How many calories should I eat per day?

Daily calorie needs vary by age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. Most adults need 1,600-3,000 calories per day. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for accuracy.

What is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?

It calculates Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): For men: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age + 5. For women: same but - 161 instead of + 5. BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor.

How many calories to lose 1 pound per week?

You need a deficit of about 3,500 calories per week, or 500 calories per day below your maintenance level.

Should I eat back exercise calories?

Generally, eating back about half of exercise calories is a reasonable approach. Calorie burn estimates from exercise are often overestimated.

Calorie Calculator

Calculate daily calorie needs based on age, gender, weight, height, and activity level using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.

Age

years

Gender

Weight

lbs

Height (feet)

Height (inches)

Activity Level

Maintenance Calories

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Mild Weight Loss (0.5 lb/wk) —

Weight Loss (1 lb/wk) —

Mild Weight Gain (0.5 lb/wk) —

BMR —

Extended More scenarios, charts & detailed breakdown ▾

Age

years

Gender

Current Weight

lbs

Height (feet)

Height (inches)

Activity Level

Loss Rate

Daily Calorie Target

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Daily Deficit —

Weeks to Lose 10 lbs —

Maintenance Calories —

Professional Full parameters & maximum detail ▾

Age

years

Gender

Weight

lbs

Height (feet)

Height (inches)

Activity Level

Body Fat % (for Katch-McArdle) ?

Diet Type (TEF)

BMR by Formula

Mifflin-St Jeor BMR —

Harris-Benedict BMR —

Katch-McArdle BMR (LBM-based) —

Cunningham BMR —

TDEE by Formula

TDEE (Mifflin) —

TDEE (Harris-Benedict) —

TDEE (Katch-McArdle) —

Average TDEE (all formulas) —

Metabolic Components

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) —

NEAT Estimate —

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. The calculator shows your maintenance calories (TDEE) plus targets for weight loss and gain. Results use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate formula.

Formula

BMR (male) = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age + 5
BMR (female) = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age - 161

TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor

Example

Example: A 30-year-old male, 170 lbs, 5'10", moderately active: BMR = 1,769 cal. TDEE = 1,769 × 1.55 = 2,742 cal/day. For 1 lb/week loss: 2,242 cal/day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Daily calorie needs vary by age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. Most adults need 1,600-3,000 calories per day. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for accuracy.
It calculates Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): For men: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) - 5 × age + 5. For women: same but - 161 instead of + 5. BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor.
You need a deficit of about 3,500 calories per week, or 500 calories per day below your maintenance level.
Generally, eating back about half of exercise calories is a reasonable approach. Calorie burn estimates from exercise are often overestimated.

Related Calculators

Sources & References (5) ▾

Mifflin MD et al. — A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247 — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Harris JA & Benedict FG — A Biometric Study of Human Basal Metabolism (1919). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA — PNAS
FAO/WHO/UNU — Human Energy Requirements: Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation (2004) — FAO
ACSM — Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition (2018) — American College of Sports Medicine
NIH — Body Weight Planner: Mathematical Modeling of Human Energy Metabolism — NIH / NIDDK