Calorie Calculator
Find out how many calories you need each day based on your age, height, weight and activity level. Get a target for losing, maintaining or gaining weight, with macros, on one screen.
How to use the calorie calculator
- Choose your sex and enter your age, height and weight. Switch to US units at the top if you use pounds and feet.
- Pick your activity level. If you are unsure, the lower level usually gives a more realistic number.
- Choose a goal: Lose, Maintain or Gain, and set a weekly pace.
- Your daily calorie target, BMR and macro split appear instantly. The table on the side compares every pace.
- If you know your body fat percentage, open Formula and body fat to use the Katch-McArdle formula.
How are daily calorie needs calculated?
Your body burns energy all day long. The energy used just to keep you alive at rest, for breathing, circulation and body temperature, is your basal metabolic rate (BMR), and it makes up most of what you burn. Add walking, work, exercise and digesting food and you get your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This calculator first estimates your BMR, then multiplies it by an activity factor to find your TDEE: the calories you need to keep your weight stable.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation
Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
This is the equation most dietitians use today, because studies found it the most accurate for the majority of adults. For example, a 35-year-old man who is 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall and weighs 80 kg (176 lb) has a BMR of 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 175 + 5 = 1,755 kcal. If he is moderately active (×1.55), he needs about 2,720 kcal a day to maintain his weight. Try it in the calculator.
Activity multipliers
| Activity level | Factor |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (desk job, no exercise) | 1.2 |
| Lightly active (light exercise 1–3 days/week) | 1.375 |
| Moderately active (exercise 3–5 days/week) | 1.55 |
| Very active (hard exercise 6–7 days/week) | 1.725 |
| Extra active (physical job, training twice a day) | 1.9 |
Calories to lose or gain weight
One pound of body fat holds roughly 3,500 kcal (about 7,700 kcal per kilogram). To lose 1 lb a week you need a deficit of about 500 kcal a day. For most people, 0.5–1 lb (0.25–0.5 kg) per week is a pace they can keep up; faster loss tends to cost muscle and energy. Without medical supervision, women are usually advised not to go below 1,200 kcal and men below 1,500 kcal a day, and the calculator warns you if your target drops under that. Example: lose weight at a steady pace.
Macros: protein, carbs and fat
Splitting calories into macronutrients makes it easier to plan meals. Protein and carbohydrates have 4 kcal per gram, fat has 9. A balanced split works for most people; high protein keeps you full while dieting and helps protect muscle. If you train regularly, 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight (0.7–1 g per lb) is a common recommendation.
Keep in mind that every equation is an estimate and can be off by about 10% for an individual. Track your weight for a few weeks and adjust the target by 100–200 kcal if it doesn’t move as expected. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 or have a medical condition, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian. All calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat a day?
It depends on your age, sex, height, weight and activity level. Typical ranges are about 1,800–2,400 kcal a day for adult women and 2,200–3,000 kcal for adult men. Use the calculator above to get your own number.
What is BMR?
Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body uses at complete rest just to stay alive: breathing, circulation, keeping warm. It accounts for roughly 60–70% of the calories you burn each day.
How big a calorie deficit do I need to lose weight?
A pound of fat is about 3,500 kcal, so a daily deficit of 500 kcal leads to roughly 1 lb (0.45 kg) of weight loss per week. Most people do best losing 0.5–1 lb per week.
Which BMR formula is most accurate?
For most adults, Mifflin-St Jeor gives the most reliable estimate, so it is the default. If you know your body fat percentage accurately, Katch-McArdle can be more precise, especially for lean or muscular people.
Is my data saved or sent anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Your last values are remembered only on your own device for convenience; press Clear to remove them.