Daily Calorie Needs Calculator
Estimate your daily calorie requirements to maintain, lose, or gain weight using our free calorie calculator. Understanding your caloric needs is fundamental to achieving your fitness and health goals.
Your Estimated Daily Calorie Needs:
Understanding Your Calorie Needs
Calories are units of energy that your body uses to perform all its functions, from breathing and thinking to exercising and digesting food. The number of calories you need each day depends on several factors, including your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. Our calculator uses the widely accepted Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and then adjusts it based on your physical activity and weight goals.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum number of calories your body needs to perform basic, life-sustaining functions while at rest. This includes processes like breathing, circulation, cell production, nutrient processing, and maintaining body temperature. It's the energy your body burns even if you were to stay in bed all day.
- 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
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
While BMR accounts for your resting energy needs, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) includes the calories you burn through physical activity. This is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR × 1.2
- Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR × 1.375
- Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR × 1.55
- Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR × 1.725
- Extra active (very hard exercise/physical job): BMR × 1.9
Adjusting for Weight Goals
Once your TDEE is determined, you can adjust it based on your weight goals:
- Maintain Weight: Consume calories equal to your TDEE.
- Lose Weight: To lose approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week, you generally need to create a deficit of about 500 calories per day from your TDEE.
- Gain Weight: To gain approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week, you generally need to add about 500 calories per day to your TDEE.
These are general guidelines. Individual results may vary based on metabolism, body composition, and other factors. It's always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalized advice.
Example Calculation:
Let's calculate the daily calorie needs for a 30-year-old moderately active male, weighing 70 kg and standing 175 cm tall, who wants to maintain his weight.
- BMR Calculation (Male):
BMR = (10 × 70) + (6.25 × 175) – (5 × 30) + 5
BMR = 700 + 1093.75 – 150 + 5
BMR = 1648.75 calories - TDEE Calculation (Moderately Active):
TDEE = BMR × 1.55
TDEE = 1648.75 × 1.55
TDEE = 2555.56 calories - Weight Goal (Maintain):
Since the goal is to maintain weight, the daily calorie need is approximately 2556 calories.
If this individual wanted to lose weight, they would aim for approximately 2556 – 500 = 2056 calories per day.