Calculate your estimated daily calorie needs based on your personal details and activity level.
Male
Female
Sedentary (little or no exercise)
Lightly Active (exercise 1-3 days/week)
Moderately Active (exercise 3-5 days/week)
Very Active (exercise 6-7 days/week)
Extra Active (very hard exercise/physical job)
Understanding Your Daily Calorie Needs
Determining your daily calorie needs is a fundamental step in managing your weight, improving your athletic performance, or simply maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Calories are units of energy that your body derives from food and beverages. The number of calories you need each day depends on several factors, including your age, gender, weight, height, and most importantly, your activity level.
The calculator above uses a common formula to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and then adjusts it based on your activity level to provide a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
The Harris-Benedict Equation (Revised)
The calculation typically involves two main steps:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This is the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production. We use a revised Harris-Benedict equation for accuracy:
For men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) – (5.677 x age in years)
For women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) – (4.330 x age in years)
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): This is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. This factor accounts for the calories burned through all physical activities, from planned exercise to daily movement.
Sedentary: BMR x 1.2
Lightly Active: BMR x 1.375
Moderately Active: BMR x 1.55
Very Active: BMR x 1.725
Extra Active: BMR x 1.9
How to Use This Calculator:
Enter your Age in years.
Select your Gender.
Input your current Weight in kilograms (kg).
Input your current Height in centimeters (cm).
Choose your typical Activity Level from the dropdown menu.
Click "Calculate Daily Calories".
The result shown is an estimation of the calories you need to consume daily to maintain your current weight. To lose weight, you generally need to consume fewer calories than your TDEE. To gain weight, you need to consume more.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate for informational purposes only. For personalized dietary advice, consult with a registered dietitian or healthcare professional.
function calculateCalories() {
var age = parseFloat(document.getElementById("age").value);
var gender = document.getElementById("gender").value;
var weight = parseFloat(document.getElementById("weight").value);
var height = parseFloat(document.getElementById("height").value);
var activityLevel = parseFloat(document.getElementById("activityLevel").value);
var bmr = 0;
if (isNaN(age) || isNaN(weight) || isNaN(height) || age <= 0 || weight <= 0 || height <= 0) {
document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Please enter valid positive numbers for age, weight, and height.";
document.getElementById("result").style.backgroundColor = "#ffc107"; // Warning yellow
return;
}
if (gender === "male") {
bmr = 88.362 + (13.397 * weight) + (4.799 * height) – (5.677 * age);
} else { // Female
bmr = 447.593 + (9.247 * weight) + (3.098 * height) – (4.330 * age);
}
var tdee = bmr * activityLevel;
// Round to nearest whole calorie
var roundedTdee = Math.round(tdee);
if (roundedTdee <= 0) {
document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Calculation resulted in a non-positive value. Please check your inputs.";
document.getElementById("result").style.backgroundColor = "#dc3545"; // Danger red
} else {
document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Your estimated TDEE: " + roundedTdee + " calories/day";
document.getElementById("result").style.backgroundColor = "var(–success-green)"; // Reset to success green
}
}