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Calorie Calculator

Estimate the daily calories you need to maintain, lose, or gain weight using Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, or Katch-McArdle and your activity level.

years

Ages 15–80.

Gender
ft
in
lb

Mifflin-St Jeor is the modern default and most accurate for most people.

%

Used only by the Katch-McArdle formula; ignored by the others.

Maintain weight

2,515Cal/day

Mild weight loss (0.5 lb/week)
2,265Cal/day
Weight loss (1 lb/week)
2,015Cal/day
Extreme weight loss (2 lb/week)
1,515Cal/day
Mild weight gain (0.5 lb/week)
2,765Cal/day
Weight gain (1 lb/week)
3,015Cal/day
Extreme weight gain (2 lb/week)
3,515Cal/day
Maintain weight2,515 Cal/dayView results

Estimate how many calories you need each day to maintain your weight, plus the targets for losing or gaining at a steady pace. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, and BMR formula in US or metric units.

Formula

First your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is found with Mifflin-St Jeor (the default), Revised Harris-Benedict, or Katch-McArdle, then scaled by activity to get maintenance calories (TDEE). Choose Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) as the activity level to see BMR itself (factor 1.0). Mifflin-St Jeor:

Men:   BMR = 10·weight(kg) + 6.25·height(cm) − 5·age + 5
Women: BMR = 10·weight(kg) + 6.25·height(cm) − 5·age − 161
TDEE  = BMR × activity factor
Activity levelFactor
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)1.0
Sedentary (little or no exercise)1.2
Light (1–3 days/week)1.375
Moderate (4–5 days/week)1.465
Active (daily, or intense 3–4 days/week)1.55
Very Active (intense 6–7 days/week)1.725
Extra Active (very intense daily, or physical job)1.9

Weight-goal targets assume about 3,500 calories per pound: ±250, ±500, and ±1,000 calories/day (labeled 0.5 / 1 / 2 lb per week in US units, or 0.25 / 0.5 / 1 kg per week in metric).

Don't eat below roughly 1,200 calories/day (women) or 1,500 (men) without medical guidance, and avoid losing more than about 2 lb per week.

Examples

Man, 30, 180 cm, 80 kg, moderate activity

BMR is 1,780 calories. At the moderate factor (1.465) maintenance is about 2,608 calories/day. To lose 1 lb/week he'd target ~2,108, and to gain 1 lb/week ~3,108.

Frequently asked questions

What are maintenance calories?
Maintenance calories (your TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure) are the number of calories that keep your weight stable. Eat fewer to lose weight, more to gain. It's your BMR multiplied by an activity factor.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Roughly 3,500 calories equals one pound, so a 500 calorie/day deficit yields about 1 lb of loss per week, and 250/day about half a pound. Losing faster than ~2 lb/week (a 1,000 calorie deficit) isn't generally recommended.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the energy your body uses at complete rest. TDEE is BMR scaled up by your activity level — it's what you actually burn in a day and what this calculator reports as maintenance calories.
How accurate is the calorie calculator?
It defaults to the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate general formula, and also supports Revised Harris-Benedict and Katch-McArdle. Every result is still an estimate — real needs vary with body composition, genetics, and exact activity, so adjust based on how your weight responds.
Is it safe to eat very few calories?
Very low intakes can be unsafe. As a general floor, adults shouldn't drop below about 1,200 calories/day (women) or 1,500 (men) without medical supervision. Use the extreme-loss figure with caution.

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