Calorie Needs Calculator
Instantly calculate your daily calorie needs and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). A free, reliable tool to help you reach your weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain goals.
Calculate Your Daily Calories
Enter your details below to get an instant, science-backed estimate of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
Your Details
Accurate inputs ensure the most reliable calorie estimate
Calorie Results
Calculated energy expenditure and targets
Activity Level Multipliers
Understanding how your daily movement impacts your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) helps you choose the right multiplier.
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | Little or no exercise, desk job. |
| Lightly Active | × 1.375 | Light exercise or sports 1-3 days a week. |
| Moderately Active | × 1.55 | Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week. |
| Very Active | × 1.725 | Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week. |
| Extra Active | × 1.9 | Very hard exercise, physical job, or twice-daily training. |
Calorie Needs Calculator FAQ
Everything you need to know about calculating your daily calorie needs and understanding energy balance.
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in a single day, accounting for your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your physical activity level.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely considered the most accurate formula for estimating BMR. It factors in your weight, height, age, and biological sex to determine the calories your body needs at complete rest.
For most adults, a deficit of 500 calories per day is considered safe and sustainable, leading to a weight loss of approximately 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week. However, you should generally not consume fewer than 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) per day without medical supervision.
This calculator uses weight, height, age, and gender, but does not directly factor in body fat percentage. Individuals with very high muscle mass may have a higher BMR than the calculator estimates, while those with higher body fat may have a slightly lower BMR.