Calorie Calculator — Find Your Exact Daily Calorie Needs (TDEE)

What Your Body Actually Burns

Your body burns calories in three ways: BMR (60-75% — keeping organs running), activity (15-30% — exercise and movement), and digesting food (5-10%). Your TDEE is the total of all three. Our calorie calculator estimates this based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate formula available.

Quick Example

A 30-year-old male, 5'10", 170 lbs, moderately active:

• BMR: 1,724 calories/day (at rest)
• TDEE: 2,672 calories/day (with activity)
• To lose 1 lb/week: 2,172 calories/day
• To gain muscle: 2,972 calories/day

The 500-Calorie Rule

One pound of fat contains about 3,500 calories. A deficit of 500 calories per day = 3,500 per week = about 1 pound of fat loss per week. This is the most sustainable rate for most people — aggressive enough to see results, moderate enough to maintain.

Why Activity Level Matters So Much

Same person at different activity levels — the calorie difference is huge:

• Sedentary (desk job, no exercise): 2,069 cal/day
• Moderately active (gym 3-5x/week): 2,672 cal/day
• Very active (hard exercise daily): 2,973 cal/day

The difference between sedentary and very active is over 900 calories — nearly a full meal.

Calculate Your Numbers

Open the calorie calculator, enter your stats, and get your personalized BMR and TDEE. Then use the deficit/surplus recommendations as your starting point and adjust based on results after 2-3 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Your TDEE minus 500 = about 1 pound lost per week. TDEE minus 1,000 = about 2 pounds/week. Never go below 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) without medical supervision.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is calories burned at complete rest (just to stay alive). TDEE is BMR multiplied by your activity level — the total calories you actually burn in a day including movement and exercise.

How accurate is this?

The Mifflin-St Jeor formula is accurate to within 10% for most people. Use it as a starting point, then adjust based on real-world results over 2-3 weeks.