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Calorie Calculator

Calorie calculator works out Daily calorie target and Maintenance calories from Goal, Units and Weight. The default figures on this page give daily calorie target of 2,112 kcal/day; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.

Daily calorie target
2,112 kcal/day
Daily Calorie Needs Calculator
Maintenance calories
2,662 kcal/day
Basal metabolic rate
1,718 kcal/day
Daily deficit (-) or surplus (+)
-550 kcal/day
Target after eating back logged exercise
2,112 kcal/day
Expected weight change per week
-0.500 kg/week
Expected weight change per week
-1.10 lb/week
Protein
128.0 g/day
Fat
58.7 g/day
Carbohydrate
268.0 g/day
Lowest intake without medical supervision
1,500 kcal/day
Activity multiplier or PA coefficient
1.550
Equation used
Mifflin-St Jeor (1990)
Worked out from Mifflin MD et al. - A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals and 6 other sources.
The 3500 kcal-per-pound rule is linear; real weight change slows as body mass falls because expenditure falls with it, so long projections over-state the result (Hall et al., Lancet 2011).
A calorie target from a predictive equation is a starting estimate, not a prescription. Very low intakes, rapid loss, or any calorie target during pregnancy, breastfeeding, adolescence, eating-disorder recovery or a managed medical condition should be set with a doctor or registered dietitian.

Your figures

Updates as you type
Metric uses kilograms and centimetres; US uses pounds with feet and inches; UK uses stones and pounds.
Current body weight: kilograms (metric), pounds (US) or whole stones (UK).
Only used with UK stones-and-pounds: the pounds part, e.g. 11 st 4 lb is weight 11 and extra pounds 4.
Used when the unit system is metric.
Used when the unit system is US or UK.
The inches part of a feet-and-inches height.
In net-calorie accounting this should describe your day excluding the workouts you log separately.
Mifflin-St Jeor is the usual choice for adults. The MyPlate option uses the IOM Estimated Energy Requirement, which already includes activity.
Only used by the lean-mass equations (Katch-McArdle, Cunningham).
Kilograms a week in metric, pounds a week in US or UK units. 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lb) a week is the usual guidance for loss; 0.25 kg (0.5 lb) for lean gain.
Net accounting is the MyFitnessPal style: a base target plus whatever you burn in a logged workout.
Only used in net-calorie accounting, where it is added back to the daily target.
The ISSN position stand supports 1.4-2.0 g/kg/day for active people; 2.0 or more helps preserve muscle in a deficit.
The IOM acceptable macronutrient distribution range for fat in adults is 20-35%.
In the same units as the current weight. Leave at 0 to skip the time-to-goal estimate.

How this is worked out

7 steps
  1. Mifflin-St Jeor (1990): BMR = 10 x 80 + 6.25 x 170 - 5 x 30 + 5 = 1717.5 kcal/day
  2. Maintenance = 1717.5 x 1.55 (Moderately active - exercise 3-5 days a week) = 2662.1 kcal/day
  3. 0.5 kg/week x 7700 kcal per kg / 7 days = 550 kcal/day
  4. Target = 2662.1 - 550 = 2112.1 kcal/day
  5. Protein = 1.6 g/kg x 80 kg = 128 g (512 kcal)
  6. Fat = 25% of 2112 kcal / 9 = 58.7 g
  7. Carbohydrate = remaining 1072 kcal / 4 = 268 g

Its 5 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed

Sources and references

7 sources
Mifflin MD et al. - A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals
Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:241-247
Institute of Medicine - Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids, Chapter 5 (Estimated Energy Requirement equations and physical activity coefficients)
2005
USDA MyPlate Plan - calorie levels derived from the IOM Estimated Energy Requirement equations
Wishnofsky M - Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight (the 3500 kcal per pound figure)
Am J Clin Nutr 1958;6:542-546
Hall KD et al. - Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight (why the 3500 kcal rule over-predicts long-run loss)
Lancet 2011;378:826-837
Jager R et al. - International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and exercise (1.4-2.0 g protein per kg per day for active individuals)
J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017;14:20
NIH/NHLBI - Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults (the 1200/1500 kcal lower bounds)
1998

Keep this result

Save it, change one figure, then compare the two

The calculation stays free. Save this scenario, adjust one assumption, save that too, and put them side by side to see exactly what the change costs you. A free account keeps 5 scenarios and 2 comparisons; Personal makes both unlimited and adds exports and private links. Nothing is saved unless you press Save.

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What the calorie calculator calculates

Daily calorie target for weight loss, maintenance, gain or body recomposition, from a resting metabolic rate equation or the USDA MyPlate energy requirement, with a protein, fat and carbohydrate split.

How to use this calorie calculator

Enter Goal, Units, Weight and Extra pounds. Daily calorie target updates as you type, and “Use a worked example” loads checked figures you can adjust. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.

How the result is worked out

Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Daily calorie target, Maintenance calories and Basal metabolic rate.

The method follows Mifflin MD et al. - A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals, Institute of Medicine - Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids, Chapter 5 (Estimated Energy Requirement equations and physical activity coefficients), USDA MyPlate Plan - calorie levels derived from the IOM Estimated Energy Requirement equations, Wishnofsky M - Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight (the 3500 kcal per pound figure) and Hall KD et al. - Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight (why the 3500 kcal rule over-predicts long-run loss).

Lose 0.5 kg a week: 80 kg male, 180 cm, 30, moderately active example

With Goal: lose, Units: metric, Weight: 80, Height: 180, the calculator returns Maintenance calories: 2759, Daily deficit (-) or surplus (+): -550, Daily calorie target: 2209. This example is checked against an independent source in the test suite.

What you can compare

Change one input at a time to see how it affects Daily calorie target, Maintenance calories and Basal metabolic rate. The inputs you can vary are Goal, Units, Weight, Extra pounds, Height and Height (feet).

Understanding Daily calorie target, Maintenance calories and Basal metabolic rate

A calorie target from a predictive equation is a starting estimate, not a prescription. Very low intakes, rapid loss, or any calorie target during pregnancy, breastfeeding, adolescence, eating-disorder recovery or a managed medical condition should be set with a doctor or registered dietitian.

Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.

Embed this calculator on your website

Copy this code into any page. The calculator appears with the figures currently entered, sizes itself to fit, and a small credit line links back here. Free, no account, no ads inside it, no tracking of your readers. Set your own figures and fixed fields; Personal removes the credit line, sets your colour and shows you which sites use it.

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Frequently asked questions

What information do I need for the calorie calculator?

You need Goal, Units, Weight, Extra pounds, Height, Height (feet), Height (inches) and Age. The page opens with default figures that give daily calorie target of 2,112 kcal/day, so you can see the scale before entering your own.

What does this calorie calculator show?

It shows Daily calorie target, Maintenance calories, Basal metabolic rate, Daily deficit (-) or surplus (+), Target after eating back logged exercise, Expected weight change per week, Protein and Fat, with the working and any warnings for your entries.

Can I check how the calorie calculator result was calculated?

Yes. The “How this is worked out” section shows the calculation steps, and the sources section identifies the references used for the method.

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