Calorie Calculator
Calculate your daily calorie needs based on your age, weight, height, activity level, and goals.
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About Calorie Calculation
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions while at complete rest. This includes breathing, circulating blood, cell production, nutrient processing, and maintaining body temperature.
Your BMR represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning at rest. It doesn't account for any activities, including sitting, standing, or exercising.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including all activities. Your TDEE accounts for:
- BMR: Your basal metabolic rate
- Physical activity: Exercise and daily movement
- TEF: Thermic effect of food (calories burned digesting food)
- NEAT: Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (fidgeting, standing, etc.)
To maintain your current weight, you should consume approximately the same number of calories as your TDEE.
This calculator uses several scientifically validated formulas to estimate your calorie needs:
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Mifflin-St Jeor Equation (Default)
The most recent and accurate formula for the general population:
For men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5
For women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161
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Harris-Benedict Equation (Revised)
An older but still widely used formula:
For men: BMR = (13.397 × weight in kg) + (4.799 × height in cm) - (5.677 × age in years) + 88.362
For women: BMR = (9.247 × weight in kg) + (3.098 × height in cm) - (4.330 × age in years) + 447.593
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Katch-McArdle Formula
Accounts for lean body mass using body fat percentage:
BMR = 370 + (21.6 × Lean Body Mass in kg)
Where: Lean Body Mass = Weight in kg × (1 - Body Fat % / 100)
After calculating BMR, we multiply by an activity factor to determine TDEE:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR × 1.2
- Lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR × 1.375
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR × 1.55
- Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR × 1.725
- Super active (very hard exercise & physical job): BMR × 1.9
The calculator provides three key results:
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BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
This is your body's baseline calorie needs. It's not recommended to eat below your BMR for extended periods, as it can slow metabolism and lead to nutritional deficiencies.
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TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)
These are the calories you need to maintain your current weight. This is your maintenance level.
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Goal-Based Calories
Depending on whether you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight, this number adjusts your TDEE accordingly:
- For weight loss: TDEE - deficit (typically 500-1000 calories/day)
- For weight maintenance: Equal to TDEE
- For weight gain: TDEE + surplus (typically 250-500 calories/day)
Important notes:
- These calculations are estimates and may need adjustment based on your individual response.
- For weight loss, it's generally not recommended to lose more than 1-2 pounds (0.5-1 kg) per week for sustainable results.
- Women should typically not consume less than 1200 calories/day and men not less than 1500 calories/day unless supervised by a healthcare professional.