How many calories do I need per day?

It depends on your sex, age, height, weight and activity. The calculator estimates your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and multiplies it by an activity factor. For many adults the result falls between about 1,800 and 3,000 calories a day.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is the energy your body uses at complete rest, for breathing, circulation and cell repair. TDEE is your total daily energy use, which adds the calories you burn moving, exercising and digesting food. TDEE is the number that matters for maintaining, losing or gaining weight.

How accurate is this estimate?

It is a good starting point, not an exact measure. Equations can differ from a person's real needs by 10% or more, because muscle mass, genetics, sleep, hormones and medications all matter. Track your weight for two to three weeks and adjust your intake based on the result.

Is the 3,500 calories per pound rule exact?

No. It is an average that is useful for planning, but your body adapts as you lose weight and your needs fall, so the pace often slows. Use it to set a starting target and then adjust to your own results.

What is the minimum number of calories I should eat?

A commonly cited floor for unsupervised weight loss is about 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,500 for men. Eating less than that can make it hard to get enough nutrients and should only be done with medical supervision.

Is this calculator right for me if I am pregnant, a teen or have a medical condition?

No. The equation is for healthy adults. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, growth in teens and many medical conditions change calorie needs, so talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.

💪 Health & Fitness

Calorie Calculator · Daily Calories (TDEE) and Weight Loss Targets

How many calories you need each day depends on your size, your age, your sex and how active you are. This calculator estimates it in two steps. First it finds your basal metabolic rate, the calories your body burns at rest to keep you alive, using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which dietitians in the United States commonly use. Then it multiplies that by an activity factor to estimate your total daily energy expenditure, called TDEE, the calories that keep your weight steady.

Enter your sex, age, height, weight and activity level and you get your maintenance calories and your BMR, plus daily calorie targets to lose half a pound, one, one and a half or two pounds a week, or to gain half a pound or a pound. The weight-change targets use the common rule of thumb that about 3,500 calories equal a pound, so cutting 500 calories a day is about a pound a week.

Treat every number as an estimate. Formulas can be off by 10% or more for an individual, and your needs also change with muscle mass, sleep, medications and health conditions. The tool warns when a weight-loss target falls below the usual minimum of 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men, because eating that little should only be done with medical supervision. This calculator is educational and is not medical advice.

Detailed Breakdown

9 metrics

PRIMARY RESULT

2,158 calories a day

Calories to Maintain Your Weight

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

1,392 calories a day

Activity Factor

×1.55

To Lose 2 lb a Week

1,158 calories a day (below the usual minimum)

To Lose 1.5 lb a Week

1,408 calories a day

To Lose 1 lb a Week

1,658 calories a day

To Lose 0.5 lb a Week

1,908 calories a day

To Gain 0.5 lb a Week

2,408 calories a day

To Gain 1 lb a Week

2,658 calories a day

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When to Use This Calculator

Everyday financial situations where this tool gives you fast, accurate clarity:

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Find Your Maintenance Calories

See how many calories keep your weight steady at your activity level.

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Plan a Weight Loss

Get daily calorie targets for losing half a pound to two pounds a week.

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Plan a Gain

Find the calories to add slowly when you want to gain weight or build muscle.

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Avoid Too Few Calories

See when a target falls below the usual minimum before you start a diet.

Calculation Formula

Standard Method

BMR, men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5 BMR, women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161 (Mifflin-St Jeor equation; pounds are converted with 1 lb = 0.4536 kg and inches with 1 in = 2.54 cm) TDEE = BMR × activity factor Sedentary 1.2 · Lightly active 1.375 · Moderately active 1.55 · Very active 1.725 · Extra active 1.9 Calories for a goal = TDEE + (pounds per week × 3,500 ÷ 7). Losing 1 lb a week means about 500 fewer calories a day, and gaining 1 lb a week about 500 more. The equation is meant for adults. Targets below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men are flagged because they are below the usual minimum for unsupervised dieting.

Benchmark Example:

A woman, 35, 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm), 150 lb (68.0 kg), moderately active: • BMR = 10 × 68.04 + 6.25 × 167.64 − 5 × 35 − 161 = 1,392 calories a day • TDEE = 1,392 × 1.55 = 2,158 calories a day to maintain her weight • To lose 1 lb a week: 2,158 − 500 = 1,658 calories a day • To lose 2 lb a week: 1,158 calories a day, which is below the usual 1,200 minimum, so the tool flags it A man, 30, 5 ft 10 in, 180 lb, moderately active has a BMR of 1,783 and a TDEE of 2,763 calories a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

6 answers

Applicable Laws & Regulatory Standards

USDA, HHS & Food and Drug Administration

Official Legal Reference

Mifflin MD et al., "A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1990;51(2):241-247

The peer-reviewed equation this calculator uses to estimate basal metabolic rate from weight, height, age and sex, widely used by dietitians in the United States.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (USDA and HHS) — estimated calorie needs by age, sex and activity level

The federal dietary guidance, updated every five years, that gives estimated daily calorie needs for sedentary, moderately active and active adults.

21 CFR § 101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food)

The FDA rule behind the Nutrition Facts label, whose Percent Daily Values are based on a reference diet of 2,000 calories a day, a general reference that is not tailored to any one person.

Legal citations and statutes are provided for consumer transparency, analytical validation, and educational reference under U.S. consumer financial regulations. This tool is not a substitute for formal legal, accounting, or tax counsel.

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