Calorie Calculator — Daily Caloric Needs
Calculate your daily calorie needs based on age, weight, height, and activity level. Get personalized calorie goals for weight loss or gain.
Maintenance Calories (TDEE)
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calories per day
What These Numbers Mean
Your BMR is calories burned at complete rest. Your TDEE (maintenance) is total daily burn including activity. Eat below TDEE to lose weight; above to gain.
Mifflin-St Jeor Formula
BMR (male) = 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age + 5 BMR (female) = 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age − 161 | TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier
Activity Level Guide
Sedentary ×1.2 — desk job, no structured exercise. Lightly active ×1.375 — 1–3 casual workouts/week. Moderately active ×1.55 — 3–5 workouts/week. Very active ×1.725 — intense training most days. Extra active ×1.9 — athlete/physical job + daily training.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Your daily calorie needs depend on your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) multiplied by an activity factor. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation calculates BMR from your age, sex, weight, and height. Then multiply by 1.2–1.9 depending on how active you are to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
- A safe calorie deficit is 500–1000 calories below your TDEE, which produces 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lbs) of weight loss per week. Cutting 500 cal/day = ~0.5 kg/week loss. Never go below 1200 cal/day (women) or 1500 cal/day (men) without medical supervision.
- The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the gold standard: Men: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) + 5. Women: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) − 161. This represents calories burned at complete rest.
- TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier. Sedentary (desk job, no exercise): ×1.2. Lightly active (1–3 days/week exercise): ×1.375. Moderately active (3–5 days/week): ×1.55. Very active (6–7 days/week): ×1.725. Extra active (twice/day training): ×1.9.
- Published in 1990, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered the most accurate BMR formula for most people. Studies show it predicts resting energy expenditure within 10% for 82% of people, outperforming older equations like Harris-Benedict.
- One pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb/week, create a daily deficit of 500 calories. For 1 kg/week loss (~2.2 lbs), aim for a 1,100 cal/day deficit — though this is aggressive and typically only suitable for people with higher body weight.
- Maintenance calories = TDEE — the number of calories that keeps your weight stable. Eat at maintenance and your weight won't change. Eating above = weight gain; below = weight loss. Use this calculator to find your maintenance level, then track your intake for 2–3 weeks to verify.
- Calorie deficit = Maintenance calories − Calories consumed. A 500 cal/day deficit = ~0.5 kg/week loss. A 1,000 cal/day deficit = ~1 kg/week. Larger deficits risk muscle loss, fatigue, and nutrient deficiencies. Pair a moderate deficit with high protein intake to preserve muscle.
- This is your BMR — typically 1,400–2,000 calories for most adults. It accounts for 60–75% of total energy expenditure. The rest comes from physical activity (15–30%) and the thermic effect of food (10%). BMR decreases ~2% per decade of life after age 20.
- Calories burned = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours). MET values: walking 3.5, jogging 7.0, cycling 6.0, swimming 6.0. Example: 70 kg person jogging for 30 min = 7.0 × 70 × 0.5 = 245 calories. Add this to your TDEE for an accurate daily burn.