Calorie Calculator
Calorie Calculator
Understanding your daily calorie needs helps you plan your diet for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
Key Terms
- BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) — Calories your body burns at rest to maintain vital functions.
- TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) — Total calories burned per day including activity.
- Activity Factor — Multiplier that accounts for your physical activity level.
- Caloric Deficit — Consuming fewer calories than you burn leads to weight loss.
- Caloric Surplus — Consuming more calories than you burn leads to weight gain.
Activity Levels
- Sedentary (1.2x) — Little or no exercise
- Lightly Active (1.375x) — Light exercise 1-3 days/week
- Moderately Active (1.55x) — Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week
- Very Active (1.725x) — Hard exercise 6-7 days/week
- Extra Active (1.9x) — Very hard exercise & physical job
Mifflin-St Jeor Equation
Men: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5Women: BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161
Where W = weight(kg), H = height(cm), A = age(years)
Tips for Weight Management
- A 500 calorie daily deficit typically results in 1 lb of weight loss per week
- Don't drop below 1200 calories/day for women or 1500 for men without medical supervision
- Protein helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss
- Regular exercise increases TDEE and improves body composition
- Track progress over weeks, not days, for accurate trends