Weekly calorie budget

Turn your daily calorie number into a week, add in the bigger days you know are coming, and see what the rest of the week looks like.

Your details

Your week in calories

13,300

kcal across seven days

Your daily number1,900 kcal
2 bigger days at2,600 kcal
Other days average1,620 kcal
UK guide for an average woman2,000 kcal a day, 14,000 kcal a week (yours is 100 less a day)
Lowest sensible day for you1,200 kcal (NHS guidance for women)
This week so faradd what you have eaten and the days gone to see what is left

Bodies average things out over days, not hours. A bigger Saturday does not undo a week, and there is no need to make up for it.

The working

Seven days, one pot

Daily number times seven is your week. If some days will be bigger, we take them out of the pot and share what is left across the other days.

At 1,900 kcal a day, the week is 13,300 kcal. Two bigger days at 2,600 leave 8,100 kcal for the other five, or 1,620 a day.

A safety net

The floor still applies

If sharing out the rest would take the other days below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men), the calculator says so. Under-eating on weekdays to "save up" for weekends tends to lead to bigger weekends, not smaller weeks.

Part way through

What is left this week

Add what you have eaten so far and how many days have gone. At 1,900 kcal a day, 3 days at 6,300 kcal is 600 kcal over the pace, and 13,300 − 6,300 = 7,000 kcal is left: 1,750 kcal a day for the last 4 days. If the rest would fall under the floor, the calculator says so and suggests letting the week run over instead. Choosing the NHS 600 kcal a day for weight loss takes 1,900 down to 1,300 a day for women, or holds it at the 1,500 floor for men.

Why weekly?

Bodies average things out

Your weight responds to the average over days and weeks, not to any single meal. Thinking weekly takes the pressure off a birthday tea or a night out. Many people find it an easier way to plan their food.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Exact numbersCalorie counts on labels can be out by up to 20%.
HungerVery different days can leave you hungrier; listen to your body.
Medical dietsDiabetes and some other conditions need steady daily eating.

Questions

Common questions

Is it better to count weekly or daily calories?

Either works. Weekly gives more flexibility, daily gives more structure. Choose the one that feels less stressful.

Can I save calories for the weekend?

Within reason. Eating a little less on a few days to enjoy a meal out is fine. Skipping meals all week usually backfires.

What is a normal weekly calorie intake?

At the NHS guide, about 14,000 kcal for women and 17,500 kcal for men, though it varies a lot with size and activity.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If food feels hard

If counting calories leaves you anxious, guilty or thinking about food all the time, please stop and talk to someone. Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677, and your GP can help too.