🔥 Calorie Calculator

Use this calorie calculator to estimate how many calories you need each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, and goal to see a personalized daily calorie target.

Calorie results

Enter your details above and select Calculate Daily Calories to see your estimated maintenance calories and a daily calorie target for your selected goal.

Daily calorie breakdown for your inputs

After you calculate your daily calories, this section will show how the numbers are derived, including your BMR, activity multiplier, and calorie adjustment for your goal.

Calorie calculator inputs and key terms

These inputs help estimate how many calories your body uses each day and how your intake might affect your weight over time.

• Sex: Men and women typically have different body compositions, so the Mifflin-St Jeor equation uses sex-specific constants to estimate BMR.
• Age: Metabolism often slows with age. The equation adjusts for age when estimating basal metabolic rate.
• Height and weight: Used to estimate the size of your body, which strongly affects how many calories you burn at rest.
• Unit system: Choose imperial (feet, inches, pounds) or metric (centimeters, kilograms). The calculator converts everything to metric for the actual calculations.
• Activity level: A rough description of how active you are on most days. Higher activity levels increase your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
• Goal: Choose whether you want to maintain your current weight, lose weight, or gain weight. The calculator adjusts calories up or down from maintenance based on this goal.
• Target rate (lb per week): For weight loss or gain, this value sets an approximate weekly change. Moderate rates like 0.5–1.0 lb per week are more sustainable and generally safer for most people than aggressive changes.
• BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): An estimate of how many calories your body would burn in a day at rest, without additional activity.
• TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): Your estimated daily calorie needs once activity is factored in. This is your approximate maintenance intake.
• Goal calories: The daily calorie target that may help you move toward your chosen goal, assuming your inputs and activity level are accurate.

Formulas used in the Calorie Calculator

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and then applies an activity multiplier to estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

Mifflin-St Jeor BMR equation (metric)

For weight in kilograms, height in centimeters, and age in years:
For men:
BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
For women:
BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161

Activity factors for TDEE

TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Typical activity factors:

• Sedentary: 1.2 (little or no exercise)
• Lightly active: 1.375 (light exercise 1–3 days per week)
• Moderately active: 1.55 (moderate exercise 3–5 days per week)
• Very active: 1.725 (hard exercise 6–7 days per week)
• Extra active: 1.9 (physical job or very intense training)

Calorie adjustments for weight loss or gain

A common approximation is that about 3,500 calories correspond to roughly 1 pound (0.45 kg) of body weight. The calculator uses:
Daily adjustment = (rate in lb/week × 3,500) ÷ 7
For weight loss, this adjustment is subtracted from TDEE. For weight gain, it is added to TDEE.

These formulas provide estimates and cannot perfectly predict how every individual will respond. Metabolism, activity tracking, medical conditions, and body composition all influence real-world results.

Calorie Calculator FAQs

• How accurate is this calorie calculator?
  Calorie calculators provide estimates based on population equations, not exact predictions for every individual. They can give you a solid starting point for planning meals and tracking progress, but genetics, metabolism, sleep, stress, and medical conditions all affect your actual calorie needs. Use the numbers as a guide and adjust based on real-world results over time.
• What activity level should I choose?
  Pick the description that best matches your normal week. If you sit most of the day and rarely exercise, choose “Sedentary.” If you walk or exercise lightly a few days a week, “Lightly active” may fit. If you are unsure, starting with “Moderately active” and adjusting later based on your progress often works well.
• How fast should I try to lose or gain weight?
  Many health professionals suggest aiming for around 0.5–1.0 lb (about 0.25–0.5 kg) per week for most people. Faster changes can be harder to sustain and may increase the risk of muscle loss or other issues. The “Target rate” input lets you choose, but it’s best to discuss safe targets with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian.
• Should I eat my exact goal calories every single day?
  You don’t need to hit the exact number perfectly every day. It’s more helpful to look at averages over several days or a week. Small day-to-day fluctuations are normal. Focus on consistent habits, balanced meals, and overall trends in weight and how you feel.
• Why might my real results differ from what the calculator predicts?
  Real life is more complex than any formula. Under- or overestimating activity, untracked snacks, changes in water retention, hormones, and medical conditions can all shift your results. If you’re not seeing the changes you expect after a few weeks, adjust your calories slightly or check in with a professional.
• Should I use calories, macros, or both?
  Calories determine overall energy balance, while macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) shape how those calories support muscle, performance, and satiety. Many people start with a calorie target and then use a macro calculator to break that goal into specific gram targets for protein, carbs, and fats.