How Many Calories Should I Eat?

Find out how many calories you should eat per day, whether your goal is to maintain your current weight, lose it steadily, or gain it. This uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, one of the most accurate ways to estimate daily calorie needs for the general population.

yrs
cm
kg
Maintain weight
2,633 kcal/day
Lose ~0.5 kg/wk
2,133 kcal/day
Lose ~1 kg/wk
1,633 kcal/day
Gain weight
2,983 kcal/day

How it works

Your body burns a baseline amount of energy at rest (BMR), which is scaled up by an activity multiplier to estimate your total daily burn. Eating below that number creates the deficit needed to lose weight; eating above it supports gaining weight.

Formula
BMR = 10 x kg + 6.25 x cm - 5 x age + (male +5 / female -161); Daily calories = BMR x activity factor

Example. A 30-year-old man, 175 cm and 75 kg, moderately active, needs roughly 2,633 kcal/day to maintain weight, and about 2,133 kcal/day for steady weight loss.

How big should my deficit or surplus be?

A 500 kcal/day deficit targets about 0.5 kg of weight loss per week, a sustainable pace for most people. A more aggressive 1,000 kcal/day deficit roughly doubles that but is harder to maintain and risks losing muscle. For gaining weight, a modest 300-500 kcal/day surplus supports lean gains without excess fat.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as a TDEE calculator?

Yes, same underlying formula (Mifflin-St Jeor) - this page is framed around the everyday question of how many calories to eat, rather than the more technical TDEE terminology.

Why is a moderate deficit better than an aggressive one?

A very large deficit is harder to sustain, more likely to cause muscle loss alongside fat loss, and often leads to regaining the weight once normal eating resumes. A moderate, sustainable deficit tends to produce better long-term results.

Related calculators

Calorie (TDEE) CalculatorCalculate your TDEE and daily calorie needs using the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, with targets for maintaining, losing or gaining weight.BMI CalculatorCalculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) in metric or imperial units, see your weight category and the healthy weight range for your height.Macro CalculatorCalculate your daily protein, carb and fat targets in grams, based on your calorie needs and a diet style of your choice.Ideal Weight CalculatorFind your ideal body weight from your height and sex using the Devine, Robinson and Hamwi formulas, plus the healthy weight range for a normal BMI.

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