Calorie Calculator

Calorie Targets Made Practical: From BMR to Daily Meals

Calories are the fuel behind every choice your body makes—breathing, thinking, moving, training, and recovering. A good calorie estimate helps you plan meals with confidence and adjust intake based on your goals. The calculator above uses a widely accepted approach: estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) from personal stats, scale it by activity to get total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), and then modify that number to lose or gain at a pace you choose. The result is not a rigid prescription, but a practical starting point you can refine with progress.

What BMR really represents

BMR is the energy your body needs at rest to keep essential systems running—brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and so on. You can think of it as the “idling speed” of your body’s engine. The Mifflin–St Jeor equation predicts BMR from age, sex, height, and weight. It’s a strong baseline for most people because it was developed on modern populations and tends to produce realistic numbers compared to older formulas in typical daily life.

Why activity multipliers matter

Two people with the same BMR can burn very different amounts of energy depending on daily movement and training. Activity multipliers adjust BMR to reflect steps, chores, commuting, recreational activities, and structured exercise. Choose the description that best fits the last couple of weeks, not just one very busy or very quiet day.

• Sedentary (1.2): Mostly sitting, minimal purposeful exercise.
• Light (1.375): Light activity or 1–3 short workouts per week.
• Moderate (1.55): Regular movement or 3–5 medium workouts per week.
• Active (1.725): Physical job or 5–7 intense workouts per week.
• Very Active (1.9): Manual labor and frequent intense training.

Choosing a goal and pace you can sustain

Whether you aim to lose, maintain, or gain, the most important factor is sustainability. Fast changes can be motivating, but they are harder to maintain and may impact energy, appetite, and training quality. The daily calorie adjustment is computed from the energy content of tissue: roughly 3,500 kcal per pound or 7,700 kcal per kilogram. For example, a 0.5 lb weekly loss corresponds to a daily deficit of about 250 kcal.

• Mild loss (0.25 lb / 0.1 kg per week): Gentle approach that preserves performance and reduces hunger.
• Moderate loss (0.5 lb / 0.25 kg per week): Common starting point for many adults.
• Faster loss (0.75–1.0 lb per week): Short-term option for some, but harder to sustain.
• Gain: Small surpluses (e.g., 0.25–0.5 lb per week) typically support muscle gain while limiting excess fat.

Macros: turning calories into food

Once you have a calorie target, the next decision is how to split it across protein, carbs, and fat. There’s no single perfect ratio for everyone, but common presets work well for many goals. Protein supports muscle repair and satiety; carbs support training and daily activity; fats support hormones and cell health.

• Balanced: 30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbs—simple and versatile.
• Higher Protein: 35% protein, 25% fat, 40% carbs—extra satiety and support for resistance training.
• Lower Carb: 30% protein, 35% fat, 35% carbs—an option for those who prefer fewer carbs.

To translate calories to grams: protein and carbs provide ~4 kcal per gram, fats ~9 kcal per gram. For instance, if your target is 2,200 kcal on the Balanced preset, protein calories are 660 kcal (165 g), fats are 660 kcal (~73 g), and carbs are 880 kcal (220 g).

Example walk-through

Imagine a 35-year-old woman, 165 cm, 68 kg, who trains three to four days a week. Her BMR via Mifflin–St Jeor is around 1,430 kcal/day. With a “Moderate” activity factor (1.55), her TDEE is about 2,220 kcal/day. If she selects a modest fat-loss pace of 0.25 kg per week, the daily deficit is roughly 275 kcal, so her target becomes ~1,945 kcal. On the Balanced preset, that’s ~146 g protein, ~65 g fat, and ~194 g carbs. She tracks for two to three weeks and adjusts based on the trend.

How to assess progress

• Use averages: Daily scale weight can bounce. Compare weekly averages instead of single readings.
• Measure circumferences: Waist, hips, and other sites add context beyond the scale.
• Track performance: Strength, endurance, and recovery help you judge if intake supports training.
• Energy & appetite: Persistent low energy or excessive hunger may call for a smaller deficit or more sleep.
• Photos: Same lighting and pose each time help you spot changes body measurements miss.

Common pitfalls (and easy fixes)

• Inconsistent logging: If you track, be consistent with portion sizes and cooking methods.
• Weekend swings: Large weekend surpluses can erase weekday deficits. Plan ahead with flexible meals.
• Over-correcting: Don’t slash calories after one high-calorie day; resume your plan and evaluate weekly averages.
• Ignoring sleep: Poor sleep raises hunger and lowers training quality. Aim for 7–9 hours.
• Under-estimating activity: Step count, chores, and errands vary—consider a ballpark average.

This information is for education only and is not medical or nutrition advice. If you have a medical condition, consult a qualified professional before making changes.