Calculate Calorie Needs

Use the Calorie Needs Calculator to find out how many calories your body needs each day. This value can help you determine a healthy eating pattern, lose weight, gain weight or maintain your weight. The calculator uses established formulas and takes your personal details and activity level into account.

What are calorie needs?

Your calorie needs are the number of calories your body uses each day to function. This consists of:

• Basal metabolic rate (BMR): energy used at rest
• Activity: movement, work and exercise

Together, these make up your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

Formula used

This tool uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, a widely used and reliable method.

BMR

• Men: 10 × weight + 6,25 × height − 5 × age + 5
• Women: 10 × weight + 6,25 × height − 5 × age − 161

Total calorie needs (TDEE)
BMR × activity factor

Activity factors

• Sedentary (little exercise): 1,2
• Lightly active: 1,375
• Moderately active: 1,55
• Very active: 1,725
• Extremely active: 1,9

When should you use this tool?

• When losing or gaining weight
• To maintain your weight
• For sports and fitness
• For meal planning
• In combination with BMI and ideal weight

How does the tool work?

You enter:

1. Sex
2. Age
3. Height (cm)
4. Weight (kg)
5. Activity level

The tool automatically calculates your daily calorie needs.

Losing or gaining weight

• Weight loss: eat ± 300–500 kcal below your calorie needs
• Weight gain: eat ± 300–500 kcal above your calorie needs

These are general guidelines, not medical advice.

Limitations

The calculation does not take into account:

• body composition
• medical conditions
• hormonal differences

Use the result as a guideline.

Frequently asked questions

Is this tool suitable for everyone?
For adults without medical conditions.

Are the results rounded?
Yes, to whole calories.

Is this exact?
It is an estimate, but a reliable one.