Daily Calorie Needs Calculator

Knowing how many calories your body needs each day is one of the most useful tools for managing your weight. This calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the total number of calories your body burns in a day accounting for your activity level — as well as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the calories your body needs at complete rest just to sustain basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell repair.

Results are calculated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely regarded as the most accurate formula for estimating calorie needs in most adults and is recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. As with any formula-based estimate, individual results may vary based on factors such as body composition, health conditions, and metabolism.

Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs

Sex Male Female
Age (years)
Weight (pounds)
Height
Activity Level Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) Lightly Active (light exercise 1–3 days per week) Moderately Active (moderate exercise 3–5 days per week) Very Active (hard exercise 6–7 days per week) Extra Active (very hard exercise, physical job, or twice daily training)

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Understanding Your Results

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — essentially the minimum energy needed to keep you alive. It accounts for functions like breathing, circulation, cell production, and temperature regulation. BMR typically accounts for 60–75% of total daily calorie expenditure.

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. This is your maintenance number — eating at this level will keep your weight stable over time. To lose weight, eat below your TDEE; to gain weight, eat above it.

Weight loss and gain targets are based on the widely accepted principle that one pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. A daily deficit of 500 calories therefore produces approximately one pound of fat loss per week. However, this is a simplification — actual results depend on many factors including water retention, muscle mass changes, and metabolic adaptation.

Once you know your daily calorie target, use our food search to look up the calories in over 350,000 foods, and our free Food Tracker to log your daily intake against your goal.

About the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation was developed in 1990 by MD Mifflin and ST St Jeor and has since become the preferred formula for estimating resting metabolic rate among nutrition professionals. Multiple studies have found it to be more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict equation, particularly for people with obesity.

The formula calculates BMR as follows:

For men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5

For women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161

TDEE is then calculated by multiplying BMR by an activity multiplier ranging from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extremely active). The calculator above handles all unit conversions automatically — just enter your weight in pounds and height in feet and inches.

Tracking your daily calorie intake is one of the most effective tools for reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. The CalorieDetails food database has over 350,000 foods so you can see exactly what is in everything you eat.

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