Weigh yourself most mornings, average each week, and compare the averages. If the trend matches your goal, change nothing. If it hasn't moved in the right direction for 2–3 weeks, adjust your calories by 100–200. Start from the number in the maintenance calories calculator or the TDEE calculator, then let your own data correct it.
Step 1: Weigh the same way every time
- In the morning, after the bathroom, before eating or drinking
- The same scale, on a hard, level floor
- Similar clothing, or none
Daily weight can swing by a kilogram or more because of water, salt, carbohydrate, digestion and, for women, the menstrual cycle. That is why single weigh-ins mislead.
Step 2: Average each week
Week 2: 81.9, 81.7, 82.2, 81.5, 81.4, 81.8, 81.3 → average 81.69
Change: −0.47 kg. Day 3 of week 2 was higher than day 1 of week 1, but the trend is clearly down.
Step 3: Decide with a simple rule
| Goal | What the 2–3 week trend shows | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Lose | Losing about 0.5–1% of body weight a week | Keep going |
| Lose | Losing faster than about 1% a week | Add 100–200 calories |
| Lose | No change | Check tracking, then cut 100–150 or add walking |
| Maintain | Stable within about 0.5 kg | You have found your maintenance |
| Gain | Gaining about 0.25–0.5% a week | Keep going |
| Gain | No change, or gaining much faster | Adjust by 100–150 |
Step 4: Keep your food log honest
- Weigh food for the first few weeks to calibrate your eye.
- Log cooking oils, sauces, drinks and bites. They add up fast.
- Log weekends too. Two untracked days can erase a week's deficit.
Step 5: Turn the data into your real TDEE
With 2–3 weeks of food logs and weight averages, you can calculate your true maintenance: average daily calories minus (weekly change in kg × 7,700 ÷ 7). In the example above, if the person averaged 2,300 calories, 0.47 × 7,700 ÷ 7 ≈ 517, so their real TDEE is about 2,817. The full method is in how to find your real maintenance calories.
Track more than weight
Measure your waist every 2–4 weeks, and note how your training is going. If you are lifting and your weight is stable but your waist is shrinking, you are likely losing fat and gaining muscle. You can also re-check body fat with the body fat calculator.
Get your starting number, then refine it.
Open the maintenance calculatorFrequently asked questions
How often should I weigh myself?
How long before I adjust my calories?
How much should I change my calories by?
What if my weight goes up one week?
Keep reading
Sources
- Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837. PubMed 21872751
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Losing Weight: gradual, steady weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds per week. cdc.gov.