Calorie Calculator
A calorie calculator is a tool that estimates how many calories you need to eat each day. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level to get your daily calorie target for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain, instantly and free.
Your details
How your target is built
Your macros
BMR vs TDEE vs your target
A calorie calculator estimates the number of calories a person needs to consume each day to lose, maintain, or gain weight. It works from five inputs, age, sex, body height, body weight, and activity level. First it calculates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, then it multiplies BMR by an activity factor to find your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), and finally it adjusts TDEE for your goal.
The calculator provides 3 main outputs: a daily calorie target, a macronutrient split across protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and live charts that show how the numbers connect. People use it for weight loss, weight gain, muscle gain, calorie counting, and day-to-day weight maintenance, in US units, metric units, or other units such as kilojoules.
Calorie Calculator
The calorie calculator builds your daily target in 3 steps: it calculates your basal metabolic rate (BMR), scales BMR by an activity factor, and adjusts the result for your goal. BMR is the energy your body spends at complete rest on breathing, circulation, and cell repair. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the same quantity measured under less strict laboratory conditions, and the two values differ by less than 10% in most adults.
The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation because validation studies rank it as the most accurate BMR formula for the general population. For men, BMR = 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5; for women, BMR = 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161, where W is body weight in kg, H is body height in cm, and A is age in years. Two alternatives exist: the Revised Harris-Benedict Equation, an older formula from 1984, and the Katch-McArdle Formula (BMR = 370 + 21.6(1 − F)W), which works from lean body mass and can be more accurate for lean people who know their body fat percentage (F).
The activity factor ranges from 1.2 for a sedentary lifestyle to 1.9 for very intense exercise or a physical job. Multiplying BMR by this factor gives TDEE, the total calories you burn in a full day. The diagram shows the whole pipeline with your own numbers.
Your energy flow
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Food Energy Converter
Food energy is measured in 4 common units: the Calorie [Nutritional, kcal], the small calorie [cal], the kilojoule [kJ], and the joule [J]. One Calorie (kcal), the unit on US nutrition labels, equals 1,000 small calories, 4.184 kilojoules, and 4,184 joules. Labels in the EU, Australia, and New Zealand list kilojoules instead; divide a kilojoule figure by 4.184 to convert it to Calories. For example, the 8,700 kJ reference intake on Australian labels equals about 2,079 Calories.
| Unit | Calories (kcal) | Kilojoules (kJ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Calorie [Nutritional, kcal] | 1 | 4.184 |
| 1 small calorie [cal] | 0.001 | 0.004184 |
| 1 kilojoule [kJ] | 0.239 | 1 |
| 1 joule [J] | 0.000239 | 0.001 |
Calorie Counting as a Means for Weight Loss
Calorie counting for weight loss follows 5 steps: calculate your needs, set a goal, track your intake, weigh in weekly, and adjust. Beyond the weight itself, calorie counting raises nutritional awareness, most people underestimate their daily caloric intake until they measure it.
Calculate your BMR and TDEE
Use the calculator above, the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation suits most people, and the Katch-McArdle Formula suits lean people who know their body fat percentage.
Set a weekly goal
One pound (0.45 kg) of body weight equates to about 3,500 calories, so a 500-calorie daily reduction produces about 1 lb of weight loss per week. Consult a doctor or a registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) before targeting more than 2 lb (0.9 kg) per week.
Pick a tracking method
Smartphone applications such as MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, and Cronometer include calorie databases for brand-name foods and restaurant dishes. An excel spreadsheet or a pen and paper journal works too.
Weigh in weekly, not daily
Water intake and time of day swing daily weight, so measure under consistent conditions, for example, right after waking and before breakfast.
Adjust and keep at it
If your two-to-three-week average is not moving toward your goal, change your daily intake by 100–200 calories and keep tracking. Maintain fiber intake and other nutritional necessities while you cut.
Calorie Calculator Estimate
A calorie calculator gives an estimate, not a measurement. The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation predicts basal metabolic rate within 10% of laboratory-measured values for most adults, and it outperforms the Revised Harris-Benedict Equation in validation studies. Genetics, muscle mass, hormones, and metabolic adaptation move real needs above or below the estimate. Treat your result as a starting point: eat at your target for two to three weeks, track your body weight, and adjust by 100–200 calories if progress stalls.
