Calorie Deficit Calculator

No, calorie calculators provide rough estimates. They are based on population averages and don’t account for all the individual factors that influence weight, metabolism and your health. The body also constantly adapts to changes in calorie intake and energy output, so no calculator can perfectly predict your actual calorie needs.

The calculator uses standardized equations to estimate your resting energy expenditure (the calories your body burns at rest) and adjusts that number based on your activity level to estimate your total daily energy needs.

The same approach is used to understand how to calculate calorie deficit, by comparing the calories you consume to the energy your body uses.

Your calorie needs can change over time with shifts in weight, muscle mass, activity level, age, health status, and even how your body adapts to calorie intake. 

However, you may consider recalculating your calorie intake when you notice changes such as:

• A change in bodyweight or body composition
• A change in activity level
• A change in health status or medications
• Feeling unusually fatigued, continuous hungry, mood changes or noticing other signs that your current needs aren’t being met

It’s important to remember that calorie calculators provide estimates. They can offer a general starting point, but do not account for your unique metabolic changes, especially as they change over time. Food type and overall lifestyle habits also play a role in long-term health. 

If you’re unsure if your calorie intake is appropriate, it is best to check in with a licensed healthcare practitioner, like a registered dietitian, for personalized guidance.

Not necessarily. While tracking calories can help increase awareness of your eating habits, it isn’t required for most people to achieve better health or a sustainable weight. In many cases, focusing on food type and quality, balanced meals, and mindful eating habits can lead to longer-lasting results.

Some people may find calorie tracking helpful at first to understand portion sizes and patterns in their diet.

A calorie deficit calculator provides an estimate of how many calories your body may need each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight based on details like age, height, weight, sex, and activity level. While it can be a helpful tool to understand how different factors influence your calorie needs, focusing on sustainable lifestyle habits is more important for long-term health.

Not necessarily. Calorie tracking can help some people understand portion sizes and identify patterns in their diet, but only focusing on calorie counting can become counterproductive. The types of food you eat — such as balanced meals, adequate protein, and limiting highly processed foods — often matter as much as calorie intake.

Yes, age can have a significant impact on your calorie needs. As people get older, changes in body composition, hormone levels, and activity patterns can affect the amount of energy the body uses at rest. This means that adults sometimes require fewer calories over time even if their weight and activity level stay the same, but often need to consume more protein in their diet. 

These changes can vary widely between individuals since genetics, body composition, health conditions, and lifestyle habits can all influence how metabolism shifts with age. If you’re unsure how age-related changes may be affecting your calorie needs, it can be helpful to consult a licensed healthcare practitioner for guidance such as a registered dietitian.

There is no single “ideal” calorie deficit that works for everyone. Maintaining deficits for a long time or maintaining a large deficit can increase the risk of muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and symptoms like low energy, irritability, or digestive issues. When the body is in a calorie deficit, it naturally reacts to protect itself and slow down further weight loss. Prolonged or excessive calorie restriction may also lead to rebound overeating or weight cycling. It may also result in alterations of multiple organ systems and physiological functions such as:

• Lower metabolic rate
• Impaired reproductive function
• Effects on bone and muscle health 
• Increased hunger
• Altered appetite-regulating hormones
• Reduced physical activity 

Additionally, calorie deficits are rarely sustainable long-term and only give you a general idea of your calorie needs. It’s often more helpful to focus on overall eating patterns and food quality/choices, such as limiting processed foods and eating adequate protein/fiber, rather than a specific number of calories, in order  to support your long-term health goals.

A calorie deficit diet works by creating a gap between the energy you consume and the energy your body uses. When your body doesn’t get enough energy from food, it draws on stored energy to make up the difference. Over time, this can lead to weight loss. 

Despite the common belief that weight loss is simply “calories in vs. calories out,” the process is far more complex. Many factors influence weight loss, including: 

• Genetics and hormones
• Sleep quality
• Stress levels
• Health conditions and medications
• Types of foods available
• Body composition, and more.

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The number of calories you need to maintain your weight depends on several factors, including:

• Age, sex, height
• Muscle mass
• Activity level
• Overall health

Since these factors and your body’s response to them can change over time, there isn’t a single number that applies to everyone. For many, it can be more helpful to keep track of eating patterns or signals like energy levels.

