Calorie calculator
Enter your sex, age, height, weight and activity level to get your basal metabolic rate, the calories you burn in a typical day and a daily target for maintaining, losing or gaining weight, plus a protein range to go with it.
Result
- Daily calorie target
- 1,927 kcal/day
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
- 1,401 kcal/day
- Maintenance calories (TDEE)
- 1,927 kcal/day
- Suggested protein
109–150 g per day (1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight)
How to use this tool
- Choose metric or imperial units and select your sex.
- Enter your age, height and weight.
- Pick the activity level that matches a normal week, including your job. If in doubt, choose the lower one.
- Choose maintain, lose or gain. The daily target, BMR, maintenance calories and protein range update instantly.
Good to know
- BMR uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation (1990), which is accurate to within about 10% for most adults; it is less reliable for athletes, people with very high or low body fat, and anyone under 18.
- Activity multipliers are 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 and 1.9. Most people overestimate their activity; if in doubt pick the lower level.
- Lose and gain targets move 500 kcal a day from maintenance, roughly 0.45 kg (1 lb) a week. Targets are never shown below 1,200 kcal a day.
- This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, children and people with medical conditions should ask a doctor or dietitian.
Frequently asked questions
How is my BMR calculated?
The calculator uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, which studies have found to be the most accurate of the common formulas for adults. BMR = 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women. A 30-year-old woman who is 165 cm and 60 kg has a BMR of 600 + 1,031.25 − 150 − 161 = 1,320 kcal, the energy her body uses at complete rest.
What is TDEE and how do the activity levels work?
Total daily energy expenditure is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor: 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for light, 1.55 for moderate, 1.725 for active and 1.9 for very active. The same woman with light activity burns about 1,320 × 1.375 = 1,815 kcal a day, which is the amount that keeps her weight stable. Most people overestimate their activity, so pick the lower level when you are unsure.
How many calories should I cut to lose weight?
The lose goal subtracts 500 kcal a day from your maintenance calories, roughly 3,500 kcal a week, which corresponds to about 0.45 kg or 1 lb of body weight. The gain goal adds the same amount. Real-world loss slows as your weight and metabolism drop, so recalculate every few kilograms and adjust by 100 to 200 kcal if progress stalls.
Why will the target not go below 1,200 kcal?
Below about 1,200 kcal a day it becomes hard to meet protein, vitamin and mineral needs, and such diets are normally only used under medical supervision. If your maintenance calories are low, the calculator raises the target to 1,200 and shows a note. Men are often advised not to go below 1,500 kcal, and adding activity is usually a better lever than cutting further.
How much protein do I need?
The suggested range is 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight, the amount research supports for people who exercise or are losing weight and want to keep muscle. For a 60 kg person that is 96 to 132 g a day. The general adult minimum is lower, about 0.8 g per kg, so sedentary people who are not dieting can sit under the range.
How accurate is a calorie calculator?
Mifflin–St Jeor lands within about 10% of measured resting energy for most adults, but it cannot see muscle mass, hormones or genetics, and the activity factors are rough. Treat the result as a starting point: track your weight for two to three weeks and move the target by 100 to 200 kcal until it matches your goal.
Results are estimates for general information. Double-check anything important with an official source.