Calorie Calculator
Calculate your daily calorie needs based on your stats and activity level.
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What Is BMR?
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions — breathing, circulation, cell production, and organ function — at complete rest. It represents roughly 60–70% of your total daily energy expenditure. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate formula for most people:
- Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
- Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161
Activity Multipliers (TDEE)
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) multiplies your BMR by your activity factor:
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | Office job, little exercise |
| Lightly active | × 1.375 | 1–3 workouts/week |
| Moderately active | × 1.55 | 3–5 workouts/week |
| Very active | × 1.725 | Hard training 6–7 days/week |
| Extra active | × 1.9 | Physical job + daily training |
Calorie Goals for Weight Loss or Gain
One pound (0.45 kg) of body fat stores approximately 3,500 kcal. A 500 kcal/day deficit → ~1 lb / week loss. A 500 kcal/day surplus → ~1 lb / week gain. Deficits larger than 1,000 kcal/day are generally not recommended without medical supervision, as they risk muscle loss and nutritional deficiencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eat 300–500 calories below your TDEE for steady, sustainable weight loss (~0.3–0.5 kg/week). The "Lose Weight" value in the result already shows this for you.
BMR is your calorie burn at complete rest. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is BMR multiplied by your activity level — the actual calories you burn in a typical day including exercise and movement.
For most adults it is accurate to within 10%. It tends to slightly overestimate for obese individuals and slightly underestimate for very muscular people, since it only accounts for weight, height, age, and sex, not body composition.
Approximately 7,700 kcal per kilogram (3,500 kcal per pound). This means a daily deficit of 500 kcal leads to roughly 0.5 kg of fat loss per week.
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