Calorie Calculator
Estimate your daily energy needs using your age, sex, height, weight and activity level. View estimated BMR, maintenance calories and illustrative calorie adjustments.
Your Estimated Daily Calories
These are mathematical estimates, not personalized recommendations. A fixed 500-calorie adjustment may not be suitable for everyone. The calculator does not determine whether a particular intake is safe or appropriate for you.
What Is a Calorie Calculator?
A calorie calculator estimates how much energy your body may use each day. It considers information such as age, sex, weight, height and physical activity. The result can provide a general starting point for understanding energy requirements.
What Is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
Basal Metabolic Rate is an estimate of the energy your body needs to maintain essential functions while at rest, such as breathing, circulation and temperature regulation.
How Does This Calorie Calculator Work?
This calculator first estimates BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. It then multiplies BMR by an activity factor to estimate daily energy expenditure.
Male equation:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm)
− (5 × age) + 5
Female equation:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm)
− (5 × age) − 161
Estimated daily calories:
BMR × selected activity factor
What Are Maintenance Calories?
Maintenance calories estimate the amount of energy you use each day. Consuming approximately this amount may maintain body weight over time, although real-world needs and results vary.
Understanding the Calorie Adjustments
The calculator also displays the arithmetic results of subtracting or adding 500 calories to the estimated maintenance figure. These are illustrative calculations only. They are not individualized weight-loss or weight-gain prescriptions, and a fixed adjustment is not appropriate for everyone.
Why Do Calorie Needs Differ?
Energy requirements can vary with body composition, daily movement, exercise, age, health, medications and other factors. Activity multipliers are approximations, so your actual energy expenditure may differ from the calculated result.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories do I need each day?
Your estimated needs depend on factors including age, sex, height, weight and activity level. A calculator can provide an estimate, but it cannot determine your exact individual needs.
What is the difference between BMR and maintenance calories?
BMR estimates energy use at rest. Maintenance calories estimate total daily energy expenditure after accounting approximately for activity.
Are calorie calculator results exact?
No. They are based on equations and activity multipliers. Actual calorie requirements can be higher or lower.
Does this calculator provide a personalized diet plan?
No. It provides general estimates and does not account for every health condition, nutritional requirement or personal circumstance.
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