Calorie Calculator

This tool estimates the number of calories you need per day to reach your goals. It calculates your maintenance calories (to keep your weight stable) and can suggest adjusted targets for weight loss or gain. In short, it tells you how many calories you should eat each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight.

Using the calculator is simple:

1. Enter your personal details: Provide your age, gender, weight, and height.
2. Select your activity level: Choose how active you are (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). This helps estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
3. View your results: The calculator will display your daily calorie needs to maintain weight. If you're looking to lose or gain weight, you can adjust this number (e.g., subtract ~500 calories for weight loss or add calories for weight gain).

For example, a 30-year-old woman (65 kg, 165 cm) who is moderately active might get an estimate of about 2200 calories/day to maintain her weight. To lose weight, she could aim for around 1700–1800 calories per day.

Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), then multiplies it by an activity factor to find Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). The BMR formula is:

• Men: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age + 5
• Women: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age - 161 These formulas give the calories you'd burn at rest. We then adjust for activity (e.g., sedentary = BMR × 1.2, moderate exercise = BMR × 1.55, up to very active = BMR × 1.725) to get your daily maintenance calories.

Yes. Because of differences in body composition and metabolism, men generally require more calories than women of the same size. The calculator accounts for this with separate formulas for males vs. females (note the +5 vs. -161 difference in the BMR formula). For example, an average man usually needs at least ~2,000 calories daily to maintain weight, whereas a woman might need around 1,600. Your individual needs may vary, but sex is one factor in calorie requirements.

Absolutely. The calorie calculator isn’t only for weight loss. It first tells you your maintenance calories (the amount to neither lose nor gain). If you want to gain weight, you’d eat more than this number (a common approach is about +500 calories per day for ~1 lb/week gain). To maintain weight, you’d eat roughly the maintenance amount. The tool is versatile – whether your goal is losing, gaining, or staying the same, it provides a useful starting point.

A moderate calorie deficit is generally recommended for safe weight loss. Often, a deficit of about 500 calories per day leads to roughly 1 pound of weight loss per week. For example, if your maintenance is 2500 calories, consuming about 2000 calories daily could yield a ~1 lb/week loss. More aggressive deficits (e.g., 1000 calories/day for ~2 lbs/week) can work short-term but may be harder to sustain and should be done with caution. Always ensure you're not eating below healthy levels (see next question) and adjust based on how your body responds.

Eating too little can be dangerous. Most adults should not go below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,500 for men without medical supervision. Extremely low-calorie intakes can lead to nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and other health issues. If the calculator suggests a calorie target below these levels, you should reconsider your weight-loss rate or consult a healthcare provider. Always prioritize proper nutrition and sustainable habits over overly drastic calorie cuts.

Any online calculator provides an estimate based on population formulas. In practice, your actual calorie needs can vary due to genetics, muscle mass, medical conditions, and other factors. The calculator's result is a good starting point, but expect some trial and error. For example, if it says 1800 calories to lose weight but after a few weeks you aren't seeing results, you may need to adjust intake or activity. Remember, the formulas are guidelines, not guarantees. Monitoring your own progress and tweaking your calories is key. When in doubt, consult a dietitian or healthcare professional for personalized advice.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns at rest, just to keep you alive (breathing, circulating blood, etc.). Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is your total daily calorie burn after accounting for activity and exercise. In short, TDEE = BMR + calories burned from movement (or roughly BMR × an activity factor). The calculator first finds your BMR, then multiplies it by the appropriate activity factor to estimate your TDEE (maintenance calories per day).

Weight loss is fundamentally about a calorie deficit – you lose weight when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn. So yes, you can lose weight through diet alone if you maintain a proper deficit. Exercise is not strictly required for weight loss, but it is highly beneficial. Being active helps you burn more calories (so you can eat a bit more while still losing), supports muscle mass, and improves overall health. The best approach is usually combining a sensible diet (as guided by the calculator’s recommendations) with regular exercise for fitness and well-being. But if you can't exercise, focus on diet and you can still achieve weight loss.