Zigzag Calorie Cycling
Zigzag calorie cycling alternates high-calorie and low-calorie days that average to the same weekly target, which keeps the body from adapting to a constant lower intake and stalling at a weight-loss plateau. For example, a 14,000-calorie weekly budget can be met with 2,300 calories on three days and 1,775 calories on the other four, instead of 2,000 calories every day. High and low days differ by roughly 200–300 calories for most people. Plan your own 7-day split with the zig-zag calorie cycling calculator.
How Many Calories Do You Need?
Most adult men need 2,000–3,000 calories per day and most adult women need 1,600–2,400 calories per day to maintain weight, according to the U.S. Department of Health. Your personal number , your maintenance calories, equals your TDEE and depends on age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.
Weight change follows energy balance: a calorie deficit (eating below TDEE) removes weight, and a calorie surplus (eating above TDEE) adds it. One pound (0.45 kg) of body weight equates to about 3,500 calories, and one kilogram to about 7,700 calories, so a 500-calorie daily deficit produces roughly 1 lb (0.45 kg) of weight loss per week. The chart projects your current deficit or surplus across 12 weeks.
Consuming too few calories forces the body to fund only survival-level functions. Harvard Health Publications advises at least 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,500 for men unless a doctor supervises the diet, the calculator enforces those same floors.
Your 12-week projection
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Calories: Different Kinds and Their Effects
Calories fall into 3 practical classes: high-calorie foods, low-calorie foods, and empty calories. High-calorie foods pack many calories per serving, fried foods, oils, and sugary snacks, but also healthful options such as avocados, quinoa, nuts, and whole grains. Low-calorie foods, including most vegetables and many fruits, deliver few calories per serving. Empty calories, such as added sugars and solid fats, supply energy with few or no nutrients; drinks contribute an estimated 21% of the calories in a typical diet, and many of those are empty.
The source of calories affects how the body handles them. Foods that take more effort to chew and digest, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, burn more calories during digestion and keep you full longer, so 500 calories of carrots and 500 calories of popcorn do not act the same in the body even though the energy count matches. Coffee, tea, chilies, cinnamon, and ginger have been found to increase the rate of calories burned. For sustainable weight loss, minimally processed plant and animal foods outperform processed foods at the same calorie count.
Calories in Common Foods
Calorie content varies widely across everyday foods, a cup of lettuce holds 5 calories while a slice of pizza holds 285. The table lists typical values in both Calories (kcal) and kilojoules (kJ).
| Food | Serving size | Calories (kcal) | Kilojoules (kJ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 1 (4 oz.) | 59 | 247 |
| Banana | 1 (6 oz.) | 151 | 632 |
| Orange | 1 (4 oz.) | 53 | 222 |
| Broccoli | 1 cup | 45 | 188 |
| Carrots | 1 cup | 50 | 209 |
| Lettuce | 1 cup | 5 | 21 |
| Egg | 1 large | 78 | 327 |
| Chicken, cooked | 2 oz. | 136 | 569 |
| Beef, regular, cooked | 2 oz. | 142 | 595 |
| Tofu | 4 oz. | 86 | 360 |
| Bread, white | 1 slice (1 oz.) | 75 | 314 |
| Rice, cooked | 1 cup | 206 | 862 |
| Pizza | 1 slice (14″) | 285 | 1193 |
| Cheeseburger | 1 sandwich | 285 | 1193 |
| Milk (2%) | 1 cup | 122 | 511 |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 1 can | 150 | 628 |
1 cup ≈ 250 milliliters. Values are typical estimates; brands vary.
2000, 1500, and 1200 Calorie Sample Meal Plans
Sample meal plans show how a daily calorie target splits across meals and snacks. Each column below totals its plan; parentheses show calories per meal.
| Meal | 1,200 Cal plan | 1,500 Cal plan | 2,000 Cal plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | All-bran cereal, milk, banana (265) | Granola, Greek yogurt, blueberries (280) | Buttered toast, egg, banana, almonds (490) |
| Morning snack | Cucumber, avocado dip (80) | Orange (70) | Greek yogurt, blueberries (160) |
| Lunch | Grilled cheese with tomato, salad (350) | Chicken and vegetable soup, bread (400) | Grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, pasta (535) |
| Afternoon snack | Walnuts (100) | Apple, peanut butter (150) | Hummus, baby carrots, crackers (150) |
| Dinner | Grilled chicken, brussels sprouts, quinoa (405) | Steak, mashed potatoes, asparagus (600) | Grilled salmon, brown rice, green beans, walnuts (665) |
| Daily total | ≈ 1,200 calories | ≈ 1,500 calories | ≈ 2,000 calories |
Calories Burned from Common Exercises
Calories burned during exercise depend on body weight, activity, and duration, a heavier person burns more at the same task. The table shows estimated calories burned per hour at three body weights.
