Daily Calorie Needs Calculator

Follow these steps to calculate your daily calorie needs:

1. Enter your age in years.
2. Select your biological sex (male or female).
3. Enter your weight in pounds.
4. Enter your total height in inches (multiply feet by 12 and add remaining inches).
5. Select the activity level that best matches your typical week.

The calculator will display your BMR, maintenance calories, and suggested targets for weight loss and weight gain.

A calorie calculator estimates the number of calories your body needs each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which was developed in 1990 and is considered more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict equation for predicting resting metabolic rate.

Understanding your calorie needs is a foundational step in managing your weight effectively. Whether you want to lose fat, build muscle, or maintain your current physique, knowing your daily energy expenditure helps you plan your nutrition with precision.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation:

• Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5
• Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161

Maintenance calories = BMR × Activity Multiplier, where the multiplier ranges from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active).

Example: A 30-year-old male weighing 170 lbs (77.1 kg) and 5'9" (175.3 cm) tall with moderate activity: BMR = 10(77.1) + 6.25(175.3) - 5(30) + 5 = 1,721 cal. Maintenance = 1,721 × 1.55 = 2,668 cal/day.