A healthcare practitioner, such as a registered dietitian, can help guide you through your caloric needs based on your health history and goals. 

Not necessarily. While a calorie deficit can lead to weight loss for some people, this is mostly in the short-term. For many people it isn’t sustainable in the long-term and for many, these approaches can slow metabolism, increase hunger, and contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food. Additionally it may not be healthy for some people, like those with certain medical conditions and pregnant patients. Many breastfeeding, elderly patients and children should also be cautious about calorie deficits.

Repeated cycles of dieting and regaining weight, also known as weight cycling or “yo-yo dieting,” are often worse for overall health. Everyone’s calorie needs and body responses are different, and what works short term may not support long-term wellbeing and can alter your body’s response to calorie intake and diets in the future.

For personalized guidance on weight management, it’s best to consult a registered dietitian or healthcare practitioner rather than relying on calorie targets alone.

Not exactly. Weight regulation is much more complex than “calories in, calories out.” There are many other things like hormones, genetics, sleep, stress, activity levels, health conditions, and the types of food consumed that play a major role in how your body manages energy and weight.

It’s also important to recognize that focusing on achieving your best weight, the weight that represents what is most healthy and sustainable for your body, rather than goal weight encourages long-term health and realistic lifestyle changes that support overall wellbeing.

Calorie deficits can support weight loss, but a deficit that’s too large can be unsafe. When you cut calories too drastically, your body may slow its metabolism and trigger changes, such as fatigue and increased hunger, to protect itself from what it perceives as starvation.Common signs that your calorie deficit might be too big include:

• Fatigue or low energy 
• Continuous hunger
• Mood changes
• Skin, hair, or nail problems
• Digestive issues
• Feeling cold

These are signals that your body isn’t getting the calories or nutrients that it needs to function properly. Most weight loss can lead to muscle loss, but overly restrictive caloric diets can also lead to a significant increase in muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies that may impair overall health and future wellbeing. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please chat with your healthcare practitioner.

A calorie deficit happens when your body uses more calories than you consume. Over time, this often leads to weight loss since the body draws on stored energy to make up the difference.

However, your recommended calorie intake is highly individual and depends on many factors such as body composition, age, sex, activity level, health status, and genetics. Additionally, long-term, your body reacts to the calorie restriction and so that can also affect body size and weight loss over time. As a result, calorie deficit calculators can provide rough estimates, but they’re not perfectly accurate and should not be relied on as exact measurements.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the estimated number of calories your body uses each day through basic bodily functions (breathing, digestion, etc.) and physical activity. 

A calorie deficit happens when you consume fewer calories than your TDEE. In theory, this gap leads your body to use stored energy to make up the difference. 

Both of these concepts are approximations. TDEE calculations are based on population averages and don’t capture individual factors or shifts in metabolism, activity, and health. Because of this, calorie deficits and TDEE should be used as general guides. 

Absolutely. Our online assessments have been designed to ask all the necessary questions required for diagnosis. We’ve worked with specialists to create an assessment process that can provide sufficient information for the healthcare practitioner to determine whether or not you are eligible for a prescription and craft an appropriate treatment plan.

No. Felix provides a faster, hassle-free way for you to get a treatment plan for certain conditions, but our service does not replace your primary care provider. For matters that extend beyond obtaining a lifestyle treatment safely and easily, we encourage you to consult your primary health practitioner in person — whether for checkups, personal health concerns, or to inform them about your current treatments or treatment plans.

Call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room immediately. Felix is not intended for medical emergencies. Once the emergency has been addressed or resolved, contact your prescribing practitioner to inform them of your experience as this may impact your current treatment plan.

Felix is Canada’s first truly integrated healthcare platform. We provide on-demand treatment for everyday health needs like weight loss, mental health, sexual health, and more. Founded in 2019, our digital-first approach to healthcare includes everything from diagnosis to prescription — all accessible from the comfort of home.

Treatment coverage varies greatly between different insurance plans.

The good news is that if you are covered, Felix can bill your insurer directly, and then process your treatment plan at no additional cost to you. We recommend that you upload your private and/or provincial benefit card during the online visit so that our pharmacy partner can apply any coverage you are eligible for before processing your treatment plan.

