Nutrition & Metabolism
Calorie Calculator
Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and get a calorie target for your goal.
Calorie Calculator Tool
Why daily calorie needs matter
Every plan to lose fat, build muscle or simply maintain your current weight starts with the same question: how many calories does your body actually burn in a day? That number is called your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE, and it combines the energy you burn at rest with the energy you burn through movement, exercise and digestion. Our calorie calculator estimates TDEE using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, one of the most reliable and widely validated formulas used by dietitians today.
How the calculation works
We first estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body needs simply to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing and organs functioning — from your age, sex, height and weight. That BMR is then multiplied by an activity multiplier ranging from sedentary to extremely active, which accounts for exercise, daily steps and general movement. The result is your maintenance calories. From there, subtracting roughly 500 calories a day creates a deficit associated with about half a kilogram of fat loss per week, while adding 500 calories supports a similar rate of weight gain.
Choosing an honest activity level
The most common mistake people make with any calorie calculator is overestimating activity level. If you sit at a desk most of the day and exercise a few times a week, 'lightly active' is usually more accurate than 'very active'. Overestimating activity will overestimate your calorie needs, which can quietly stall a weight-loss goal even when you feel like you're doing everything right.
Using your result well
Treat the number this calculator gives you as a starting estimate, not a fixed law. Track your actual weight over two to three weeks and adjust up or down by 100–200 calories if progress is faster or slower than expected. Pairing this tool with our Macro Calculator and Protein Intake Calculator can help you turn a single calorie target into a practical day of meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including resting metabolism, digestion and physical activity.
How accurate is a calorie calculator?
Formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor are accurate to within roughly 10% for most people, but individual metabolism varies. Use the result as a starting point and adjust based on real-world progress.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A common approach is a deficit of about 500 calories per day below maintenance, which is associated with roughly 0.5 kg (about 1 lb) of fat loss per week. Very large deficits are harder to sustain and can affect energy and muscle mass.
Does this calculator account for exercise?
Yes — the activity level you select factors in your general exercise and movement pattern. If your workout routine changes significantly, recalculate to keep your target accurate.
Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising?
The activity multiplier already accounts for your typical exercise routine, so you generally don't need to add extra calories for a normal workout unless it's unusually long or intense.