Calorie Calculator 2026
Calculate your daily calorie needs, BMR, TDEE and macros for weight loss, maintenance or muscle gain. Free, accurate and worldwide — metric or imperial.
Enter your age, sex, height, weight and activity level to instantly calculate your BMR, TDEE, daily calorie target and macro split — for weight loss, maintenance or muscle gain.
| Macronutrient | Calories | Grams | % of Total |
|---|
* This calculator provides estimates based on widely-accepted scientific formulas. Individual calorie needs vary based on genetics, hormones, medications and body composition. Consult a registered dietitian or doctor before starting any aggressive calorie deficit, especially if you have medical conditions, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or under 18.
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What Is a Calorie Calculator?
A calorie calculator is an online tool that estimates how many calories your body needs each day to maintain its current weight, lose fat, or gain muscle. Our free calorie calculator goes further than basic tools — it computes your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), your daily calorie target based on your goal, and a complete macro split for protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Whether you're trying to lose 10 pounds before summer, maintain your current weight, or build muscle, knowing your exact daily calorie need is the foundation of every successful nutrition plan. The calculator works worldwide in both metric (kg / cm) and imperial (lbs / ft) units.
How to Use This Calorie Calculator
Calculating your daily calorie needs takes about 30 seconds:
- Choose your unit system — Metric (kg, cm) or Imperial (lbs, ft/in).
- Select your BMR formula — Mifflin-St Jeor is recommended for most users.
- Enter your age, sex, height, and weight.
- Pick your activity level — be honest, not optimistic. Most people overestimate.
- Choose your goal — fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
- Click Calculate Calories — results appear instantly with macros and projections.
BMR vs. TDEE — What's the Difference?
These two numbers are the foundation of every calorie calculation:
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just keeping your heart beating, brain running, organs working, and body temperature regulated. If you stayed in bed all day doing nothing, this is the energy your body would still need.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor that accounts for everything else: walking, exercise, fidgeting, working, and digesting food. TDEE is the number that matters — it's how many calories you actually need to eat per day to maintain your current weight.
The Three BMR Formulas Explained
Different formulas have been developed over the past century to estimate BMR. Our calculator supports the three most accurate:
1. Mifflin-St Jeor Equation (1990) — Most Accurate for General Use
Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the standard used by the American Dietetic Association and is considered the most accurate for non-obese, non-athletic adults. Use this formula unless you have a specific reason not to.
2. Harris-Benedict Equation (Revised 1984)
Women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × weight kg) + (3.098 × height cm) − (4.330 × age)
The original Harris-Benedict equation from 1919 was revised in 1984 for better accuracy. It tends to slightly overestimate BMR compared to Mifflin-St Jeor, especially for overweight individuals.
3. Katch-McArdle Formula — Most Accurate If You Know Your Body Fat %
Lean Body Mass = Weight × (1 − Body Fat % ÷ 100)
The Katch-McArdle formula uses lean body mass instead of total weight, making it the most accurate option for lean and athletic individuals. Requires accurate body fat percentage (DEXA scan, BodPod, or skinfold calipers — not bathroom-scale estimates).
Activity Level Multipliers
Once you have BMR, multiply by your activity factor to get TDEE:
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | Desk job, no exercise, minimal walking |
| Lightly Active | × 1.375 | Light exercise 1–3 days/week |
| Moderately Active | × 1.55 | Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week |
| Very Active | × 1.725 | Hard exercise 6–7 days/week |
| Extra Active | × 1.9 | Physical job + daily training |
Honest tip: most people overestimate their activity level by one full tier. If you're not sure, pick the lower option. You can always adjust upward later if you're not seeing results.
Calorie Examples by Age, Sex and Goal
| Profile | BMR | TDEE (Moderate) | Lose Weight | Maintain | Gain Muscle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female, 25, 165cm, 65kg | 1,395 | 2,163 | 1,663 | 2,163 | 2,413 |
| Female, 35, 160cm, 70kg | 1,364 | 2,114 | 1,614 | 2,114 | 2,364 |
| Male, 25, 180cm, 80kg | 1,805 | 2,798 | 2,298 | 2,798 | 3,048 |
| Male, 40, 175cm, 85kg | 1,749 | 2,711 | 2,211 | 2,711 | 2,961 |
*Calculated using Mifflin-St Jeor at "Moderately Active" level. Lose Weight = TDEE − 500, Gain Muscle = TDEE + 250.
How to Lose Weight Using a Calorie Deficit
Weight loss is mathematically simple: eat fewer calories than your body burns. Since 1 pound of body fat equals roughly 3,500 calories, here are the standard deficits:
- −250 calories/day → about 0.5 lb (0.25 kg) loss per week — easiest to sustain
- −500 calories/day → about 1 lb (0.45 kg) loss per week — the gold standard
- −750 calories/day → about 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) loss per week — aggressive but doable
- −1000 calories/day → about 2 lb (0.9 kg) loss per week — only for people with significant weight to lose, and only short-term
Important safety floors: Never eat below 1,200 calories/day if you're a woman or 1,500 calories/day if you're a man without medical supervision. Below these levels, you'll lose muscle along with fat, slow your metabolism, and risk nutrient deficiencies.
How to Gain Muscle (Lean Bulk)
Muscle gain requires a small calorie surplus combined with progressive resistance training:
- +250 calories/day → slow, clean lean gain — minimal fat addition
- +500 calories/day → moderate lean bulk — some fat gain expected
Most natural lifters can gain at most 0.5–1 lb of muscle per month. Anything faster is mostly fat or water weight. Keep protein high (1.6–2.2 g/kg of bodyweight) and prioritize compound exercises.
Macro Split — Protein, Carbs and Fat
Once you know your calorie target, the next question is "from where?" A balanced macro split for most people:
- Protein: 30% of calories (or 1.6–2.2 g/kg body weight)
- Carbohydrates: 40% of calories (more if highly active)
- Fat: 30% of calories (never below 20%)
Conversion: 1 g protein = 4 calories, 1 g carbs = 4 calories, 1 g fat = 9 calories. Our calculator shows your exact macros in grams once you click Calculate.
Common Calorie Calculator Mistakes
- Overestimating activity level. Going to the gym 3x a week doesn't make you "Very Active." Stay honest.
- Eating back exercise calories. Your TDEE already includes exercise. Don't double-count.
- Setting too aggressive a deficit. Crash diets fail. Lose slowly, keep it off forever.
- Ignoring protein. Without enough protein, you'll lose muscle along with fat.
- Forgetting to update. Recalculate every 5–10 lbs of weight change — your TDEE drops as you lose weight.
- Not tracking honestly. A "small handful" of nuts is often 300+ calories. Weigh food for at least 2 weeks to calibrate your eye.