Calorie Calculator (Daily Needs)
Your daily calorie needs are calculated from age, height, weight, sex and activity level using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Enter your details below — your basal metabolism, maintenance calories and daily calorie target for your goal are calculated instantly.
Enter your age, height and weight — your result appears here instantly.
your daily target to maintain your weight
Because the calculated value dropped below the safe lower limit, your target was rounded up to a healthy floor. For a faster plan, we recommend consulting a dietitian.
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How is it calculated?
| Activity level | Factor | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk work, little daily walking |
| Lightly active | 1.375 | Light exercise 1-3 days a week |
| Moderate | 1.55 | Moderate activity 3-5 days a week |
| Active | 1.725 | Training 6-7 days a week |
| Very active | 1.9 | Physical job + daily training |
Basal metabolic rate (Mifflin-St Jeor) × activity factor = maintenance calories. Depending on your weight goal, you go below or above this value.
For informational purposes only; not medical advice. In cases of pregnancy, breastfeeding or chronic illness, consult a doctor or dietitian before setting a target.
Your daily calorie needs consist of two parts: the energy your body burns at rest (basal metabolic rate) and the energy burned through movement during the day. This calculator finds your basal metabolism with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate in scientific studies, then multiplies it by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9 to work out your total daily expenditure — your maintenance calories.
Maintenance calories are the daily energy amount at which you hold your current weight. If you want to lose weight, a target below this value is set; to gain, a target above it. A deficit or surplus of roughly 7,700 calories corresponds to a change of 1 kilogram, so for half a kilo a week a daily difference of about 550 calories is enough.
How Many Calories a Day to Lose Weight?
The common recommendation from health organizations is to lose 0.5-1 kg per week. In daily terms, that is 550 to 1,100 kcal below your maintenance calories. Larger deficits look faster on paper, but they increase the risk of muscle loss, fatigue and giving up. That is why the calculator applies a safe lower limit: the target does not drop below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men.
How Many Calories a Day to Gain Weight?
Healthy weight gain works by the same logic in reverse: a target 275-550 kcal above maintenance per day yields 0.25-0.5 kg of gain a week. Faster gain (1 kg a week, roughly a 1,100 kcal surplus) is also an option, but the share of the surplus stored as fat grows. Turning extra calories into muscle depends on adequate protein intake and resistance training; a calorie surplus built without training is mostly stored as fat.
How to Read the Macro Split?
The protein, carbohydrate and fat grams on the result card are the energy equivalents of 30, 50 and 20 percent of your daily calories, respectively. This is a balanced starting split — not the only right one. People who train intensely can raise protein, those eating low-carb can shift the ratios; what matters is keeping your daily calorie total aligned with your goal.
Frequently asked
How are daily calorie needs calculated?
First, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is found from your age, height, weight and sex; this calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate in current research. The BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9 to give your total daily energy needs (maintenance calories). To lose or gain weight, you go below or above this value.
What is basal metabolic rate (BMR)?
Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body burns at complete rest — for vital functions such as breathing, heartbeat and cell renewal. It makes up the largest share of your total daily expenditure and varies from person to person based on muscle mass, age, height, weight and sex.
How many calories should I cut per day to lose weight?
The common recommendation from health organizations is to lose 0.5-1 kg per week, which corresponds to a daily deficit of roughly 550-1,100 calories. For most people, the sustainable point is 0.5 kg per week (about a 550 kcal daily deficit). Very low-calorie diets should not be undertaken without the supervision of a doctor or dietitian.
Why do calorie needs differ between women and men?
Because men on average carry a higher proportion of muscle mass, their resting energy expenditure is also higher. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation accounts for this with a sex-specific constant; for the same age, height and weight, a man's basal metabolic rate comes out roughly 165 kcal higher than a woman's. The difference in total daily needs reaches 200-320 kcal once that value is multiplied by the activity factor.
How accurate is the calculated value?
The formula is an estimate derived from measurements across large groups; it cannot exactly reflect personal factors such as muscle ratio, hormones and genetics. The healthiest approach is to use the result as a starting point, track your weight change over a few weeks and adjust the target accordingly. In cases of pregnancy, breastfeeding or chronic illness, consult a doctor or dietitian.
How do I track the calories I calculated?
The most practical way to hit your daily target is to log what you eat consistently; research shows that people who keep a food diary reach their goals at a higher rate. To learn portion sizes you can look up the calorie values of foods, and with a calorie-tracking app you can automatically follow your running total throughout the day.
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