Calculator
Calorie Calculator
Estimate daily maintenance calories from age, sex, height, weight, and activity.
Estimate daily maintenance calories from age, sex, height, weight, and activity. This simple tool runs in your browser and gives an instant estimate.
Result
Enter your values and tap Calculate.
How to use this calculator
Fill in the fields, tap Calculate, and compare different scenarios by changing the numbers.
Use results as general planning estimates only.
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How to use the Calorie Calculator
Estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) based on age, height, weight, and activity level; calculate a calorie target for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
Example workflow
Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. The calculator returns your estimated BMR and TDEE, plus suggested calorie ranges for weight loss or gain goals.
Common search topics
- daily calorie needs
- TDEE calculator
- BMR estimate
- calorie deficit for weight loss
Frequently asked questions
What is BMR and why does it matter?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest. It is the starting point for calculating your total daily needs based on how active you are.
Which calorie formula does this calculator use?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research shows to be more accurate for most adults than older formulas like Harris-Benedict.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A deficit of 500 calories per day below your TDEE is a commonly cited starting point, estimated to produce approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) of loss per week. Individual results vary — consult a registered dietitian for a personalised plan.
Does the calculator account for muscle mass?
Standard BMR formulas use height and weight, which do not distinguish muscle from fat. People with high muscle mass may find their TDEE is underestimated. Body composition tools give a more precise result.
Should I rely only on this estimate?
Use this as a planning baseline. Actual calorie needs vary with metabolism, health conditions, and daily variation. Track real intake and adjust based on results over 2–4 weeks.
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People also ask
How many calories do I need to lose 1 pound per week?
One pound of body fat is approximately 3,500 calories. A daily deficit of 500 calories below your maintenance level (TDEE) should produce roughly 1 lb of loss per week. In practice, loss is not perfectly linear — the body adapts to deficits over time, and water weight fluctuations can obscure fat loss. Most dietitians recommend tracking over 4-week averages rather than week-to-week.
Why do I stop losing weight even in a calorie deficit?
Several factors cause plateaus: metabolic adaptation (the body reduces energy expenditure in response to restriction), loss of calorie-burning muscle mass during dieting, increased calorie absorption efficiency, and unconscious reduction in non-exercise activity (NEAT). A diet break — eating at maintenance for 1–2 weeks — can partially reset adaptive thermogenesis and break a prolonged stall.
Should I eat back calories burned during exercise?
Fitness trackers and gym equipment systematically overestimate calories burned — often by 25–50%. Eating back the full estimate commonly leads to no net deficit. A common approach is to eat back 50% of tracked exercise calories, or to choose a higher activity multiplier in TDEE calculations and not separately add exercise. Experiment over 3–4 weeks and adjust based on actual results.
Real-world scenarios
Setting a realistic deficit without muscle loss
A deficit larger than 25% of TDEE significantly increases muscle loss, particularly without resistance training. For a person with a 2,400 TDEE, a 600-calorie deficit (25%) is the practical ceiling for fat loss without aggressive muscle preservation measures. Pair any deficit above 500 cal/day with 2–3 days of resistance training and adequate protein (0.7–1g per lb of body weight).
Calorie needs during pregnancy
The calculator output is a baseline for non-pregnant adults. During pregnancy, calorie needs increase by approximately 300–350 kcal/day in the second trimester and 400–500 kcal/day in the third trimester above pre-pregnancy maintenance. First trimester needs are broadly similar to pre-pregnancy. Use the base estimate as a starting point and adjust upward with your OB's guidance.
Estimating needs for a very active job
The activity multipliers are calibrated for leisure exercise, not occupational activity. A construction worker or nurse on their feet for 8–10 hours may burn 500–800 more calories daily than the "lightly active" category suggests. If the calculator output doesn't match your actual weight change after a 3-week tracking period, adjust by 200–300 calories and recheck.