Calorie Calculator
Calculate your daily calorie needs for weight loss or maintenance
Calorie Calculator
Be honest! Most people overestimate activity.
Our free Calorie Calculator determines exactly how many calories you need each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight based on your unique body metrics and activity level.
How to Use This Calorie Calculator
- 1Enter your age, gender, height, and weight.
- 2Select your activity level honestly.
- 3Click Calculate to see your TDEE (maintenance calories).
- 4Choose a weight goal (lose weight, gain muscle, etc.) to see your custom daily calorie target.
Understanding Your Results
Your TDEE is the number of calories you burn every day. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your TDEE (a deficit). To gain weight, you need to eat more (a surplus).
Frequently Asked Questions
Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories you burn in a day, including resting metabolic rate (BMR), non-exercise activity (NEAT), exercise (EAT), and digestion (TEF). It is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor (e.g., Sedentary 1.2, Active 1.55).
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the bare minimum energy your body needs to survive at rest (breathing, circulation). TDEE takes your BMR and adds calories burned from moving, walking, working, and exercising to give you a true maintenance calorie goal.
While creating a large calorie deficit (1000+ kcal) leads to faster weight loss initially, it is often unsustainable and leads to muscle loss. A safe, sustainable rate involves a moderate deficit of 500 calories per day to lose roughly 1 pound per week.
1200 calories is often cited as the minimum for women, but it may be too low for active or taller individuals. Severely restricting calories below your BMR can slow metabolism, cause nutrient deficiencies, and lead to binge eating. Always consult a professional before going below 1200 kcal.
The idea that calories eaten after 8 PM instantly turn to fat is a myth. Weight gain is determined by your total calorie intake over 24 hours (or weeks), not the time of day. However, late-night snacking often leads to excess calorie consumption out of boredom.
Macros are Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fats. While calories determine weight change, macros determine body composition. A common effective split for fat loss is 40% Protein (to preserve muscle), 30% Fat, and 30% Carbs, though personal preference is key for adherence.
If you aren't losing weight, you likely aren't in a true deficit. Common culprits include underestimating portion sizes, mindless snacking, overestimating exercise calories burned, or water retention masking fat loss. Use a food scale for accuracy.
You should recalculate your TDEE every time you lose significant weight (10-15 lbs). As your body gets smaller, it requires fewer calories to maintain itself. This drop in BMR is a major reason why weight loss plateaus after a few months.
Generally, no. Fitness trackers often overestimate calories burned by 20-50%. If you eat back all your exercise calories, you may erase your deficit. Instead, focus on your weekly average intake and adjust based on scale weight trends.
The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is considered the most accurate formula for estimating BMR in overweight and obese individuals, with an error margin of about 10%. Variations in muscle mass, genetics, and thyroid function can cause individual differences.