← All tools/Calculators/Health/Calorie Calculator
Calorie Calculator
Daily calories for maintenance, loss or gain — BMR times your activity level, adjusted for your goal.
Target calories
How it works
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) × activity factor = TDEE Target = TDEE + goal adjustment (−500 for loss, 0 for maintenance, +500 for gain)
Worked example: a 30-year-old man, 175 cm, 75 kg, moderately active, maintaining weight. BMR is 1,699 calories, TDEE is 1,699 × 1.55 = 2,633 calories a day, and the maintenance target is 2,633 calories.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure: your BMR plus the energy of everything you do in a day. The activity factor (1.2 to 1.9) is a rough multiplier for how active you are.
Why adjust by 500 calories for loss or gain?
A 500-calorie daily gap is the common rule of thumb for roughly half a kilogram a week of change. It is a starting estimate, not a guaranteed rate.
Which activity level should I pick?
Sedentary is desk work with little exercise; moderate is exercise 3–5 days a week; very active is hard daily training or a physical job. When in doubt, pick the lower level.
Is this a diet plan?
No. This is an informational estimate. For a personal plan, especially with a health condition, speak to a clinician or registered dietitian.
More tools
Tell us what you think
Loving this tool, or stuck on something? Tell us — it takes a minute.
We’ll only use your name and email to reply if needed. The tool and page are filled in for you.