Calorie Calculator
The calorie calculator determines your daily calorie needs based on your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level. Returns calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, and muscle gain using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Free, metric and imperial, no account needed.
| Day | Schedule 1 | Schedule 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 2,655 | 2,580 |
| Monday | 2,171 | 2,647 |
| Tuesday | 2,171 | 2,459 |
| Wednesday | 2,171 | 2,159 |
| Thursday | 2,171 | 1,971 |
| Friday | 2,171 | 2,038 |
| Saturday | 2,655 | 2,309 |
| Day | Schedule 1 | Schedule 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 2,360 | 2,293 |
| Monday | 1,929 | 2,352 |
| Tuesday | 1,929 | 2,186 |
| Wednesday | 1,929 | 1,918 |
| Thursday | 1,929 | 1,752 |
| Friday | 1,929 | 1,811 |
| Saturday | 2,360 | 2,052 |
TDEE = BMR × 1.55 (Moderately Active)
How to use Calorie Calculator
- Enter your age, sex, height, and weight in the input fields.
- Select your daily activity level from the dropdown.
- Choose your goal: weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
- Your daily calorie target and BMR appear instantly.
- Use the result as your starting calorie budget for your nutrition plan.
How many calories should I eat to reach my goal
The number of calories you should eat per day depends on your goal. To lose weight: create a daily calorie deficit by eating less than your TDEE. A deficit of 500 calories per day leads to approximately 0.45 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. To maintain weight: match your calorie intake to your TDEE. To gain muscle: eat 100 to 300 calories above your TDEE for a controlled lean bulk. The daily calorie intake calculator returns all three target values, cut, maintain, and bulk, from a single calculation.
The calories to lose weight calculator also shows your minimum recommended calorie floor, below which nutrient deficiency and muscle loss risk increase significantly. For most adults, 1,200 kcal per day for women and 1,500 kcal per day for men is the practical minimum for safe dieting. Eating well below these thresholds without medical supervision is not recommended. The daily calorie intake calculator for women and calorie intake for men takes sex into account automatically through the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
Daily calorie intake calculator: macros and adjustment
After setting your calorie target with the calorie calculator, the next step is splitting that total into macronutrients, protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Use the macro calculator to set these ratios for your specific goal. Protein intake is the most important macro to get right because adequate protein protects lean muscle during a calorie deficit and supports muscle synthesis during a surplus.
How many calories to lose 1 pound is a frequently searched question. The answer is approximately 3,500 calories, the estimated energy stored in one pound of body fat. A daily deficit of 500 calories produces a weekly deficit of 3,500 calories, or approximately 1 lb of fat loss per week. As you lose weight, your TDEE decreases because a lighter body requires fewer calories to maintain. Recalculate your calorie needs every 4 to 6 weeks as your weight changes to keep your deficit calibrated.
Frequently asked questions
To lose approximately one pound (0.45 kg) per week, create a daily calorie deficit of around 500 calories below your TDEE. One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories, so a 500-calorie daily deficit produces a 3,500-calorie weekly deficit, equivalent to approximately one pound of fat loss. This is a sustainable rate that minimizes muscle loss. Higher deficits are possible but increase the risk of losing lean mass along with fat.
Yes. Men typically have higher calorie requirements than women at the same height, weight, and activity level because men carry more lean muscle mass on average, which is metabolically more active than fat tissue. The Mifflin-St Jeor formula applies a different constant based on sex: +5 for men and −161 for women after accounting for weight, height, and age. This difference typically produces a 100 to 200 calorie per day difference in BMR between men and women of similar body size.
The Harris-Benedict equation is an older formula for estimating BMR, first published in 1919 and revised in 1984. It predicts calorie needs from weight, height, and age, with separate formulas for men and women. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (developed in 1990) is generally considered more accurate for most adults and has largely replaced Harris-Benedict in clinical nutrition practice. This calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor for its superior accuracy in non-obese populations.
As you lose weight, your body becomes lighter and your TDEE decreases because a smaller body requires fewer calories to maintain. Recalculate your calorie needs every 4 to 6 weeks by entering your current weight into the calculator. This prevents the deficit from shrinking to zero as you lose weight, a phenomenon called metabolic adaptation that causes weight loss plateaus. New calculations should reflect both your new weight and any changes in activity level.