Calculate your daily calorie needs based on age, gender, weight, height, and activity level.
Quick answer
His resting metabolic rate is about 1,780 calories a day (Mifflin-St Jeor). Multiplied by an activity factor, maintenance is about 2,136 calories if he is sedentary and 2,759 if he is moderately active.
| Activity level | Factor | Calories per day |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | 2,136 |
| Lightly active | 1.375 | 2,448 |
| Moderately active | 1.55 | 2,759 |
| Very active | 1.725 | 3,071 |
| Extra active | 1.9 | 3,382 |
These figures are computed with the same formulas as the Calorie Calculator above. Change the inputs in the tool to see your own result. For a full table, see BMI chart for adults.
The Calorie Calculator estimates how many calories you burn each day. It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to find your resting metabolic rate (BMR), multiplies it by an activity factor to get your maintenance calories (TDEE), and then lists targets for mild and steady weight loss or gain. Enter your sex, age, weight, height and activity level in metric or imperial units. Everything is calculated in your browser.
Made for everyone. Typical uses:
A 30-year-old woman who is 165 cm and 65 kg and moderately active has a resting rate of about 1,370 calories and maintenance calories of about 2,124 a day. A 500-calorie deficit gives a target of about 1,624 calories for roughly 0.5 kg of loss a week.
It estimates needs from population averages for adults aged 15 to 100, and cannot account for muscle mass, medical conditions, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medication. The weight-change targets are approximate. It is a planning starting point, not medical advice.
Accuracy: Formulas follow standard published methods and are checked against worked reference examples. Results are estimates based on the values you enter and do not replace advice from a qualified professional.
Expert Tip
Track your actual weight for 2-3 weeks at the suggested calorie target and adjust from there -- individual metabolism varies enough that the calculator's number is a starting estimate, not a guarantee.
The Calorie Calculator estimates two numbers. The first is your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, the energy your body burns at rest in a day. The second is your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE, which multiplies the BMR by an activity factor to include movement and exercise. TDEE is the number of calories that would keep your weight steady. You enter your sex, age, weight, height and activity level, using either metric or imperial units, and the tool also lists calorie targets for gentle and steady weight loss or gain.
The tool uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely used by dietitians. The BMR is 10 × weight in kg, plus 6.25 × height in cm, minus 5 × age in years, then plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women. The activity factors are 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 for lightly active, 1.55 for moderately active, 1.725 for very active and 1.9 for extra active.
Take a 30-year-old woman who is 165 cm tall, weighs 65 kg and exercises three to five days a week. Her BMR is 650 + 1,031.25 - 150 - 161 = 1,370 calories. Multiplied by 1.55 for moderate activity, her TDEE is 2,124 calories a day. The weight-loss targets subtract from that figure: 1,874 for mild loss, about 0.25 kg a week, and 1,624 for steady loss, about 0.5 kg a week. The gain targets add 250 and 500, giving 2,374 and 2,624. A 35-year-old man of 180 cm and 80 kg who is lightly active has a BMR of 1,755 and a TDEE of 2,413.
A common rule of thumb is that a pound of body weight is roughly 3,500 calories, which is why a deficit of 500 calories a day is said to lose about a pound a week. It is only an approximation, because the body adapts as weight changes. Treat the targets as a starting point, weigh yourself under the same conditions for two or three weeks, and adjust. Very large deficits are not a good idea: the tool reminds you that going below about 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,500 for men should only be done under supervision.
People overestimate their activity more often than they underestimate it. Choose sedentary if you sit most of the day and exercise rarely, lightly active for one to three workouts a week, and moderately active for three to five. Pick very active only if you train hard six or seven days a week, and extra active for a physical job or two training sessions a day. When in doubt, start one level lower and adjust according to what the scale does. The Calorie Burn Calculator estimates what a specific activity uses, and the Pace Calculator helps plan running distances.
This is an estimate based on population averages. It cannot account for muscle mass, medical conditions, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medication, and it is intended for adults aged 15 to 100. It is not medical advice. Check your weight against your height with the BMI Calculator, look at body composition with the Body Fat Calculator, and talk to a doctor or dietitian before making a large change to your diet. Everything is calculated in your browser.
Reference table with CSV download.
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