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    Calorie Calculator

    Calculate your daily calorie needs (TDEE) and get personalized targets for losing, maintaining, or gaining weight

    Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs

    Powered by the Mifflin–St Jeor equation — the formula most recommended by registered dietitians for accurate metabolic rate estimation.

    Your Details

    Enter your stats to get your personalized calorie target.

    How it works

    The 3-step calculation behind your daily target

    1
    Calculate BMR
    Mifflin–St Jeor uses your age, sex, height, and weight to estimate calories burned at rest.
    2
    Apply Activity Factor
    BMR × your activity multiplier (1.2–1.9) gives your TDEE — maintenance calories.
    3
    Adjust for Goal
    Subtract 500 kcal to lose ~1 lb/week, or add 500 kcal to gain lean mass.

    What Is a Calorie Calculator?

    A calorie calculator estimates the number of calories your body needs each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight. It combines your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the energy your body uses at rest — with an activity multiplier to produce your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). TDEE is the single most important number for any nutrition plan: eat below it to lose fat, at it to maintain, or above it to gain muscle.

    The Mifflin–St Jeor Equation

    Published in 1990, Mifflin–St Jeor has been validated in dozens of studies as the most accurate predictor of resting metabolic rate in healthy adults — outperforming the older Harris–Benedict formula by about 5%.

    Men: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + 5
    Women: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age − 161

    Activity Multipliers Explained

    Sedentary (little or no exercise)×1.2
    Lightly active (1–3 days/week)×1.375
    Moderately active (3–5 days/week)×1.55
    Very active (6–7 days/week)×1.725
    Athlete (2x/day or physical job)×1.9

    Most people overestimate their activity level. If you sit at a desk and train 3–4 times a week, you're lightly to moderately active — not "very active."

    Calories for Loss, Maintenance, and Gain

    Lose

    Subtract 500 kcal from TDEE for ~1 lb/week. Keep protein high (0.8–1 g/lb) to preserve muscle.

    Maintain

    Eat at TDEE. Best for recomping, performance, and breaks between cutting or bulking phases.

    Gain

    Add 250–500 kcal above TDEE with resistance training for lean mass gain with minimal fat.

    Macronutrient Basics

    Calories determine weight change; macros determine body composition. A balanced starting split is 30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat — adjust based on training and preference.

    • Protein (4 kcal/g): 0.7–1.0 g per lb body weight preserves and builds muscle.
    • Carbs (4 kcal/g): Primary fuel for training and brain function.
    • Fat (9 kcal/g): Essential for hormones; keep at least 0.3 g per lb body weight.

    Calorie Calculator FAQs