Calorie Calculator
Find your daily calorie needs (TDEE) with personalized deficit and surplus targets for weight loss, maintenance and muscle gain — using Mifflin-St Jeor and activity multipliers.
Your Details
Activity multiplier: ×1.55
Enter your details to see your personalized calorie targets.
What is the Calorie Calculator?
The Calorie Calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — how many calories you burn in a typical day including activity, not just at rest. It starts from your BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) and multiplies it by an activity factor you select, then shows maintenance, mild deficit/surplus and aggressive deficit/surplus targets.
Use it to set a realistic starting calorie target for weight loss, maintenance or muscle gain, then adjust based on real-world results after a couple of weeks.
How to use the Calorie Calculator
- 1Enter your age, biological sex, height and weight.
- 2Select your activity level, from sedentary (desk job, little exercise) to very active (physical job or intense daily training).
- 3Read your maintenance calories, plus suggested targets for mild and aggressive weight loss or gain.
- 4Revisit the calculator every few weeks as your weight changes — TDEE shifts as you gain or lose.
Key features
- BMR-based TDEE using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation
- Five standard activity multipliers
- Maintenance, deficit and surplus targets in one view
- Metric and imperial input
Important notes
- This is an estimate, not a lab measurement — actual burn varies by 10–20% between individuals with identical stats.
- Very aggressive deficits (more than ~20–25% below maintenance) risk muscle loss and are generally not recommended without medical supervision.
- This tool does not account for pregnancy, breastfeeding, or diagnosed metabolic conditions — consult a doctor or dietitian for those situations.
Frequently asked questions
How big a deficit do I need to lose weight?
A deficit of roughly 500 calories/day is a common target for losing about 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week, since one pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories.
What activity level should I pick if I'm not sure?
Most people overestimate their activity level. If you sit most of the day and exercise 0–2 times a week, "sedentary" or "lightly active" is usually more accurate than "moderately active."
Why does my target change as I lose weight?
TDEE is based on your current body weight, so it drops as you lose weight — recalculating periodically keeps the target accurate.
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