Find your daily calorie needs based on your body and activity level.
How are calorie needs calculated?
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate standard formula for estimating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body needs at complete rest. Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
New to this? Here's the simple version
Your body burns calories just to stay alive — breathing, pumping blood, maintaining temperature. That's your BMR. Add in exercise and movement and you get your TDEE — the total calories you burn in a day. To lose weight, eat less than your TDEE. To gain, eat more. To maintain, match it.
How many calories should I cut to lose weight?
A 500 calorie/day deficit leads to approximately 1 pound of weight loss per week. A 250 calorie deficit leads to about 0.5 lbs/week. Never go below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) without medical supervision.
Why is my result different from other calculators?
Different calculators use different formulas. Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate for most people, but all formulas are estimates. Track your actual intake vs. weight changes for 2-3 weeks to find your real maintenance calories.
Do I need to count calories to lose weight?
Not necessarily — but understanding roughly how many calories you need is useful knowledge. Many people lose weight by changing food quality rather than counting every calorie. Use this as a starting point, not a rigid rule.