How daily calorie needs work
Your body burns calories even at rest just to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and cells functioning — this is your basal metabolic rate (BMR). On top of that, every movement you make throughout the day, from walking to exercising, adds to your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
Knowing your TDEE gives you a baseline. To lose weight, you eat below it; to gain weight, you eat above it; to maintain, you eat roughly at it. Small, sustainable changes — like a 500 calorie daily deficit — tend to produce more lasting results than extreme restriction.
How this calculator works
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely regarded as one of the more accurate formulas for estimating BMR in the general population. Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor based on how much you exercise each week to estimate your TDEE.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your basal metabolic rate plus calories burned through activity and digestion.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A common approach is to eat 500 calories below your TDEE per day, which can lead to roughly 0.5 kg (about 1 pound) of weight loss per week. Larger deficits may lead to faster results but can be harder to sustain.
What formula is used to calculate calorie needs?
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate basal metabolic rate, which is then multiplied by an activity factor to estimate total daily energy expenditure.
Is this calculator accurate for everyone?
This calculator provides an estimate based on population averages. Individual metabolism varies due to genetics, muscle mass, hormones, and other factors, so actual needs may differ by several hundred calories.