Insurance coverage for treatment plans through Felix doesn’t include the cost of your visit.

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Go to Billing where you can add or update your insurance information on file.

You will find the official receipt for your medication costs within your package from the pharmacy. This receipt can be used to submit a manual claim directly to your insurance/benefits provider. Future refills will be direct-billed directly to your insurance provider, once you have uploaded your insurance information from the Billing tab of your account.

The coverage you are eligible for will not be deducted until the pharmacy processes your refill, so the price you see in your profile is the estimated maximum medication cost before benefits. Once the pharmacy ships your meds, the actual cost will be displayed for the respective refill.

OHIP+ covers some birth control for eligible residents of Ontario who are under 25 years old and do not have private insurance. You can check if your birth control medication is covered here. Make sure to upload your Ontario health card during your online visit so our pharmacy partners can apply your coverage directly.

Medication coverage varies greatly between different plans, provinces, and has specific criteria that determine eligibility. For private insurance, we recommend contacting your benefits administrator with your details and the Drug Identification Number (DIN) and the drug name to determine your coverage.

For more details on provincial health plan coverage see below:

Alberta: Learn more about AHCIP here. Search for covered drugs here.

British Columbia: Learn more about MSP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Manitoba: Learn more about MHSIP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Learn more about MCP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Nova Scotia: Learn more about MSI here. Search for covered drugs here.

Ontario: Learn more about OHIP+ here. Search for covered drugs here.

Prince Edward Island: Learn more about Health PEI here. Search for covered drugs here.

Saskatchewan: Learn more about Saskatchewan Health Coverage here. Search for covered drugs here.‍

A Felix online visit is considered asynchronous since it is conveniently completed through a secure chat bases system. Currently, asynchronous visits are not covered by insurance or provincial health plans so you will be charged a visit fee, depending on the category of treatment you are requesting.

No. A visit with a licensed healthcare practitioner is required for all treatments currently provided through Felix’s service.

No. We use an asynchronous telemedicine model so you can complete your online visit in your own time and we save your progress so you can come back later to finish it.

If you are completing a visit in the mental health or weight loss categories, your healthcare practitioner may require a phone or video call to discuss your medical profile further during the assessment process.

Most assessments do not require a phone or video conversation. Once a prescriber has reviewed the info in your assessment they will respond to you via secure instant messages that you can access within your Felix account.  

If you are completing a visit in the mental health or weight loss categories, your healthcare practitioner may require a phone or video call to discuss your medical profile further during the assessment process.

After creating an account, you will complete a medical assessment for evaluation by one of the Felix healthcare practitioners. 

During your assessment, you will have the opportunity to send your practitioner questions via secure messaging.  

In most cases, practitioners will complete your assessment with secure messaging alone but sometimes they may determine you require an audio or video visit and/or further diagnostic testing to help determine the best treatment plan for you. 

If your practitioner has determined a prescription treatment is appropriate, they will approve your visit and write you a prescription. Our pharmacy will then ship your prescription to your home.

You’ll be able to message your healthcare practitioner if you have questions or want to make changes to your treatment at any time.

You can expect to receive a response from a healthcare practitioner within 48 hours of submission.  Delays may occur at high volume periods or over statutory holidays – we thank you for your patience and look forward to supporting you.

We are happy to facilitate requests for a release of your medical records with Felix to your primary care provider.

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Yes, your security is paramount to Felix’s mission. Personal health information provided during your medical assessment is strictly and legally confidential between you and the Felix healthcare practitioner.

Beyond that, all your account information (including the medical assessment, credit card, and shipping information, etc.) is also stored safely and securely. Felix is compliant with all federal and provincial health privacy legislation. It is our duty to protect your data with comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies to ensure it stays private and secure.

Read more on our Privacy Policy.

Yes! In Canada, only a licensed healthcare practitioner can write a prescription, and only a registered pharmacist can fill that prescription. We are supported by leaders in the Canadian pharmacology and specialized medical fields. Felix adheres strictly to all the regulations set forth by all applicable Colleges of Pharmacists and Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in which we operate.