Find how many calories you need per day to maintain, lose or gain weight, based on your metabolism and activity level.
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Fill in your data and activity level. We show maintenance calories plus loss and gain targets.
Estimate for maintaining weight. For fat loss pick a deficit; for muscle gain a moderate surplus.
Daily calories ≈ 2,267 kcal/dayInformational estimates, not medical advice. We use standard formulas (WHO, Mifflin-St Jeor, US Navy method). Instant in-browser calculation, no account, no data sent. For medical decisions, consult a professional.
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Maintenance, loss and gain targets are derived from it:
A BMR of 1649 kcal × 1.375 (lightly active) ≈ 2268 kcal/day for maintenance. To lose 0.5 kg/week, the target is ≈ 1768 kcal.
TDEE is the total number of calories you burn in a day, including resting metabolism, movement, digestion and exercise. It is the key number for maintaining, losing or gaining weight.
First your BMR (resting metabolism) is computed, then multiplied by an activity factor: 1.2 (sedentary), 1.375 (lightly active), 1.55 (moderate), 1.725 (very active) or 1.9 (extra active).
To lose about 0.5 kg per week, subtract roughly 500 calories from your TDEE. Too large a deficit is hard to sustain and can cause muscle loss.
To gain weight, add about 300–500 calories above TDEE, ideally combined with strength training so the surplus goes to muscle rather than fat.
Sedentary = desk job, no sport. Lightly active = light movement 1–3 days. Moderate = sport 3–5 days. Very active = intense sport 6–7 days. Extra = physical job plus daily training.
Real burn depends on how much you move that day. TDEE is an average; some days you burn more, some less. Track the weekly average.
Generally 0.5–1 kg per week is considered safe and sustainable. That corresponds to a deficit of 500–1000 calories per day below TDEE.
Common causes: underestimating calories eaten, overestimating activity, water retention or metabolic adaptation. Re-check portions and stay consistent for a few weeks.
About 7,700 calories. That is why a daily deficit of roughly 1,100 calories theoretically leads to losing one kilogram of fat per week.
Yes, the activity factor already includes your usual movement and workouts. Do not separately add gym calories, or you will count them twice.