Calorie Calculator
Calculate daily energy requirements with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula and optimize your nutritional strategy.
Physical Parameters
Sedentary
Little or no exercise, office job
Lightly Active
Light exercise 1-3 days/week
Moderately Active
Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week
Very Active
Hard exercise 6-7 days/week
Extra Active
Hard exercise daily + physical job
Calculated Daily Target
Calories to maintain weight effectively
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
1,840
Total Expenditure (TDEE)
2,852
Optimized Macronutrients
Hydration Factor
Water intake boosts metabolic efficiency by 30%.
Protein Priority
Essential for muscle preservation during deficit.
Sleep Recovery
Lack of rest increases hunger-driving hormones.
Methodology & FAQ
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor formula?
Should I adjust macros manually?
Your Daily Number, Estimated Honestly
What the calculation is built from
Daily calorie needs = BMR (what your body burns at rest) × an activity multiplier. The inputs that move the number:
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Body size and composition | Larger bodies and more muscle burn more at rest |
| Age | BMR drifts down a few percent per decade |
| Sex | Male averages run higher at equal size |
| Activity level | Sedentary ×1.2 up to athlete ×1.9 — the biggest swing |
| Goal | Deficit for loss, surplus for gain — moderate beats extreme |
An estimate, not a prescription
Formulas predict population averages; individuals vary 10–15% either way. The honest method: take the calculated number as a starting point, hold it for three or four weeks, and let the trend on the scale — not the formula — tell you whether to adjust. Activity level is where most people mislead themselves; a desk job plus three gym sessions is “lightly active”, not “very active”, and overestimating it erases an intended deficit.
Sustainable beats dramatic
A moderate deficit (300–500 kcal) preserves energy and muscle and survives Ramadan, weddings and exam seasons; crash deficits reliably rebound. Pair the number with context — the BMI calculator for where you're starting, the percentage calculator for tracking change — and for medical conditions, pregnancy, or a history of disordered eating, calibrate with a doctor or dietitian rather than a formula.