How to use the calorie calculator
Enter your details and pick the activity level that best describes a normal week. The headline number is your maintenance calories, also called TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). Eating about that much keeps your weight steady.
The rows below give targets for gradual change. A daily gap of about 500 calories works out to roughly half a kilogram, or one pound, a week. These are estimates, so adjust after a couple of weeks based on what the scales actually do.
The formula
Resting calories (BMR) use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:
- Men:
10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5 - Women:
10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
Maintenance calories are the BMR multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9.
Worked example
A 30-year-old man who weighs 80 kg and is 180 cm tall has a BMR of 800 + 1,125 − 150 + 5 = 1,780 calories. With moderate exercise (× 1.55) he needs about 2,759 calories a day to stay the same weight.
This calculator gives a general estimate for adults. It is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or other qualified health professional about your own situation.
Common questions
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body uses at complete rest. TDEE adds the energy for moving, working and exercising.
How low is too low?
Very low calorie diets should only be followed with medical supervision. As a general guide, many health services advise not going below about 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,500 for men without advice.
Why is my result different on another site?
Sites use different equations and activity factors. Mifflin-St Jeor is widely regarded as one of the most reliable for adults.