Calorie Calculator (BMR and TDEE)
Estimate your basal metabolic rate and daily calorie needs, then see the calories to maintain, lose or gain weight.
Related calculators: BMI Calculator · Daily Water Intake Calculator · Ideal Weight Calculator · Body Fat Calculator
Frequently asked questions about calories
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy your body uses at complete rest to stay alive. TDEE adds the energy of daily activity and exercise, so it is the number of calories that keeps your weight stable.
Which formula should I choose?
Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate for most adults and is the default. The revised Harris-Benedict equation tends to give slightly higher values. Katch-McArdle uses your lean mass and suits people who know their body fat percentage.
How fast can I safely lose weight?
Health agencies usually consider 0.5 to 1 kg (1 to 2 lb) per week safe for adults. Women should not go below about 1,200 kcal per day and men below about 1,500 kcal per day without medical supervision.
Can I use this calculator during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
No. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, growth in children and teenagers and many medical conditions change energy needs, so ask a doctor or a registered dietitian instead.
How the calorie calculator works
This calculator estimates how many calories an adult burns each day and how many to eat to maintain, lose or gain weight. You enter your sex, age, weight, height and usual activity, and the page shows your basal metabolic rate (BMR), your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and the daily calories for six goals, from losing 1 kg (2 lb) a week to gaining 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week. You can also pick a macronutrient split. Metric units are used by default and pounds, feet and inches in English (US). It is meant for adults only, not for pregnancy, breastfeeding, minors or medical conditions, and it complements the BMI and water intake calculators.
BMR comes from one of three published equations. Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) is 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age + 5 for men or − 161 for women. The revised Harris-Benedict equation (Roza and Shizgal, 1984) uses different coefficients for each sex, and Katch-McArdle is 370 + 21.6 × lean mass in kg, so it needs your body fat percentage. TDEE is the BMR times an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9. Each goal changes the TDEE by 7,700 kcal per kg (3,500 per lb) divided by 7 days. Targets below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men) are flagged, and macro grams use 4 kcal per gram of carbohydrate and protein and 9 for fat.
Example: a 35-year-old woman, 65 kg, 165 cm, lightly active. Mifflin-St Jeor gives a BMR of 1,345 kcal and a TDEE of 1,850 kcal. To lose 0.5 kg a week she needs about 1,300 kcal a day, which with the balanced split means 163 g of carbohydrates, 65 g of protein and 43 g of fat. Losing 1 kg a week would mean 750 kcal, below the safe minimum, so the page flags it as a warning. These are estimates with an error of about 10% or more, real weight change slows over time, and the result is not a diet plan: ask a doctor or a registered dietitian for personal advice.