CALORIE
CALCULATOR
Estimate your daily calorie needs for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
How Many Calories Do You Need?
Your calorie needs are determined by your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the total calories your body burns in a day, including everything from basic organ function to exercise and digestion. TDEE is calculated as your BMR (resting calorie burn) multiplied by an activity factor. To lose weight, eat below your TDEE; to gain muscle, eat above it; to maintain your current weight, eat at it.
Mifflin-St Jeor Equation
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, one of the most accurate BMR formulas for most people. Multiple studies comparing predictive equations against measured resting metabolic rate have found it performs better on average than the older Harris-Benedict equation. For very lean or very muscular individuals, a formula that accounts for body fat percentage, such as Katch-McArdle, may be more accurate.
The Formula
BMR (men) = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) + 5. BMR (women) = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) − 161. TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier (1.2–1.9). Example: a 30-year-old male, 175cm tall, weighing 75kg, who is moderately active has a BMR of about 1,699 kcal and a TDEE of about 2,633 kcal/day.
What Your Result Means
Your maintenance calories keep your body weight stable over time. Subtracting roughly 500 kcal/day from that number is a commonly used starting point for losing about 0.5kg per week at a gradual, sustainable pace. Adding roughly 200–300 kcal/day, combined with resistance training, is a common approach for supporting lean muscle gain. Very low intakes below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men) are generally not recommended without guidance from a doctor or registered dietitian.
Next steps: use the Macro Calculator to split your target into protein, carbs, and fat, or the TDEE Calculator for a more detailed energy breakdown.