Calorie Calculator
Estimate the calories you need each day for fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain — grounded in the Mifflin–St Jeor equation and your activity level.
Your daily targets
Fill in your details and click Calculate to see your personalized calorie and macro targets.
Your daily target is automatically stored in the dashboard.
📊 Open dashboardWhat a calorie target is
A daily calorie target is the amount of energy (kcal/day) your body uses on a typical day, adjusted for your goal.
It starts from your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the energy spent at rest — and scales up with movement and exercise to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
How the calculation works
We compute BMR with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, then multiply by an activity factor to get TDEE. A small deficit or surplus is applied based on your goal.
- BMR (men) = 10·kg + 6.25·cm − 5·age + 5
- BMR (women) = 10·kg + 6.25·cm − 5·age − 161
- TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 to 1.9)
- Fat loss ≈ TDEE − 500 kcal/day; muscle gain ≈ TDEE + 300 kcal/day
How to read your result
The number is a starting estimate, not an exact prescription. Track weight and waist for 2–3 weeks and adjust by ±100–200 kcal/day if progress stalls.
A safe fat-loss rate is around 0.5–1% of body weight per week; faster losses risk muscle and energy.
Why knowing your calorie need helps
- Removes guesswork from dieting and bulking
- Lets you size meals and snacks intentionally
- Makes plateaus diagnosable instead of frustrating
- Supports performance by avoiding chronic under-eating
Common mistakes
- Overestimating activity level — most people are 'light' or 'moderate', not 'very active'
- Cutting calories too aggressively (>25% below TDEE)
- Ignoring protein and fiber while chasing a calorie number
- Re-running the calculator daily instead of every few weeks after weight changes
- Treating the estimate as exact and skipping weekly check-ins
Practical recommendations
- Weigh yourself 2–3 mornings per week and average the numbers
- Hit protein first; let carbs and fats fill the remaining calories
- Eat mostly minimally processed foods to stay full at your target
- Recalculate after every ~3 kg of weight change
- Use a planner or diary the first weeks to calibrate portion sizes
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
Bottom line
A calorie target turns vague goals into a concrete daily plan. Use this calculator to anchor your number, then let the scale and the mirror fine-tune it over time.