi! I am 5’9” (and a half lol) and 33F. I’ve lost about 60 pounds! It’s been a long journey since March of 2020, and because of my weight loss I am now in remission from a rare brain disease (IIH, anyone?).

I started at 260 and am now hovering around 200… tbh I think I look pretty good (I gained muscle and my body shape is more defined/hourglass-esque :) Losing weight now is super hard - I find I have to cut to like 1600 calories and still strength train, get my 10k steps a day. I’ve tried upping to 1700/1800 and will lose, just way more slowly! When I tried to do around 2000-2100 I gained (I got to 190 and regained 10 this way when I was trying “intuitive eating” lol).

Anyways, all this to say - how do y’all calculate your goal weight? The BMI seems outdated, and so many people I know are considered “overweight” by its standards but appear objectively thin…

I want to be really committed in April and hopefully this will be my last 5ish months of strict calorie counting and then I can ease into maintenance. I am thinking 175? 175 has always been this number in my head, but BMI says that is still overweight. I feel like it would be perfect for me, though?

Sorry for the long post - any perspectives are v appreciated 🫶

I was looking at a BMI calculator (I know BMI is bs, but anyway) and it said that my ideal weight should be around 130 at 5'6. I'm 48 now, and the last time I weighed that little was 30 years ago, when I was eating 800 calories a day and overexercising. So it's probably not a realistic goal for me now.

I'm thinking I'll just go with how I feel - I figure 20 or 30 pounds will make a big difference - but I don't have a specific number in mind. I'm just curious how y'all know when you've achieved your goal!

How long did it take you to get to your goal? Ultimately, how long did it take you to get in really good shape? I know it's a life long change but I am the most impatient person when it comes to anything. Why can't I just wake up tomorrow and be in the best shape of my life? I went through a horrible break up back at the end of December. I knew I had to heal mentally and physically, I had no choice, I was in a very bad place mentally. Well, fast forward 7 months and I am down 75lbs. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of myself, but I feel like I'm at a plateau and my body isn't changing. I could honestly say I hate my body more now than I did back when I weighed close to 300lbs. I weigh 225 now, a weight I haven't been since I was a Freshman in high school. I consistently maintain my deficit daily. I plug in 1842 every morning to my calculator and subtract everything I eat for the day. I lift every day, except some days I will take a Sunday off of lifting and just do cardio. I do 40 min of cardio after I lift every day. I feel like I'm doing all the right things, but the progress has slowed quite a bit. Do I need to change something up or is just the way it works? I am 38, 6'5, and weigh 225 currently with a new goal weight of 205

Started CICO this year and continuing until I achieve my goal weight, which according to Lose It! will be August this year. Part of weight loss journey of course is the fear of gaining back all the weight you lost. In theory, I should be eating my maintenance calories when I achieve my goal weight. But the thought of tracking calories forever seems sad to me and hence my question of how long will you guys track your calories? Will it be until you reach your goal weight or even until after?

Hi everyone! About two weeks ago, someone posted a link to a weight loss calculator that projected my weight loss weekly for about 6 months. I entered my age, weight, and the number of calories I eat daily and it helped me to see where I should be in about 2 weeks, 1 months, 3 months, etc. Anyone know the link to that site or know what I am talking about?