Updated · Built and checked by the PlinzoTools team, formulas tested against published sources
Calculate a target daily calorie intake for a controlled weight-gain rate.
2750 kcal/day
The mirror of the deficit calculator: this tool converts a weekly weight-gain goal into a daily calorie target above maintenance, using the same ~3,500 kcal-per-pound approximation.
Enter your maintenance calories (TDEE) and target weekly weight gain in pounds. Your target daily calories appear instantly.
Daily Surplus = (Weekly Gain (lb) × 3,500) / 7
Target Calories = TDEE + Daily Surplus
A controlled surplus (0.25-0.5 lb/week) tends to favor lean muscle gain over fat gain compared to a large surplus. Pair this with the Protein Intake Calculator and resistance training for a "muscle building" goal.
The calculator opens with a hypothetical maintenance of 2,500 kcal per day and a gain goal of 0.5 lb per week. The weekly surplus is 0.5 times 3,500, which is 1,750 kcal, and dividing by 7 gives a daily surplus of 250 kcal. The target is 2,500 plus 250, or 2,750 kcal per day. Raising the goal to 1 lb per week doubles the surplus to 500 kcal and gives a target of 3,000. Setting the goal to zero returns exactly your maintenance figure.
Target = TDEE + weekly gain x 3,500 / 7
Unlike the Calorie Deficit Calculator, this tool has no upper or lower safety cap and does not ask for your sex. It applies the arithmetic directly to whatever numbers you enter. That means the responsibility for a sensible goal sits with you: a very large weekly gain figure will happily return a very large calorie target. The gain field moves in steps of 0.25 lb and must be zero or higher, and the maintenance field must be greater than zero.
The calculation says how many extra calories would correspond to a target rate of weight gain, using the common 3,500 kcal per pound approximation. It cannot say whether that gain will be muscle, fat or water. That depends on training, sleep, protein intake, genetics and your starting point. Adults who are underweight because of illness, or people whose weight change is unintentional, should see a healthcare provider rather than use a calculator to plan intake. The same applies to anyone with a medical condition, a history of disordered eating, or pregnancy.
Real-world results vary, and the approximation works best over several weeks. If your gain is much faster or slower than the estimate, trust your measured trend and change the target by a small amount rather than making large jumps. This tool is educational only and does not replace advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.
A modest surplus (0.25-0.5 lb/week gain) is commonly recommended to favor lean tissue gain over excess fat gain; a larger surplus generally accelerates fat gain more than muscle gain.
Not necessarily -- muscle growth is capped by training stimulus and recovery, not just calorie availability; excess calories beyond what your body can use for muscle synthesis are stored as fat.
Yes -- monitor weekly average weight (not day-to-day, which fluctuates with water/food) and adjust your surplus if gain is faster or slower than intended.
No. It simply adds the calculated surplus to your maintenance figure, so keep your weekly gain goal realistic.
The tool returns your maintenance calories unchanged, since the surplus is zero.
Maintenance may have been overestimated, intake may be lower than you think, or the approximation may not suit you. Compare weekly averages and nudge the target gradually.
No. The tool needs only your maintenance calories and the weekly gain goal.
Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention