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Calorie Calculator

Find your BMR and maintenance calories (TDEE), and how many calories to eat a day to lose or gain weight.

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  • Numbers stay in your browser

Last updated:

Your details

years

For ages 15 to 100.

Sex

The formula uses sex because average body make-up differs.

Height
ft
in
lb
lb

Shows about how long it takes.

Pick the one that matches a typical week. If unsure, pick the lower one.

The boxes start with example numbers. Change them to your own, then press Calculate.

Your daily calories

Maintenance calories (TDEE)
2,764
calories a day to keep your weight

About 2,764 calories a day keeps your weight. To lose about 1 lb a week, eat about 2,264 calories a day. To reach 165 lb it takes about 15 weeks at that pace.

  • BMR (calories at rest)1,783what your body uses without moving
  • To lose about 1 lb a week2,264maintenance − 500 calories
  • To gain about 1 lb a week3,264maintenance + 500 calories

Calories for weight loss and gain

GoalCalories a dayCompared with maintenanceTo reach 165 lb
Lose about 1 lb (0.5 kg) a week2,264−50015 weeks
Lose about 0.5 lb (0.25 kg) a week2,514−25030 weeks
Keep your weight2,7640
Gain about 0.5 lb (0.25 kg) a week3,014+250
Gain about 1 lb (0.5 kg) a week3,264+500

About 7,700 calories equal 1 kg (3,500 per lb) of body weight. Real weight change varies from person to person, so the time is a rough guide. Do not eat below about 1,500 calories (men) or 1,200 (women) without medical advice.

Where your calories go

  • BMR (at rest)
    1,783 65%
  • Activity and daily movement
    981 35%

Your maintenance calories are your BMR plus what you burn moving through the day.

How your calories are worked out

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation gives your BMR (weight in kg, height in cm). Multiply it by your activity factor for your TDEE.

Men: BMR = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age − 161
TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 to 1.9)

In this example: 10 × 81.65 + 6.25 × 177.8 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,783, then 1,783 × 1.55 = 2,764.

Calories by activity level

Activity levelFactorCalories a day
Sedentarylittle or no exercise1.22,140
Lightexercise 1–3 days a week1.3752,452
Moderateexercise 3–5 days a week1.552,764
Very activeexercise 6–7 days a week1.7253,076
Extra activehard exercise or a physical job1.93,388

Your BMR (1,783) times each factor. Your level is highlighted.

Calories and kilojoules

2,764 kcal
your maintenance calories
11,565 kJ
the same energy in kilojoules

The calories on food labels are kilocalories (kcal). 1 kcal = 1 Calorie = 1,000 small calories (cal) = 4.184 kJ.

How many calories in a pound?

3,500
calories to gain or lose 1 lb
7,700
calories to gain or lose 1 kg

This is why 500 calories a day less is about 1 lb (0.5 kg) a week.

How many calories should a woman or a man eat a day?

Age and sexSedentaryModerately activeActive
Women, 19–301,800–2,0002,000–2,2002,400
Women, 31–501,8002,0002,200
Women, 51+1,6001,8002,000–2,200
Men, 19–302,400–2,6002,600–2,8003,000
Men, 31–502,200–2,4002,400–2,6002,800–3,000
Men, 51+2,000–2,2002,200–2,4002,400–2,800

Estimated calories a day for adults, from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 (US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services). These figures do not apply to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

What are BMR and TDEE?

  • BMR is the energy your body uses at complete rest, to breathe, pump blood and keep warm.
  • TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure: your BMR plus the calories you burn moving and exercising.
  • Maintenance calories is another name for TDEE. Eat that much and your weight stays about the same.

What is included

  • Your BMR and maintenance calories (TDEE)
  • Calories to lose or gain weight
  • How long to reach your goal weight
  • Calories for every activity level
  • Calories in kilojoules, and calories in a pound
  • US units and metric units

Important to know

This is an estimate for healthy adults and teens over 15, not medical advice. It may be wrong if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, a competitive athlete, or have a condition such as diabetes. Talk to a doctor or dietitian before a big change in what you eat.

Use this free calorie calculator, which also works as a TDEE and BMR calculator, to find how many calories you need a day. Enter your age, sex, height, weight and activity level, in US or metric units. You see your maintenance calories (TDEE), your BMR (the calories your body uses at rest) and the daily calories for losing or gaining about 0.5 kg or 1 lb a week. Add a goal weight to see roughly how many weeks it takes. Tables show the calories for each activity level and the calories women and men usually need, and your numbers are worked out with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. It is free and instant, and your numbers stay in your browser.

Calories, BMR and TDEE explained

A calorie is a unit of energy. The “calories” on food labels are really kilocalories (kcal), and 1 kcal is 4.184 kilojoules. Your body uses energy all day, even when you are still. Two numbers describe it:

  • BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the energy your body uses at complete rest: breathing, pumping blood, keeping warm and running your organs. It is usually the biggest part of the calories you burn in a day.
  • TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), also called your maintenance calories, is your BMR plus the calories you burn moving and exercising. Eat about that much and your weight stays about the same.

How BMR is calculated

This calculator works out your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely used for adults. It uses your weight, height, age and sex.

Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161

From BMR to daily calories (TDEE)

You also burn calories by moving, so your maintenance calories are your BMR multiplied by an activity factor: 1.2 if you hardly exercise, 1.375 for light exercise, 1.55 for moderate exercise, 1.725 if you are very active and 1.9 if you train hard or have a physical job. Pick the level that matches a typical week, and the lower one if you are unsure.