| Activity (1 hour) | 125 lb (57 kg) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 185 lb (84 kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf (using cart) | 198 | 246 | 294 |
| Walking (3.5 mph) | 215 | 267 | 319 |
| Kayaking | 283 | 352 | 420 |
| Basketball (general) | 340 | 422 | 503 |
| Swimming (moderate) | 397 | 492 | 587 |
| Tennis (general) | 397 | 492 | 587 |
| Soccer (general) | 397 | 492 | 587 |
| Bicycling (12–14 mph) | 454 | 562 | 671 |
| Running (9-minute mile) | 624 | 773 | 923 |
Energy from Common Food Components
Food components differ sharply in energy density: fat provides 8.8 calories per gram while fiber provides 1.9. Nutrition practice rounds these to the familiar 4/4/9 rule, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate, 4 per gram of protein, and 9 per gram of fat.
| Food component | kJ per gram | Calories (kcal) per gram |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | 37 | 8.8 |
| Ethanol (drinking alcohol) | 29 | 6.9 |
| Proteins | 17 | 4.1 |
| Carbohydrates | 17 | 4.1 |
| Organic acids | 13 | 3.1 |
| Polyols (sugar alcohols) | 10 | 2.4 |
| Fiber | 8 | 1.9 |
Calorie Calculator for Weight Loss
To lose weight, eat below your TDEE. A 250-calorie daily deficit produces about 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) of weight loss per week, a 500-calorie deficit about 1 lb (0.45 kg), and a 1,000-calorie deficit about 2 lb (0.9 kg). Losing faster than 2 lb per week risks muscle loss, dehydration, and a lower BMR, which makes further weight loss harder.
Dial in your number with the calorie deficit calculator or work back from a deadline with the lose weight by date tool.
Calorie Calculator for Weight Gain
To gain weight, eat above your TDEE. A calorie surplus of 250–500 calories per day adds roughly 0.5–1 lb (0.23–0.45 kg) per week. A smaller surplus adds weight more slowly but keeps more of the gain lean rather than fat.
Build your surplus and see the projection with the weight gain calorie calculator.
Calorie Calculator for Muscle Gain
To gain muscle, pair a 250–500 calorie surplus with resistance training and 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram (0.7–1 g per pound) of body weight per day. Protein supplies the raw material; the surplus and the training supply the stimulus.
Get a protein-forward split from the muscle gain macro calculator.
Calorie Calculator Bodybuilding
Bodybuilders cycle between two phases: a bulk at a 250–500 calorie surplus to build muscle mass, and a cut at a 300–500 calorie deficit to strip fat while high protein intake spares lean body mass. The high-protein preset (30/40/30) in the calculator above fits both phases, and zigzag calorie cycling lets you place high-calorie days on training days.
Calorie Calculator with Macros and Protein
A calorie calculator with macros divides your daily calorie target across the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories, each gram of protein provides 4 calories, and each gram of fat provides 9 calories, so the same calorie target can produce very different plates.
The calculator above offers 3 presets: balanced (40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat), low-carb (20/40/40), and high-protein (30/40/30). Protein deserves the most attention in a deficit because it preserves muscle and satisfies hunger better than carbohydrates or fat at the same calorie count. The donut chart converts your live calorie target into grams of each macronutrient; for fully custom percentages, use the macro calculator.
Your macros at a glance
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Calorie Calculator by Age, Weight, Height, and Activity
The calorie calculator works from four personal variables, age (A), body weight (W), body height (H), and activity level, plus sex. In the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation each variable has a fixed price, so you can see exactly how your inputs move the result.
Each kilogram (2.2 lb) of body weight adds 10 calories to BMR.
Each centimetre (0.4 in) of body height adds 6.25 calories to BMR.
Each year of age subtracts 5 calories, about 50 calories per decade.
The activity factor scales BMR, so activity can swing daily needs by 1,000+ calories.
Sex sets the equation's constant: a man's BMR runs 166 calories above a woman's at the same weight, height, and age, because men carry more muscle mass on average. Activity moves the number most, a physically active 25-year-old man at 6 feet (183 cm) needs far more than a sedentary 70-year-old woman at 5 feet (152 cm), which is why generic daily values fit few people well.
