Calorie Calculator
Find your BMR, TDEE, and daily calorie target — free, fast, and personalized
A calorie calculator estimates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. To lose weight, eat 500 cal below TDEE. To gain muscle, eat 250–300 cal above TDEE. To maintain, match TDEE exactly.
Calorie Calculator – BMR & TDEE
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A calorie calculator uses your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level to estimate how many calories your body burns each day. It gives you a personalized daily calorie target for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation powers this calculator — the most validated formula for estimating Basal Metabolic Rate.
How Does a Calorie Calculator Work?
This calorie calculator runs through three steps:
BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest. It covers breathing, blood circulation, organ function, and cell repair.
Women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161
Example: 32-year-old woman, 165 cm, 68 kg → BMR = 1,390 cal/day
TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor:
- 1.2 — Sedentary (desk job, no exercise)
- 1.375 — Lightly Active (walk + gym 1-3×/week)
- 1.55 — Moderately Active (exercise 3-5×/week)
- 1.725 — Very Active (hard exercise 6-7×/week)
- 1.9 — Extremely Active (two-a-day training)
Example: BMR 1,390 × 1.375 = 1,911 cal/day
- Weight Loss: Subtract 500 cal (max 25% of TDEE), with minimum floor of 1,200/1,500 cal
- Maintenance: Eat equal to TDEE
- Muscle Gain: Add 250-300 cal surplus
BMR vs TDEE — What's the Difference?
| Factor | BMR | TDEE |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Calories at complete rest | Total calories burned per day |
| Activity included | None | All movement & exercise |
| % of TDEE | 60-70% | 100% |
Calorie Calculator Examples
Example 1 — Weight Loss
38-year-old female, 168 cm, 82 kg, lightly active
Example 2 — Maintenance
45-year-old male, 180 cm, 90 kg, moderately active
Example 3 — Muscle Gain
24-year-old male, 178 cm, 75 kg, very active
Macro Splits by Goal
| Goal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Loss | 35% | 35% | 30% | High protein preserves muscle |
| Maintenance | 25% | 45% | 30% | Balanced for health & energy |
| Muscle Gain | 30% | 45% | 25% | Carbs fuel training & recovery |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overestimating activity level — Most common error. 3 gym sessions while sitting 9 hrs/day is "Lightly Active", not "Moderate".
- Eyeballing portions — Studies show 20-40% underestimation. Use a food scale.
- Eating back exercise calories — This calculator already accounts for exercise. Double-counting blocks progress.
- Too large a deficit — 1000+ cal deficit causes muscle loss, metabolic adaptation, and hunger that leads to binging.
- Quitting after 1-2 weeks — Weight fluctuates 1-3 kg daily from water. Judge progress over 4-week averages.
FAQ
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST et al. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51(2), 241-247.
- Trexler ET et al. (2014). Metabolic adaptation to weight loss. JISSN, 11(1):7.
- U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2020-2025
Creator
Urooj Mukhtar is the Editorial and UX Content Manager at MultiCalculators.com, where she bridges content quality with user experience. She manages editorial review workflows, content clarity standards, and on-page usability — making sure every calculator is intuitive, well-explained, and accessible to users of all backgrounds. Urooj's work ensures that complex formulas and concepts are translated into clear, friendly, and trustworthy content that helps users get accurate results with confidence.
Areas of Expertise: Editorial Review, UX Writing, Content Accessibility, Information Architecture, Usability Standards