For example, a 30-year-old woman who weighs 65 kg and is 165 cm tall has a BMR of about 1,370 calories. With moderate exercise (× 1.55) she needs about 2,124 calories a day to keep her weight. A 30-year-old man who weighs 80 kg and is 180 cm tall has a BMR of 1,780, and about 2,448 calories a day with light exercise.

Calories for losing or gaining weight

About 7,700 calories equals roughly 1 kg of body weight (3,500 calories per pound). So eating about 500 calories a day less than you need leads to a loss of around 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week, and eating 500 more leads to a gain of about the same. The calculator shows the daily calories for five goals, from losing 0.5 kg a week to gaining 0.5 kg. For the woman above, that is 1,624, 1,874, 2,124, 2,374 and 2,624.

If you enter a goal weight, the calculator also shows about how many weeks each pace takes. Losing 15 lb at 500 calories a day less takes about 15 weeks. Your body changes as you lose weight, so treat the time as a rough guide.

Daily calories for women and men by age

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 estimate that adult women need about 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day and adult men about 2,000 to 3,000, depending on age and how active they are. The table under the calculator lists each group. Your own number depends on your weight and height too, which is why the calculator asks for them.

A word of caution

  • These numbers are estimates. Real needs vary with body build, muscle, age and health.
  • Eating below about 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) a day is not advised without medical supervision, and the calculator marks any goal that falls below this.
  • If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 or have a medical condition, speak to a doctor or dietitian first.

To check your weight against your height, use the BMI Calculator or the Ideal Weight Calculator.

Sources

The rules, rates and ranges on this page come from these sources. Always check the current figures with the organization itself before you rely on them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories do I need a day?

It depends on your age, sex, weight, height and activity. A 30-year-old man who is 5 ft 10 in, weighs 180 lb and exercises 3 to 5 days a week needs about 2,764 calories a day to keep his weight. A 30-year-old woman who weighs 65 kg, is 165 cm tall and exercises moderately needs about 2,124. Enter your own details to see yours.

What is TDEE?

TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure: the calories you burn in a day, including exercise and moving around. It is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9. If you eat your TDEE, your weight stays about the same.

What is BMR?

BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest. In the example above the man's BMR is 1,783 calories, and the woman's is about 1,370. Your daily needs are your BMR multiplied by an activity factor.

What are maintenance calories?

Maintenance calories are the calories you need to stay at your current weight. It is another name for TDEE. Eat less than that to lose weight, and more to gain.

Which formula does the calculator use?

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age, then + 5 for men or − 161 for women. It is widely used and generally considered one of the more accurate for adults. The BMR is rounded to a whole number before it is multiplied by your activity factor.

How many calories should I cut to lose weight?

About 500 calories a day below your maintenance figure leads to a loss of roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week. The calculator shows this and a gentler 250 calorie option. Do not go below about 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 (men) without medical advice.

How many calories are in a pound?

About 3,500 calories equal 1 pound of body weight, which is roughly 7,700 calories per kilogram. That is why eating 500 calories a day less leads to about 1 lb (0.5 kg) lost a week. It is a rule of thumb, because the body adapts as weight changes.

How many calories should a woman eat a day?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 estimate about 1,800 to 2,400 calories a day for women aged 19 to 30, 1,800 to 2,200 for ages 31 to 50, and 1,600 to 2,200 from 51, depending on how active they are. These figures do not apply during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

How many calories should a man eat a day?

The same guidelines estimate about 2,400 to 3,000 calories a day for men aged 19 to 30, 2,200 to 3,000 for ages 31 to 50, and 2,000 to 2,800 from 51, depending on activity. Your own figure also depends on your height and weight.

How long will it take to reach my goal weight?

Enter a goal weight and the calculator shows about how many weeks each pace takes. For example, losing 15 lb at 500 calories a day below maintenance takes about 15 weeks. It is a rough guide, because your needs change as your weight changes.

What is the lowest safe calorie intake?

1,200 calories a day for women and 1,500 for men are commonly suggested as the lowest amounts to eat without medical supervision. The calculator marks any goal that falls below them. Please talk to a doctor or dietitian before eating that little.

What is the difference between a calorie and a kcal?

On food labels, "calorie" and "kcal" mean the same thing: 1 kilocalorie, also written 1 Calorie with a capital C. A small calorie (cal) is 1,000 times smaller. 1 kcal is about 4.184 kilojoules, so 2,764 kcal is about 11,565 kJ.

Why does my activity level matter?

Moving burns calories on top of your BMR. The factor ranges from 1.2 for little or no exercise to 1.9 for hard daily training or a very physical job. Choose the one that best matches a typical week, and pick the lower one if you are unsure.

Is this calculator suitable for everyone?

It is meant for healthy adults and teenagers over 15. It is not suitable if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a medical condition, and it is not medical advice. Please speak to a doctor or dietitian for personal guidance.

Can I save, share or print my results?

Yes. After you press Calculate, use Copy link to get a link that opens the calculator with the same numbers, or Print for a clean printout. The numbers sit after the # in the link, a part of the address that browsers do not send to our server.

Are my numbers saved or shared?

No. The calculation happens in your browser, and the numbers you type are not stored or sent to any server.