Calorie calculator.
Find how many calories you need each day to maintain your weight, based on your sex, age, height, weight and activity level. Then see targets for losing or gaining weight at a steady pace.
Your details
LiveMaintenance is your daily total. The rows show calorie targets for gradual weight change. Switch units any time.
Maintenance calories
2,759
per day to stay the same weight
Estimates from population formulas; real needs vary. Not a substitute for advice from a doctor or dietitian. Calculations run in your browser; nothing is stored.
How it works
Resting burn, plus activity
The calculator first finds your basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by your activity factor to get your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. That is the calories you burn in a typical day, and eating that amount keeps your weight steady.
To lose weight you eat below it; to gain, above it. A deficit or surplus of about 500 calories a day changes weight by roughly half a kilogram a week, which the rows on the right work out for you.
The full guide
The complete calorie guide.
How daily calorie needs are estimated and how to set a safe target for your goal.
How daily calories are worked out
Your daily need is your resting burn times an activity factor. The resting part, your BMR, comes from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation using your sex, age, height and weight. The activity factor, from about 1.2 to 1.9, scales it up for how much you move. Together they give your maintenance calories.
Calories to lose weight
To lose weight you eat fewer calories than you burn. A deficit of roughly 500 calories a day tends to lose about half a kilogram, or one pound, a week, which is a sustainable pace. Larger deficits lose faster but are harder to keep up and can cost muscle, so going too low is usually counterproductive.
Calories to gain weight
To gain, eat above maintenance. A surplus of around 250 to 500 calories a day supports steady gain while limiting how much is fat rather than muscle, especially when paired with strength training. Bigger surpluses add weight faster but more of it as fat.
Activity levels explained
Sedentary means a desk job and little exercise. Light is exercise one to three days a week, moderate is three to five, active is six to seven, and very active is hard training or a physical job. Most people overestimate this, so if in doubt, pick the lower option.
Make the number work
Calorie targets are estimates, so use your results as a starting point and adjust. Track your weight over two to three weeks and nudge calories up or down based on what actually happens. Protein, sleep and activity all affect results beyond the raw number.
The formula
Burn it,
then balance it.
Maintenance calories are your resting burn times your activity factor. Eat below to lose, above to gain.
See the BMR calculator ›# Maintenance (TDEE)
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
# goals (per day)
lose 0.5 kg/wk → TDEE − 500
gain 0.25 kg/wk → TDEE + 250
# worked example
1,780 × 1.55 = 2,759Questions
Calorie questions.
How many calories do I need a day?
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It depends on your sex, age, height, weight and activity. The calculator estimates your maintenance calories, the amount that keeps your weight steady. For a 30-year-old, 180 cm, 80 kg, moderately active man it is about 2,759.
How many calories to lose weight?
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Eat below maintenance. A deficit of about 500 calories a day loses roughly half a kilogram a week. The calculator shows loss targets in the rows so you do not have to do the maths.
What is TDEE?
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Total daily energy expenditure is the calories you burn in a full day, your resting burn plus activity. It is the same as your maintenance calories.
Which activity level should I choose?
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Pick the one that matches your real week, and if unsure choose the lower option, since most people overestimate. You can adjust after tracking your weight for a couple of weeks.
Is this calorie calculator free and private?
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Yes. It is completely free with no sign-up, and every calculation runs locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
About the developer
Jean Borg
Jean builds and maintains every calculator on freecalculators.pro from Malta. The calorie calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation with standard activity factors and is provided for general information, not medical or dietary advice.