Calorie Calculator
Work out how many calories you need per day to maintain, lose or gain weight, along with your basal metabolic rate.
Calories per day
1,997 kcal
Basal metabolic rate
1,427 kcal
Maintenance calories
1,997 kcal
Please note: The result is an estimate and has been rounded. Actual costs and values may differ, and no rights can be derived from this calculation.
An estimate with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for healthy adults. Not for children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or in case of illness.
How this number is calculated
The blocks use your input. Change a value above and they update with it.
Step 1 · Basal metabolic rate
Step 2 · Maintenance calories
Step 3 · Less or more per day
Step 4 · Calories per day
How the calculation works
Work out how many calories you need per day to maintain, lose or gain weight. The calculator uses your sex, age, height, weight and how active you are.
First the calculator estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR): what your body uses per day at rest. It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a widely used estimate for adults. That value is multiplied by an activity factor, the physical activity level (PAL): 1.4 for light, 1.6 for moderate, 1.8 for active and 2.0 for very active, in line with the FAO/WHO/UNU ranges. The result is your maintenance calories, also called TDEE. To lose weight, 500 kcal a day is taken off, but not below 1,500 kcal for women and 1,800 kcal for men: a cautious floor, the upper end of the daily ranges in the US AHA/ACC/TOS guideline. To gain weight, 500 kcal is added.
Formula
BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5 for men, or − 161 for women. Maintenance = BMR × activity factor (1.4, 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0). Lose weight: 500 kcal less, not below 1,500 (women) or 1,800 (men). Gain weight: 500 kcal more.
Assumptions
- The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is meant for healthy adults. For most people the measured BMR is within 10% of the estimate, but not for everyone.
- Muscle mass is not counted separately: with a lot of muscle you burn more than the estimate, with little muscle less.
- The activity factors are physical activity levels (PAL), a rough category. Your actual energy use varies from day to day.
- 500 kcal a day less or more stands for roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week, because a kilogram of body fat holds about 7,700 kcal. In practice it often goes slower.
- Not meant for children and teenagers, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or in case of illness.
Example calculations
The button fills in the calculator above, so you can carry on from there.
-
Maintain weight
Calories per day
1,997 kcal
Female · Age (years) 35 · Height 170 cm · Weight 70 kg · Light: desk job, little exercise · Maintain
-
Lose weight
Calories per day
2,348 kcal
Male · Age (years) 40 · Height 180 cm · Weight 85 kg · Moderate: on your feet a lot, or regular exercise · Lose weight
-
Gain weight
Calories per day
2,858 kcal
Female · Age (years) 28 · Height 165 cm · Weight 58 kg · Active: lots of exercise or a physical job · Gain weight
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BMR and maintenance calories?
Your BMR is what your body uses lying still all day: for breathing, heartbeat and body temperature. Maintenance calories (TDEE) add everything you do on top of that. For a 35-year-old woman of 170 cm and 70 kg, the BMR is 1,427 kcal and maintenance at a light activity level is 1,997 kcal.
Which activity level should I choose?
Choose what fits a normal week, work and exercise together. An office job with little exercise is light; regular exercise or a lot of walking is moderate. If you are between two levels, pick the lower one: most people overestimate how active they are.
How fast will I lose weight with 500 kcal a day less?
In theory about 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week. In practice it is often slower, because your body adapts and you burn less as you get lighter. Recalculate your needs after losing a few kilograms or pounds.
Why does the result not go below 1,500 or 1,800 kcal?
With less it is hard to get enough nutrients. The calculator keeps a cautious floor of 1,500 kcal for women and 1,800 kcal for men, the upper end of the daily ranges in the AHA/ACC/TOS guideline and the limit the Dutch Nutrition Centre uses. If you want to lose weight faster or lose a lot, talk to your doctor or a dietitian.
How exact is the result?
It is an estimate. For most people the measured BMR is within 10% of the equation, but muscle mass, genetics and health make a difference. Track your weight for a few weeks and adjust your calories if needed.
Sources and checks
Sources
- A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals
- Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review
- What is the required energy deficit per unit weight loss?
- Human energy requirements: report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation, chapter 5
How we check it
This calculator has 13 fixed checks: 9 calculations with a result that is fixed in advance, and 4 cases of invalid input that must be rejected. They all run automatically every time we publish; if one fails, the calculator does not go live.
See the calculations
- Female · Age (years) 35 · Height 170 cm · Weight 70 kg · Light: desk job, little exercise · Maintain → Calories per day 1,997 kcal
- Male · Age (years) 40 · Height 180 cm · Weight 85 kg · Moderate: on your feet a lot, or regular exercise · Lose weight → Calories per day 2,348 kcal
- Female · Age (years) 28 · Height 165 cm · Weight 58 kg · Active: lots of exercise or a physical job · Gain weight → Calories per day 2,858 kcal
- Male · Age (years) 30 · Height 70 in · Weight 180 lb · Light: desk job, little exercise · Maintain → Calories per day 2,496 kcal
- Male · Age (years) 25 · Height 185 cm · Weight 80 kg · Very active: heavy physical work or intense training · Maintain → Calories per day 3,673 kcal
- Female · Age (years) 18 · Height 160 cm · Weight 50 kg · Light: desk job, little exercise · Lose weight → Calories per day 1,500 kcal
- Male · Age (years) 70 · Height 165 cm · Weight 60 kg · Light: desk job, little exercise · Lose weight → Calories per day 1,800 kcal
- Female · Age (years) 100 · Height 150 cm · Weight 40 kg · Light: desk job, little exercise · Lose weight → Calories per day 947 kcal
- Male · Age (years) 100 · Height 171 cm · Weight 65 kg · Light: desk job, little exercise · Maintain → Calories per day 1,713 kcal
Changes
- : First version. Activity factors are now standard physical activity levels (1.4 to 2.0) and the floor when losing weight is 1,500 (women) or 1,800 kcal (men). Sources added.
Last reviewed: · How we build and check our calculators
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