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Calorie Calculator

Find how many calories a day you need to keep your weight, lose it, or gain it. The calorie calculator starts from your BMR and adjusts for your activity and goal.

Runs in your browser. Your data is not uploaded.
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Daily calories
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For general information. Not medical advice.

How to use the Calorie Calculator

  1. Choose your Sex, enter your Age, height, and weight.
  2. Pick your Activity level and a Goal: lose, maintain, or gain weight.
  3. Press Calculate. You get your daily calorie target, with maintenance calories and your BMR underneath.

How it works

BMR = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5 (men) or − 161 (women)
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
target = TDEE + weekly change (kg) × 7,700 ÷ 7
  • activity factor: 1.2 to 1.9, from sedentary to very active
  • 7,700: the approximate calories in 1 kg of body fat
  • weekly change: negative to lose weight, positive to gain

A target below 1,500 kcal for men or 1,200 kcal for women is flagged.

Examples

  • Male, 30, 180 cm, 80 kg, moderate activity: BMR 1,780 × 1.55 = 2,759 kcal/day to maintain.
  • To lose 0.5 kg a week, subtract 550 kcal: 2,209 kcal/day.

How fast should I lose weight?

The CDC notes that people who lose weight at about 1 to 2 lb (0.5 to 0.9 kg) a week are more likely to keep it off than people who lose it faster. As you lose weight your BMR falls too, so recalculate every few kilos.

Limitations

  • The 7,700 kcal per kilogram rule is a rough guide. Kevin Hall showed in 2008 that the deficit needed per kilogram lost depends on how much body fat you start with. Early weight loss also includes water, so the scale can move faster than the math at first.
  • Activity factors are broad. Track your weight for two to three weeks and adjust by 100 to 200 kcal if needed.
  • Not suitable during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or for people with medical conditions affecting weight.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Subtract about 550 kcal a day from your maintenance calories to lose roughly 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) a week.

What is the minimum safe calorie intake?

Harvard Health Publishing advises not going below 1,200 kcal a day for women or 1,500 for men, except under the supervision of a health professional. The calculator warns you below these figures.

Why do I need to choose an activity level?

Your BMR only covers rest. The activity factor adds the energy you spend moving, which can be half as much again or more.

Often used together with Calorie Calculator.

  • BMR Calculator

    Calories your body burns at rest, with daily needs by activity level.

  • BMI Calculator

    Body mass index from height and weight, with the WHO adult category.