Calorie Calculator
Enter your age, height, weight and activity level to estimate how many calories your body burns per day, along with simple targets for losing or gaining weight.
Calories per day
All values are kilocalories (kcal) per day; the loss and gain targets assume a 500 kcal daily deficit or surplus.
Activity multipliers used
| Level | What it means | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job with little or no exercise | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1–3 days a week | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Moderate exercise 3–5 days a week | 1.55 |
| Active | Hard exercise 6–7 days a week | 1.725 |
| Very active | Physical job plus hard exercise daily | 1.9 |
How to use
- Choose your sex and enter your age, height in centimetres and weight in kilograms.
- Pick the activity level that best matches your typical week, not your best week.
- Click Calculate to see your BMR, maintenance calories and weight-loss or weight-gain targets.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are these calorie numbers?
They are estimates. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation predicts the average needs of people your size and age, individual metabolisms vary, and the activity multiplier is a broad category. Treat the results as a starting point, watch how your weight actually responds over two or three weeks, and consult a doctor or dietitian before making significant diet changes, especially if you have a medical condition. These figures are not medical advice.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR — basal metabolic rate — is the energy your body spends at complete rest just keeping vital functions running: breathing, circulation and cell repair. TDEE — total daily energy expenditure — adds digestion, everyday movement and exercise on top. The tool estimates BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor to reach your maintenance calories.
Why does the weight-loss target subtract 500 calories?
A deficit of about 500 kcal per day corresponds to losing roughly half a kilogram — about one pound — of body weight per week for many adults. It is a widely used, moderate pace that is easier to sustain than aggressive cuts. Faster loss is rarely better: very low intakes cost muscle and nutrients and should only be attempted under medical supervision.
Do I have to hit the target exactly every day?
No. Think in weekly averages: being 100 to 200 calories above or below on a given day barely matters. What drives results is the average balance between energy in and energy out over weeks. Weigh yourself at consistent times, follow the trend rather than single readings, and adjust your intake gradually if the trend does not match your goal.
Does the formula work for children or during pregnancy?
No. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is designed for adults and does not account for pregnancy or breastfeeding, when energy needs change substantially, and it can be unreliable for very muscular people, teenagers and frail older adults. In those situations, ask a doctor or dietitian for an individual assessment instead of relying on a general formula.
Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising?
The activity multiplier already includes your typical exercise, so with this method there is nothing to eat back — adding exercise calories on top would count the same energy twice. Choose the level that matches your normal week and let the single TDEE figure absorb your workouts. If your training changes a lot, recalculate rather than adjusting manually.