Daily Calorie Calculator
Find how many calories you need per day to maintain, lose or gain weight.
Enter your values to see the result.
These results are estimates for general information, not medical advice. Body shape, muscle mass, age, ethnicity and health conditions all affect what is right for you, so talk to a doctor or dietitian before making health decisions.
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- BMR Calculator — See your resting metabolism and compare formulas.
- BMI Calculator — Check whether your weight is in the healthy range.
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How to use the Daily Calorie Calculator
The calorie calculator estimates how much energy your body uses each day and how many calories to eat for your goal. It works out your basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, adjusts it for your activity level to get your maintenance calories (TDEE), and then shows targets for gentle or faster weight loss and for weight gain.
- 1 Enter your sex, age, height and weight in metric or imperial units.
- 2 Choose the activity level that best describes a typical week, not your most active one.
- 3 Use the maintenance figure to keep your weight steady, or pick a row for losing or gaining weight at a safe pace.
Example and practical tips
A moderately active 30-year-old man who is 175 cm and 70 kg needs about 2,550 kcal a day to maintain his weight. Eating about 2,050 kcal a day (a 500 kcal deficit) would lose roughly 0.5 kg a week.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is a calorie calculator?
It gives a starting estimate, usually within 10–20% of your real needs. Track your weight for two or three weeks and adjust your intake by 100–200 kcal if you are losing or gaining faster or slower than planned.
How many calories should I cut to lose weight?
A deficit of about 500 kcal a day leads to roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week, which is a sustainable pace for most people. Very large deficits can cost muscle and are hard to keep up.
Is it safe to eat fewer than 1,200 calories?
Most adults should not eat below about 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men) a day without medical supervision, because it is hard to get enough nutrients. The calculator warns you when a target falls below these levels.