Daily calorie calculator
Find out how many calories you burn each day and how many to eat to maintain, lose or gain weight gradually.
Calorie calculator: what it is and how it works
The calories you need each day depend on your basal metabolic rate, the energy your body uses at rest, and your activity level. This calculator estimates your basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered one of the most accurate, and multiplies it by an activity factor to get your total daily energy expenditure.
Eating that many calories should keep your weight stable. To lose weight healthily, a moderate deficit of 250 to 500 kcal a day is usually recommended, which means losing 0.25 to 0.5 kg a week; to gain weight, a similar surplus. These are guide figures: diet composition, sleep and some medical conditions also play a role.
How to use it
- Choose your sex and enter your age, weight and height.
- Select the activity level that best describes you.
- See the calories to maintain, lose or gain weight.
Calories = basal metabolic rate (Mifflin-St Jeor) × activity factorWorked example
A 30-year-old man weighing 70 kg, 175 cm tall and moderately active has a BMR of 1,649 kcal and burns about 2,556 kcal a day. To lose half a kilo a week he would need about 2,056 kcal.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I need to lose weight?
A deficit of about 500 kcal a day below your maintenance calories leads to losing around half a kilo a week.
Which activity level should I choose?
Be realistic: with a desk job and three workouts a week, choose light or moderate. Overestimating activity is the most common mistake.
Is counting calories better than eating well?
Both matter. Calories determine weight, but food quality affects health and fullness.
Does it apply during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
No. Needs change at those stages and you should be guided by a healthcare professional.