Calorie calculator
Estimate your maintenance calories (TDEE) and a daily target for losing, maintaining or gaining weight, with protein, fat and carbohydrate in grams. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
Your estimate
Fill in every field to see your numbers.
Estimates are typically within about 10% of your real needs. This is not medical advice. After 2 to 3 weeks of tracking your food and weight, adjust your intake based on the weight trend, not this number alone.
How this calculator works
The calculator estimates your resting energy use with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. It then multiplies that figure by an activity factor to get your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). TDEE is your maintenance intake: the amount you can eat each day to keep body weight roughly stable. Written out, the steps are:
- BMR for men:
10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5 - BMR for women:
10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age − 161 - TDEE:
BMR × activity factor
The goal sets the target. Losing weight uses 80% to 85% of TDEE. Maintaining uses TDEE, shown as a range 100 kcal either side. Gaining uses 105% to 110% of TDEE. Protein is 1.8 g per kg for losing and gaining, and 1.6 g per kg for maintaining. Fat is 25% of the target calories, and carbohydrate fills the rest. Macros are calculated for the midpoint of the target range.
If a target would fall below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men), the calculator raises it to that minimum and says so. A target that low should be checked with a doctor or registered dietitian.
What the activity levels mean
The activity factor is the least precise input, so choose the level that matches a typical week, not your best one.
- Sedentary (1.2). Mostly sitting, with little or no structured exercise.
- Light (1.375). Exercise one to three days a week.
- Moderate (1.55). Exercise three to five days a week.
- Very active (1.725). Hard exercise six to seven days a week.
- Extra active (1.9). Hard daily training, or a physically demanding job on top of exercise.
People often pick a level higher than their real week. If you train three times a week but sit most of the day, Light is usually closer than Moderate.
How to use your number
Treat the target range as a starting point and check it against your weight over time.
To lose weight, eat inside the lose range. A loss of around 0.5% of body weight per week is a common, moderate pace. If your weight falls faster than that for several weeks, eat a little more. If it does not move at all after three weeks, eat a little less.
To maintain, eat close to your TDEE. If your average weight holds steady over three weeks, the number is working. If it drifts, move your intake by 100 to 150 kcal in the direction of the drift and check again.
To gain weight, eat inside the gain range. The surplus is small by design. A gain of about 0.25% to 0.5% of body weight per week is a common target, and it usually adds less fat than a large surplus.
For the full sequence of calories and macros, see how to set macros for muscle gain.
Why your number might be off
The equation estimates an average person. Your real needs can differ for several reasons:
- Body composition. The equation uses total weight. Lean muscle adds to energy use, so the estimate can run low for muscular people and high for people with more body fat.
- Activity level. The activity factor is a guess about your week. It is usually the largest source of error.
- Tracking accuracy. Portion sizes, cooking oil and drinks are often underestimated.
- Non-exercise movement. Steps, fidgeting and standing work vary a lot between people.
- Age, medication and health. Some medications and thyroid conditions change energy needs. A doctor can account for these.
Your own data is the better test. Weigh yourself several times a week, average the readings, and compare the trend after two to three weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure. It is the number of calories you burn in a day, including resting metabolism, digestion, everyday movement and exercise. It is the same thing as maintenance calories.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A common approach is a daily intake about 15% to 20% below your TDEE, which is what the lose range in this calculator uses. Do not go below the minimum shown, 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men, unless a doctor or dietitian is supervising you.
Is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation accurate?
It is one of the more reliable equations for healthy adults and is widely used in clinical nutrition. It is still an estimate. For many people it lands within about 10% of measured energy use, and it can be further off with unusual body composition or a medical condition.
How much protein do I need?
Research on resistance training commonly points to 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. This calculator uses 1.6 g per kg when maintaining and 1.8 g per kg when losing or gaining. Spread the total across three to five meals.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
Your TDEE already includes your usual exercise through the activity level. Adding back the calories a watch or machine reports often counts exercise twice, because those readings tend to be high. If your week is busier than the level you chose, pick the next level up instead of adding calories on the day.
Related reading
Health disclaimer: Pulselyf is an AI coaching tool, not a medical or licensed fitness professional service. It does not diagnose, treat, or replace advice from a doctor, dietitian or certified trainer. Consult a professional before starting any new diet or exercise program, and if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of disordered eating.