Estimate your daily calorie needs based on your personal details and activity level.
Male
Female
Sedentary (little or no exercise)
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week)
Extra Active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training)
Your Estimated Daily Calorie Needs:
— kcal
Understanding Your Daily Calorie Needs
Calculating your daily calorie needs is a fundamental step towards managing your weight and maintaining overall health. Your body requires a certain amount of energy, measured in calories, to perform essential functions like breathing, circulating blood, and repairing cells, as well as to fuel physical activity. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely considered one of the most accurate formulas for estimating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and then adjusts it based on your activity level to determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
How the Calculation Works:
The calculator first estimates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:
For Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
For Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161
BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain basic life functions. However, this doesn't account for your daily activities. To get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), your BMR is multiplied by an activity factor:
Very Active: BMR × 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week)
Extra Active: BMR × 1.9 (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training)
The result of this multiplication is your estimated TDEE – the total number of calories you need to consume daily to maintain your current weight.
Use Cases and Considerations:
Weight Management: To lose weight, you typically need to consume fewer calories than your TDEE (create a calorie deficit). To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than your TDEE (create a calorie surplus).
Fitness Goals: Athletes and individuals with specific fitness goals may use this calculator as a starting point for their nutrition planning.
General Health: Understanding your caloric needs can help you make more informed dietary choices, supporting energy levels and overall well-being.
Important Note: This calculator provides an estimate. Individual metabolism, body composition, and specific health conditions can influence actual calorie needs. For personalized advice, consult a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian.
function calculateCalories() {
var age = document.getElementById("age").value;
var weight = document.getElementById("weight").value;
var height = document.getElementById("height").value;
var gender = document.getElementById("gender").value;
var activityLevel = document.getElementById("activityLevel").value;
var resultValue = document.getElementById("result-value");
// Validate inputs
if (age === "" || weight === "" || height === "" || isNaN(age) || isNaN(weight) || isNaN(height) || age <= 0 || weight <= 0 || height <= 0) {
resultValue.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for age, weight, and height.";
resultValue.style.color = "#dc3545"; // Red for error
return;
}
var bmr;
if (gender === "male") {
bmr = (10 * parseFloat(weight)) + (6.25 * parseFloat(height)) – (5 * parseFloat(age)) + 5;
} else { // female
bmr = (10 * parseFloat(weight)) + (6.25 * parseFloat(height)) – (5 * parseFloat(age)) – 161;
}
var tdee = bmr * parseFloat(activityLevel);
resultValue.innerHTML = Math.round(tdee) + " kcal";
resultValue.style.color = "#28a745"; // Green for success
}