Calorie Calculator
Find your BMR, maintenance calories, and daily targets for losing, maintaining, or gaining weight.
Your details
Activity & goal
This calculator runs entirely on your device. Nothing you enter is uploaded, stored, or sold. How this works
Daily calorie target
2,292 kcal
Deficit of 500 kcal/day → 1.00 lb per week
Includes your inputs, the full breakdown, and every row of the table.
BMR
1,801 kcal
Calories burned at complete rest
Maintenance (TDEE)
2,792 kcal
BMR × 1.550 activity factor
Weekly target
16,044 kcal
Projected change
-4.33 lb/mo
| Goal | Daily calories | Weekly change |
|---|---|---|
| Lose 1 lb/week | 2,292 kcal | -1.00 lb |
| Lose 0.5 lb/week | 2,542 kcal | -0.50 lb |
| Maintain | 2,792 kcal | 0.00 lb |
| Gain 0.5 lb/week | 3,042 kcal | 0.50 lb |
| Gain 1 lb/week | 3,292 kcal | 1.00 lb |
What this means
- These figures use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is the most accurate general-purpose formula in validation studies — though individual metabolic rates still vary by roughly ±10%.
- A pound of fat stores about 3,500 calories, which is where the 500-calorie-per-day rule comes from. In practice the loss slows over time as your body mass and NEAT both decline.
How the calorie calculation works
Total daily energy expenditure has three parts: basal metabolic rate (60-70%), the thermic effect of food (about 10%), and activity. This calculator estimates BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies by an activity factor to reach maintenance calories.
Almost everyone overestimates their activity level. If your job is sedentary and you train four hours a week, you are 'lightly' to 'moderately' active — not 'very active'. When real-world results lag the projection, the activity multiplier is usually the culprit, not the formula.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A deficit of 500 calories a day produces roughly one pound of loss per week. Deficits larger than about 25% of maintenance tend to cost muscle mass and become hard to sustain.
Why did my weight loss stall?
As you lose weight, BMR falls because there is less of you to maintain, and unconscious movement often decreases too. Recalculating every 10-15 pounds keeps the target honest.
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Disclaimer. This calculator is provided for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and the assumptions described above. Confirm any figure with a qualified professional before acting on it.