Calorie Calculator

Find your daily calories to lose, maintain or gain.

Work out how many calories you need each day (your TDEE) and the targets to lose, maintain or gain weight. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR multiplied by your activity level, with goal adjustments for weekly weight change. Metric or US units. Runs fully in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

How to use Calorie Calculator

  1. Pick units and gender

    Choose metric (kg/cm) or US (lb/ft) units and select your gender so this free online calorie calculator estimates your daily needs accurately.

  2. Enter body details

    Type your weight, height and age — the core inputs the Mifflin-St Jeor equation uses to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) instantly.

  3. Choose activity level

    Select how active you are, from sedentary to very active, to apply the right multiplier and turn your BMR into total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

  4. Read maintenance calories

    See the calories per day needed to maintain your weight, calculated as your BMR multiplied by the activity factor, displayed instantly in the result card.

  5. Check goal targets

    Review mild, standard and extreme weight-loss and weight-gain calorie targets, each capped at a safe daily minimum, to plan a realistic diet.

  6. Share your results

    Tap share to copy a link that reopens this calorie and TDEE calculator with your weight, height, age, gender and activity inputs preserved.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Eat below your maintenance figure. A deficit of about 500 calories per day typically loses around 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week. Avoid dropping too low — extreme deficits are hard to sustain and can cost muscle.

What’s the lowest number of calories I should eat?

As a general guideline, women shouldn’t go below about 1,200 and men below about 1,500 calories a day without medical supervision. This calculator caps the weight-loss targets at that safe minimum, so a very aggressive goal may show a smaller real deficit than its label.

What activity level should I pick?

Be honest and slightly conservative. ‘Moderate’ suits most people who exercise 3–5 days a week. Desk job with little exercise is ‘Sedentary’; daily hard training or a physical job is ‘Very active’.

Why does the calorie target differ from other calculators?

Small differences come from the BMR equation and activity multipliers used. This tool uses Mifflin-St Jeor with the standard 1.2–1.9 multipliers, the same approach as most modern calculators.

How many calories do I need a day to maintain my weight?

Your maintenance calories equal your TDEE — the total calories you burn daily. Enter your weight, height, age, gender and activity level and this calorie calculator shows your daily calorie needs to maintain weight, plus targets to lose or gain.

What is TDEE and how does this calorie calculator work?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor, and it's the number of calories you burn in a day. This TDEE calorie calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation with standard 1.2–1.9 activity multipliers to estimate it instantly.

How many calories should I eat to gain weight?

To gain weight, eat above your TDEE — a surplus of about 250–500 calories a day adds roughly 0.25–0.5 kg per week. Pick the 'gain weight' goal here; pair it with resistance training and enough protein to gain muscle rather than just fat.

Do these calorie numbers include exercise?

Yes, indirectly. Your daily target is based on your TDEE, which multiplies your BMR by an activity factor that already accounts for your typical exercise. Pick the activity level that honestly matches your week rather than adding workout calories separately.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser with JavaScript — nothing you enter is uploaded.

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