Calorie Calculator (TDEE & BMR)
Estimate your daily calorie needs — BMR, maintenance (TDEE) and weight-loss or gain targets — using the Mifflin–St Jeor equation.
kcal/day
Macros at maintenance
Lose/gain targets are the rate of change chosen above, reckoned at 3,500 kcal to a pound (7,700 kcal to a kilogram) of body weight; one kcal is 4.184 kJ. Estimates via the BMR formula chosen above (Mifflin–St Jeor unless you pick another); not medical advice — consult a professional before large deficits. Macros use 4 kcal/g for protein and carbs and 9 kcal/g for fat, split within standard dietary ranges.
BMR, TDEE and your goal
Enter your sex, age, weight, height and activity level. The tool first finds your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body burns at rest — using the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, which is one of the most accurate simple formulas. It then multiplies BMR by an activity factor (from 1.2 for sedentary through 1.9 for very active, up to 2.4 for extra active — training twice a day, or hard training on top of a physical job) to estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): roughly the calories you burn per day. Maintenance equals your TDEE; a weight-loss target subtracts the "Rate of change" you pick — 500 kcal/day (~0.5 kg/week) by default — and a gain target adds the same. "Show energy in" switches the figures to kilojoules, and outside the adult ages the equations were fitted to, the results say so. The same weight and height also give your BMI, shown with its weight band for adults.
Using the numbers
These are estimates. Real energy needs vary with body composition, genetics, hormones and how accurately you log activity, so use the result as a starting point and adjust based on how your weight actually changes over a few weeks. Very low intakes can be unsafe; a moderate 300–500 kcal deficit is usually more sustainable than a crash diet. This tool is for general information and is not medical or nutritional advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the calories your body needs at complete rest just to stay alive. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor and represents the total you burn in a normal day including movement and exercise.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A common approach is to eat about 500 kcal below your TDEE for roughly half a kilogram of loss per week. The tool shows this target, but adjust based on real results and avoid extreme deficits.
Can I use pounds and inches, or a different BMR formula?
Yes. Switch the units between metric and US and the figures already typed are converted. The formula can be Mifflin–St Jeor, the revised Harris–Benedict or Katch–McArdle, which asks for your body-fat percentage.
Can I choose how fast to lose weight, or see kilojoules?
Yes. "Rate of change" sets the daily step for both the loss and the gain target, each option labelled with the weekly weight it means. "Show energy in" switches the figures to kilojoules. Outside the adult ages the equations were fitted to, the result says to treat the figures as rough at best.
Is there an option for a physical job plus training, and does it give BMI?
Yes. “Activity level” ends with “Extra active (training twice a day, or hard training on top of a physical job)”, a multiplier above very active for people whose work and training both burn energy; the page opens on moderate. A BMI figure sits beside the others, worked from the same weight and height, with its weight band — Underweight, Healthy weight, Overweight or Obese — for adults.