Calorie Calculator
Estimate how many calories you burn in a day and how many to eat to lose ½, 1 or 2 pounds a week, based on your age, sex, size and activity level.
BMR vs TDEE
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is what your body burns at complete rest, just to keep you alive. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) adds everything else you do. This calculator estimates BMR with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, which a review by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found to be the most accurate of the common formulas, and multiplies it by an activity factor.
| Activity level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | 1.55 |
| Very active | 1.725 |
| Extra active | 1.9 |
How many calories to lose a pound?
A pound of body fat stores roughly 3,500 calories, so eating about 500 fewer calories a day than your TDEE works out to about a pound a week. Real weight loss slows over time as your body adapts, so treat the numbers as a starting point.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Start from your maintenance calories (TDEE) and subtract about 500 a day to lose roughly 1 lb a week. Most guidelines advise not going below 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,500 for men without medical supervision.
Which formula does this use?
The Mifflin–St Jeor equation: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women. That is your BMR, which is then multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9.
Why is my weight loss slower than predicted?
As you lose weight your BMR falls, and water shifts can hide fat loss for weeks. Recalculate every 10–15 lb and judge progress over a month rather than a week.