Calorie Calculator for Exercise and Steps
A calorie calculator counts exercise in one of two ways: through the activity factor built into TDEE, or as calories burned per session added to a sedentary baseline. Use one method, not both, or you will count the same workout twice.
Calorie Calculator Exercise
Pick the activity level that matches your average week: exercise means 15–30 minutes of elevated-heart-rate activity per day, intense exercise means 45–120 minutes, and very intense exercise means 2 or more hours. If your training varies a lot, choose the lower level and treat extra sessions as bonus burn.
Calorie Calculator Burned
Calories burned scale with body weight and intensity. In one hour, a 155 lb (70 kg) person burns about 267 calories walking at 3.5 mph (5.6 km/h), 492 calories swimming at a moderate pace, and 773 calories running 9-minute miles. A 185 lb (84 kg) person burns roughly 20% more at each task.
10,000 steps burn about 300–500 calories. A 155 lb (70 kg) person burns roughly 40 calories per 1,000 brisk steps.
10k steps every day totals about 2,800 calories a week, the energy in roughly 0.8 lb (0.36 kg) of body weight.
20k steps burn about 600–1,000 calories per day, depending on body weight, pace, and terrain.
Calorie Calculator vs BMR vs TDEE
A calorie calculator, a BMR calculator, and a TDEE calculator answer three different questions. A BMR calculator finds your basal metabolic rate, the calories burned at complete rest, which accounts for 60–70% of daily burn in most people. A TDEE calculator multiplies BMR by a physical activity level to find total daily energy expenditure, your maintenance calories. A calorie calculator does both, then adjusts TDEE for your goal.
TDEE has three parts: basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, the roughly 10% of intake the body spends digesting meals , and physical activity. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is measured under less strict conditions than BMR and runs slightly higher, but the two are close enough that calculators treat them as one number. The bars compare your live BMR, TDEE, and daily target.
Your BMR vs TDEE vs target
LiveBuilt from your numbers, change any input in the calculator above and this chart updates instantly.
Explore More Calorie Calculators
There are 10 free calculators on this site, including the TDEE calculator, the BMR calculator, the macro calculator, the body fat calorie calculator (Katch-McArdle Formula), the calorie deficit calculator, and the maintenance calorie calculator. Each one reuses the same engine as this page, so your numbers stay consistent across tools.
Popular next steps
Frequently Asked Questions
Most adult men need 2,000–3,000 calories per day and most adult women need 1,600–2,400 calories per day to maintain weight, according to the U.S. Department of Health. Your exact number depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level, the calculator at the top of this page computes it from those five inputs.
Eat about 500 calories below your maintenance calories (TDEE) to lose roughly 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week. One pound of body weight equates to about 3,500 calories, and one kilogram to about 7,700 calories. Stay above 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 for men unless a doctor supervises you.
Yes, this calorie calculator is completely free, no account, no subscription, and no limits. It runs in your browser and you can recalculate as many times as you like.
A calorie calculator estimates your needs within about 10% for most adults. It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, the formula validation studies rank as the most accurate for the general population. Genetics, muscle mass, and hormones shift real needs, so eat at your target for two to three weeks, track your weight, and adjust by 100–200 calories if progress stalls.
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest, and TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor to cover everything you do in a day. TDEE equals your maintenance calories, eat below it to lose weight, at it to maintain, and above it to gain.
10,000 steps burn about 300–500 calories, depending on body weight, pace, and terrain. A 155-pound (70 kg) person burns roughly 40 calories per 1,000 brisk steps, or about 400 calories per 10,000 steps.
Yes. Set the goal to weight gain for a calorie surplus of 250–500 calories per day, which adds roughly 0.5–1 pound (0.23–0.45 kg) per week. For muscle gain, pair that surplus with resistance training and 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, our muscle-gain macro calculator builds the full split.
For safety. Harvard Health Publications advises women to eat at least 1,200 calories and men at least 1,500 calories a day unless a doctor supervises them. Intakes below those floors are hard to sustain, short on nutrients, and likely to cost muscle mass, which lowers BMR.
Yes. Toggle between US units (pounds, feet and inches) and metric units (kilograms, centimetres) at the top of the calculator, results update instantly in both systems.
The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, which predicts BMR more accurately than the Revised Harris-Benedict Equation for most people. If you know your body fat percentage, the Katch-McArdle Formula, available on our body fat calorie calculator, can be sharper because it works from lean body mass.
The results from this calorie calculator are estimates for general educational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Individual needs vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or have a medical condition.