---
title: "Calorie-deficit tiers for weight loss"
method: GET
path: "/calculate/calorie-deficit"
tags: ["Energy & macros"]
---

# Calorie-deficit tiers for weight loss

`GET /calculate/calorie-deficit`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://myplate.food/api/v1`
- URL: `https://myplate.food/api/v1/calculate/calorie-deficit`
- Auth: none declared

Maintenance calories (TDEE) and up to three deficit tiers — mild (−250), standard (−500) and aggressive (−750 kcal/day) — with the realistic weekly rate each buys and a flag when a target dips below BMR. Adult equations: ages 18 to 120. A younger age returns 400; for a child or teenager use myplate-plan or dri, whose energy equations have child forms. weight_loss_targets lists only the paces myplate.food itself offers: a pace whose target is under 1,200 kcal a day for women or 1,500 for men (the low end of the calorie prescriptions in the 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS obesity guideline) is left out and named, without a figure, in weight_loss_not_offered. weight_loss_default is the pace the calculator page opens on and weight_loss_floor_kcal is the floor that was applied. In pregnancy and while breastfeeding no targets are returned, and weight_loss_withheld gives the reason (pregnancy or lactation).

Cites its source in every response: `source` (the formula + published reference) and `canonical_url` (https://myplate.food/calorie-deficit-calculator), plus a `disclaimer`.

## Query parameters

- `age` integer, required
- `sex` 'male' | 'female', required
- `activity` 'sedentary' | 'moderately-active' | 'active' | 'very-active'
- `height_cm` number
- `height_ft` number
- `height_in` number
- `weight_kg` number
- `weight_lb` number
- `pregnancy` 'not-pregnant' | '1st-trimester' | '2nd-trimester' | '3rd-trimester'
- `lactation` 'not-lactating' | '0-6-months' | '7-12-months'

## Response `200`

Calculation result with citation envelope.

- CitedResult: Calculation result. Shape varies by endpoint, but every result carries the citation envelope fields below alongside the calculator's own numbers.
  - `calculator` string, required: The endpoint name.
  - `inputs` object: The parsed, normalized inputs the result was computed from.
  - `source` string, required: The formula and published reference behind the number.
  - `canonical_url` string, uri, required: The matching myplate.food page.
  - `disclaimer` string: Present on health calculators.

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid or missing parameters.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/myplate/apis/myplate-food-nutrition-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/myplate/apis/myplate-food-nutrition-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/myplate/apis/myplate-food-nutrition-api/revisions/cb7ba731c59b?raw)