Calorie Calculator
Estimate maintenance calories from age, sex, height, weight, and activity. Compare daily calorie scenarios for mild, moderate, and extreme loss or gain in one table.
Calorie Calculator tool
About the Calorie Calculator
The calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor resting energy and a daily activity multiplier. It helps adults explore planning assumptions; results are estimates and not medical advice.
How Is Calorie Calculated?
The equations below describe the calculation. Use the units specified in each expression; results are rounded for display.
Male BMR = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5
Female BMR = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age − 161
Maintenance TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Loss targets = TDEE − 250, − 500, or − 1000 kcal/day; gain targets = TDEE + 250, + 500, or + 1000 kcal/day
Example
A 30-year-old male at 80 kg and 180 cm has BMR 1780 kcal/day. At factor 1.55, maintenance is 2759 kcal/day and moderate loss is 2259 kcal/day.
How to Use the Calorie Calculator
- Choose US customary or metric units.
- Enter your height; in US units, use whole feet and remaining inches from 0 to less than 12.
- Enter your age (20–120), sex used by the equation, and current weight.
- Select the activity level that best describes your usual routine.
- Read the live result and calculation breakdown; correct any validation messages.
- Use Reset to restore the sample values, or copy the result for discussion with a clinician.
Calorie Calculator Examples
Moderately active male
For a 30-year-old male, 80 kg and 180 cm, BMR is 1780 and TDEE at 1.55 is 2759 kcal/day. Mild gain is 3009 kcal/day.
Sedentary female
For a 30-year-old female, 60 kg and 165 cm, BMR is 1320.25 and sedentary TDEE is 1584.3 kcal/day. A 500-calorie reduction yields 1084.3, below the general 1200-calorie caution threshold.
What TDEE includes
Total daily energy expenditure includes resting needs, digestion, exercise, and ordinary movement. Do not add exercise calories again if the activity factor already includes them.
Practical use
Track trends rather than single-day weight changes and review nutrition quality, hunger, and performance. These estimates are not intended for children, pregnancy, lactation, or eating-disorder treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which activity factor should I use?
Use 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for light exercise, 1.55 for moderate exercise, 1.725 for very active routines, and 1.9 for strenuous training or physical work. These are broad estimates.
Are the low-calorie targets safe?
Not necessarily. Avoid going below approximately 1200 kcal/day for women or 1500 for men without medical supervision. These thresholds do not guarantee adequate nutrition.
Will a deficit predict exact weight loss?
No. Water shifts, metabolic adaptation, adherence, and changing body weight affect outcomes.
Should I choose extreme loss?
A 1000-calorie deficit can be inappropriate even if it remains above the general threshold. Discuss large changes with a clinician or registered dietitian.
Why is my actual maintenance different?
Activity categories are approximate and equations cannot capture every difference in body composition, health, or daily movement.