Calorie Calculator

Calculate your daily calorie needs (BMR and TDEE) based on your activity level and weight goal.

Age (years)

Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

Activity Level

Goal

Fill in all fields to see your calorie targets.

How to Use

Select sex and units

Choose metric or imperial and your biological sex for accurate BMR calculation.

Enter age, height, weight

Use current measured values for the most accurate result.

Select activity level

Choose how active your typical week is.

Set your goal

Choose lose, maintain, or gain to get a goal-adjusted daily calorie target.

How Many Calories Do You Need?

Your calorie needs are determined by your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the energy your body burns at rest — multiplied by your physical activity level to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Eating at your TDEE maintains your weight; a deficit causes fat loss; a surplus enables muscle gain.

Real-World Examples & Use Cases

Evidence-Based Weight Loss Planning

Knowing your exact TDEE lets you set a precise, science-backed calorie target. A 500 cal/day deficit produces roughly 0.45 kg of fat loss per week — a clinically sustainable rate. Without calculating TDEE, generic diets are often too aggressive or too lenient for your specific metabolism and activity level.

Muscle Building (Bulking)

Gaining lean muscle requires a modest caloric surplus above TDEE, typically 200–500 calories. Too large a surplus leads to excess fat gain; too small produces minimal results. Calculating your specific TDEE allows you to set a controlled lean bulk target.

Nutrition App Integration

Apps like MyFitnessPal and Cronometer require a daily calorie target as the baseline for tracking. This calculator provides the TDEE figure you need to configure your app's goal, making all subsequent macro recommendations contextually accurate.

Plateau Breaking

As you lose weight your TDEE decreases, causing weight loss to plateau. Recalculating TDEE with your new bodyweight reveals a lower calorie target needed to continue progress, explaining why the same diet stops working after initial weight loss.

How It Works

Mifflin-St Jeor BMR: Male: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) - 5×age + 5 Female: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) - 5×age - 161 TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier Sedentary: ×1.2 | Lightly active: ×1.375 Moderately active: ×1.55 | Very active: ×1.725 | Extra active: ×1.9 Goal adjustment: Lose fat: TDEE - 500 cal/day (~0.45 kg/week loss) Maintain: TDEE Muscle gain: TDEE + 300 cal/day

Frequently Asked Questions

Which BMR formula is most accurate?▼

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (used here) is considered the most accurate for most adults — validated in multiple studies as more reliable than the older Harris-Benedict formula. The Katch-McArdle formula is more accurate when body fat percentage is known, as it accounts for lean body mass directly.

How often should I recalculate my TDEE?▼

Every 4–6 weeks during active weight loss or muscle building. As your weight changes, your BMR changes. A person who has lost 8 kg has a lower BMR and TDEE than when they started, meaning a plateau is metabolically expected and recalculation reveals the adjusted target.

Why is my TDEE calculator result different from my fitness app?▼

Different apps use different BMR formulas (Harris-Benedict, Mifflin-St Jeor, or Katch-McArdle) and different activity multipliers. This calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor with standard WHO activity multipliers. Differences of 100–200 calories between calculators are normal and reflect formula variation.

What is a safe calorie deficit for weight loss?▼

A 500 cal/day deficit is considered safe and sustainable, producing roughly 0.45 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. Deficits larger than 1,000 cal/day risk muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies, and metabolic adaptation. Very low calorie diets (<1,200 cal for women, <1,500 for men) should only be followed under medical supervision.

Does calorie counting work for everyone?▼

Calorie counting is effective but imprecise — food labels have up to 20% error, and TDEE estimates have inherent variability. It works best as a guideline rather than an exact science. Combining calorie counting with protein targets (1.6–2.2 g/kg body weight) and weekly weight trend tracking produces more reliable results than rigid daily calorie adherence alone.

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