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Calorie Calculator — BMR & TDEE

Find out how many calories you need each day to maintain, lose, or gain weight. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula (the most accurate BMR equation) adjusted for your activity level.

Daily Calorie Needs Calculator
Maintenance Calories (TDEE)
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BMR (at rest)
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Maintenance (TDEE)
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Calorie Targets by Goal
Mild loss (−0.25 kg/wk)
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Loss (−0.5 kg/wk)
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Mild gain (+0.25 kg/wk)
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Gain (+0.5 kg/wk)
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What Is BMR vs TDEE?

TermWhat It MeansUsed For
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)Calories your body burns at complete rest — just to stay aliveBaseline — never eat below this
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)BMR × activity factor — total calories burned in a dayMaintenance calories target
Calorie deficitTDEE − 500 kcal/day ≈ −0.5 kg/week lossWeight loss
Calorie surplusTDEE + 500 kcal/day ≈ +0.5 kg/week gainMuscle gain / bulking

Frequently Asked Questions

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — widely considered the most accurate BMR formula for most adults. Men: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) + 5. Women: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) − 161. The BMR is then multiplied by your activity factor (1.2 to 1.9) to get your TDEE — your actual daily calorie need.
A safe and sustainable calorie deficit is 500 kcal/day below your TDEE, which creates approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week. A 250 kcal/day deficit gives ~0.25 kg/week — slower but easier to sustain. Avoid eating below your BMR as it can cause muscle loss and nutritional deficiencies. Individual results vary based on metabolism, hormones, and adherence.
Different calculators use different BMR formulas (Harris-Benedict, Katch-McArdle, Mifflin-St Jeor) and different activity multipliers. Mifflin-St Jeor (used here) tends to produce slightly lower estimates than the older Harris-Benedict equation and is considered more accurate for modern sedentary lifestyles. Treat the result as a starting estimate — track your intake for 2–3 weeks and adjust based on real-world results.