OpenTube

The ONLY CALORIE DEFICIT Calculator You Need In 2026 (STOP Guessing!)

Michelle Roots Fitness & Nutrition Coach

11,858 views

Ready to lose fat, build muscle & stay consistent? Join my coaching community LIFT You here: https://www.michelleroots.com/work-wi....
If you’re tired of guessing your calories and not seeing results, this video breaks down the ONLY calorie deficit calculator you need in 2026. In this video, I’ll show you exactly how to calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) step by step, and then how to create the right calorie deficit using percentages instead of random numbers, so you can lose fat without destroying your metabolism.

I’ll cover:
How to calculate TDEE accurately
How to calculate a calorie deficit for weight loss
The difference between weight loss vs body recomposition
Why your calorie deficit should look different depending on your goal
How aggressive your deficit should be (and when it’s too much)
How to track progress for fat loss vs body recomposition
Why the scale alone is NOT the best progress tracker

Whether your goal is fat loss, weight loss, or body recomposition, this calorie deficit calculator approach removes the guesswork and helps you make adjustments based on real data, not diet culture rules. If you want sustainable fat loss, better energy, and long-term results, this is the calorie deficit method you need in 2026.

**************************************

If you’re ready for more support beyond YouTube, I’d love to have you inside my LIFT You CommunityYou’ll get access to my coaching, accountability, and my app with workouts, habit tracking, and nutrition guidance. Join here: https://michelleroots.com/work-with-me/

Join My CORE IN 4: Core & Pelvic Floor Strengthening Program HERE https://www.michelleroots.com/corein4

MORE INFO ON MY ONLINE TRAINING PLANS, NUTRITION COACHING, AND ACCESS TO MY FITNESS APP
https://michelleroots.com/work-with-me/

TDEE CALCULATOR
https://www.calculator.net/tdee-calcu...

8 WEEK STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BEGINNERS (3 DAY & 4 DAY SPLIT)
https://michelleroots.com/work-with-me/

FREE HIGH PROTEIN FOODS CHEAT SHEET
https://www.michelleroots.com/free-gu...

PROTEIN POWDER AND SUPPLEMENTS I USE AND RECOMMEND
https://1stphorm.com/products/phormul...

FLOURISH PROTEIN PANCAKE MIX
https://flourish.rfrl.co/72884

CHECK OUT MY OTHER YOUTUBE CHANNEL WITH EXERCISE TUTORIALS & WORKOUTS
‪@LiftWithMichelle‬

**************************************

CONNECT WITH ME:
Website: http://www.MichelleRoots.com & http://www.Core-Condition.com
Instagram: Instagram: michellerootsfit
TikTok: TikTok: michellerootsfitness
Facebook: Facebook: MichelleRootsFit
Twitter: Twitter: CoreCondition

DISCLAIMER: Please always check with a medical professional before following any health & fitness advice including mine. These videos are for educational purposes only.

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
Note: this description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. While this channel may earn minimal sums when the viewer uses the links, the viewer is in NO WAY obligated to use these links. Thank you for your support!

Train 4 Life & Be Ready 4 Anything
Michelle

The ONLY CALORIE DEFICIT Calculator You Ne...

20 Comments

@MichelleRoots Creator 7 months ago (edited) Pinned

If you’re ready for more support beyond YouTube, I’d love to have you inside my LIFT You Community You’ll get access to my coaching, accountability, and my app with workouts, habit tracking, and nutrition guidance. Join here: https://michelleroots.com/work-with-me/

@ambramari118 4 months ago

Did that … and my real maintenance is 1300, 11000 steps per day, 4 strength training session per week and 2x 2 hours sessions of rowing on the river per week… but yes I am just 1.60 m, 53 years…
To loose weight I need to go below 1000 calories and that what I managed to do with GLP1. I have lost 53 kg in 15 months and I am now stable at 53 kg (yes I was 106 kg !! I have lost half of my body weight)… but not my muscles because I have always done strength training and have 120 gr of proteins per day.
Calculators always gave me a theoretical TDEE that was way too high !

@barbaramartinez7871 3 months ago

At 4'9" I got 1123 as my TDEE maintenance calories with this calculator. Not much wiggle room.

@dawnrsng 2 months ago

These are such good video, I realized I was undereating my alot!

@swan11112 7 months ago (edited)

After this video AND using the TDEE calculator that was recommended, I just learned that I've been eating way over my maintenance calories this whole time! 😱🤯 I want to recomp but I need this belly fat gone by the summer (that's all I have)! I will adjust my numbers on my tracking app to weight loss for now then go from there. Thank you for this information. ❤

@amymaclean9670 7 months ago

It’s so hard for petite ladies I find because half the internet tells us 1200 calorie deficits are wrong and too low then the other half tells us to do 20% our TDEE which is 1250 calories lol

@LindaEmm 7 months ago

Excellent video, you make the complicated, simple - thank you!!!!!!

@ToniRuns26.2 7 months ago

I have always used the moderate activity. I do have a desk job, but I lift weights 5 days a week and walk/run 6 days a week. This is such a helpful video. Appreciate it so much!

@JGirl.7 6 months ago

Wow! This was extremely helpful. Thank you!

@Knitandsew0062 7 months ago

I appreciate your videos, they are informative and concise. I have been stuck and gaining lately, so I needed this encouragement. Thank you!

@TeresaSvk 3 days ago

What should i put as my activity level? I walk everyday 15 000-20 000 steps, during 8h shift. Then i do weightlifting 5x per week. Plus some cycling once a week

@deniseschlosser1166 7 months ago

As always, great information about calorie deficit and how to figure a specific one for me
Thank you! 💪

@LuvmyPoodle 6 months ago

Extremely helpful ty

@user-c4f7m 7 months ago

Another quality, to the point video. Thx Michelle. Am in the body recomp process which is going well but the progress is harder to track (I don't do the progress photos or measurements...😂). My weight has been stable, maybe 1-2lb less than 4mo ago, but gym gains are incredible. So I'm just assuming recomposition is happening...But I will add progress photos after seeing this vid

@angelhealth90 7 months ago

Thanks for this video. Was really helpful. Just a couple of questions. What happens after I start really building muscle and need to maintain that if doing a body recomp? Muscle is metabolically active and needs more fuel to maintain. How do I know when to adjust my calorie intake ?