Health / 02
Calorie Calculator (TDEE)
Estimate how many calories you burn in a day, your total daily energy expenditure, from your age, sex, height, weight, and activity, with daily targets to lose, keep, or gain weight.
Calorie Calculator (TDEE): The page estimates your resting energy with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor from 1.2 for a desk job to 1.9 for hard daily training. The result is roughly what keeps your weight steady; targets 250 and 500 kcal either side show a slower and a faster change, and any target below your resting energy is marked. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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- Health & sport tools
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- In your browser
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- Free · no sign-up
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- Ready to use
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Calories a day to maintain your weight
kcal/day1,960 kcal (8,200 kJ)
| Goal | Change | kcal/day |
|---|---|---|
| Lose weight | −500 | 1,460 |
| Lose weight slowly | −250 | 1,710 |
| Maintain weight | ±0 | 1,960 |
| Gain weight slowly | +250 | 2,210 |
| Gain weight | +500 | 2,460 |
An estimate for adults: in studies the equation came within 10% of measured resting energy for most people, but not for everyone, and it is less reliable for very muscular or very heavy people. A daily change of 500 kcal is often quoted as about 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week, but loss slows as weight falls. Eating less than your resting energy, or dieting while pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or managing a medical condition, is something to plan with a doctor or registered dietitian.
The formula, step by step
Resting energy uses the equation published by Mifflin, St Jeor and colleagues in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1990: 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age in years, then + 5 for men or − 161 for women. A 30-year-old man of 80 kg and 180 cm comes to 800 + 1,125 − 150 + 5 = 1,780 kcal a day at rest. At the moderate activity factor of 1.55, that is about 2,760 kcal a day to keep his weight steady.
The activity factors are broad bands, and choosing the right one matters more than any other input: the step from sedentary to lightly active raises the estimate by about 15%, which for most adults is 200 to 300 kcal a day. If you are unsure, pick the lower level, weigh yourself for a few weeks, and adjust by the change you see.
Kilocalories and kilojoules
Food labels in the United States count kilocalories, usually shortened to calories; labels in the United Kingdom and the European Union show kilojoules and kilocalories side by side, and Australia and New Zealand count kilojoules. One kilocalorie is 4.184 kilojoules, so the page shows both for maintenance.
How to use it
- Enter your sex, age, height, and weight.
- Pick the activity level closest to a normal week.
- Read your maintenance calories and the daily targets for losing or gaining weight.
Privacy & limitations
Everything is calculated in your browser. Your details are never sent anywhere or stored; only your choice of units is remembered.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?
A formula for resting energy published by Mifflin, St Jeor and colleagues in 1990: 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age in years, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women. Comparisons against measured resting energy have found it among the most accurate of the common equations.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR, or resting energy, is what your body burns at rest to stay alive. TDEE, total daily energy expenditure, adds everything you do in a day, from walking to exercise, which is why it is resting energy multiplied by an activity factor.
How fast will I lose weight on 500 kcal a day less?
It is often quoted as about 0.5 kg (1 lb) a week, and that is a fair guide at first. Loss slows over the following months because a lighter body burns less, so recalculate as your weight changes.
Why is one target marked below my resting energy?
Eating less than your body uses at rest is a steep cut that is hard to sustain and can leave you short of nutrients. Plan it with a doctor or registered dietitian rather than from a calculator.
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