The Calorie Calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the number of calories your body burns in a day once your activity level is factored in. This single number is the foundation of almost every weight goal: eat below it consistently and you lose weight, eat above it and you gain, eat close to it and your weight stays stable. Instead of guessing or copying a generic "2,000 calories a day" figure from a food label, this tool personalizes the estimate to your sex, age, weight, height and how active you actually are.
Select your sex, enter your age, weight in kilograms and height in centimeters, then choose the activity level that best matches your week — not just your gym sessions, but your whole lifestyle (desk job vs. on-your-feet job, for example). The calculator instantly shows your maintenance calories along with suggested targets for a moderate 500-calorie deficit (weight loss) or surplus (weight gain), which corresponds to roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of change per week.
This tool uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories burned at complete rest — then multiplies it by an activity factor to get TDEE: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5 (men) or −161 (women). Activity multipliers: Sedentary ×1.2, Light exercise ×1.375, Moderate ×1.55, Active ×1.725, Very active ×1.9. TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier.
Example 1: Man, 30 years, 70 kg, 175 cm, moderately active. BMR = 10×70 + 6.25×175 − 5×30 + 5 = 700 + 1093.75 − 150 + 5 = 1,648.75. TDEE = 1,648.75 × 1.55 ≈ 2,556 kcal/day. For weight loss: ~2,056 kcal/day.
Example 2: Woman, 28 years, 60 kg, 165 cm, lightly active. BMR = 10×60 + 6.25×165 − 5×28 − 161 = 600 + 1031.25 − 140 − 161 = 1,330.25. TDEE = 1,330.25 × 1.375 ≈ 1,829 kcal/day.
Example 3: Man, 45 years, 90 kg, 180 cm, sedentary desk job. BMR = 10×90 + 6.25×180 − 5×45 + 5 = 900 + 1125 − 225 + 5 = 1,805. TDEE = 1,805 × 1.2 ≈ 2,166 kcal/day — notably lower than Example 1 despite a heavier build, because sedentary activity has the smallest multiplier.
| Goal | Calorie adjustment | Typical rate |
|---|---|---|
| Fat loss (moderate) | TDEE − 500 kcal | ~0.5 kg/week |
| Fat loss (aggressive) | TDEE − 750 kcal | ~0.7-1 kg/week |
| Maintenance | TDEE | stable weight |
| Lean gain | TDEE + 300 kcal | ~0.25-0.4 kg/week |
| Muscle gain (faster) | TDEE + 500 kcal | ~0.5 kg/week |
Total Daily Energy Expenditure: the calories you burn per day including all activity, from resting metabolism to exercise. Eat below it to lose weight, above it to gain, at it to maintain.
We calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, then multiply by an activity factor ranging from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active) to get TDEE.
A deficit of 500 kcal/day below TDEE produces roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week — a sustainable, widely recommended pace.
It is a solid estimate for most adults but can be less precise for very muscular individuals, older adults, or those with metabolic conditions — treat it as a starting point to adjust from.
You do not have to. Many people prefer to average their target across the week, eating slightly more on training days and less on rest days.
Very large deficits can cause muscle loss, fatigue and a slower metabolism over time — a moderate 500-750 kcal deficit is usually more effective long term than an extreme one.