Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. Pick a goal — lose, maintain, or gain weight — and choose a pace. Results update live as you type. No sign-up required.
Want to share or save your result? Click "Copy shareable link" to copy a URL that remembers your inputs.
BMR is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep you breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining body temperature. It accounts for 60-70% of your total daily energy expenditure.
TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor that reflects how much you move during a typical day. It's the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.
This calculator defaults to the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (published 1990) because peer-reviewed studies consistently show it is more accurate than Harris-Benedict for modern populations.
Men: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161| Activity level | Multiplier | Typical lifestyle |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk job, little or no exercise |
| Light | 1.375 | Light exercise 1-3 days/week |
| Moderate | 1.55 | Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week |
| Active | 1.725 | Hard exercise 6-7 days/week |
| Very active | 1.9 | Physical job or 2x/day training |
BMR declines roughly 1-2% per decade after age 20, largely because of loss of lean mass. This is why the same body weight at 50 burns fewer calories than at 25.
Men typically have more muscle mass and a higher BMR than women of the same height and weight. This calculator uses separate formulas for each sex to reflect that difference.
Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. Two people of the same weight can have meaningfully different calorie needs if one has significantly more muscle mass.
Exercise is only part of daily energy expenditure. NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) — walking, fidgeting, standing — can add or subtract hundreds of calories per day between people with similar workout routines.
Thyroid conditions, pregnancy, breastfeeding, certain medications, and chronic illnesses can all change your calorie needs significantly. If any of these apply, consult a registered dietitian or physician rather than relying on a calculator.
Track consistently for at least 2-4 weeks before adjusting — daily weight fluctuations are normal and noisy. If your weight trends in the expected direction, stay the course. If not, adjust your target by 100-200 kcal and watch another 2 weeks.
Tools like Bennu's food diary make this easier by tracking macros automatically as you log meals. Try it free.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the most accurate BMR formula for the general population according to peer-reviewed studies — typically within 10% of measured values. Individual variation exists, so treat the result as a starting point and adjust based on 2-4 weeks of real-world tracking.
Use it as a target, not a rigid rule. Daily calorie intake naturally varies, and what matters is the weekly average. Aim for your target ±10% on any given day and let the weekly average guide you.
The calculator uses your stated activity level, which most people overestimate. If the result feels low, you may be "sedentary" rather than "moderate". Conversely, if you have more muscle mass than average for your weight, the formula may slightly underestimate.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories you burn at complete rest — just keeping your organs running. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is BMR plus the calories you burn through movement, exercise, and digesting food. TDEE is what you eat to maintain weight; BMR is a lower bound you should rarely eat below.
Mifflin-St Jeor (published 1990) is more accurate for modern populations based on controlled comparison studies. The revised Harris-Benedict equation is a reasonable alternative and gives slightly higher estimates. The calculator defaults to Mifflin for this reason.
Pick a preset (balanced, low-carb, high-protein, or keto) or use custom percentages. Protein and carbs contain 4 kcal per gram; fat contains 9 kcal per gram. The calculator converts your target calories into grams per macro automatically.
Not without medical supervision. Women under 1200 kcal/day and men under 1500 kcal/day risk nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and metabolic adaptation. If your calculated target is below these floors, reduce your weight-loss pace instead of the calorie floor.
Every time your weight changes by 2-3 kg (4-6 lb), or roughly every 4-6 weeks during an active cut or bulk. BMR drops as you lose weight, so a target that worked at the start of a diet will stall you by the end.
No — the activity multiplier is a general estimate of how much you move on a typical day, not a specific workout accounting. Weight training builds muscle (which raises BMR long-term) while cardio burns more calories in the moment. Both feed into the "moderate" or "active" choice.
Yes, it is free and you do not need to sign up. If you want to track calories over time with a food diary and support from your coach, you can do that in Bennu, the platform for coaches and their clients. This calculator works on its own without an account.
This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Consult a registered dietitian or physician before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have medical conditions, are pregnant, or have a history of eating disorders.
Bennu turns your calorie target into a daily food diary with macro tracking and support from your coach.
Start free trial