Calorie Calculator

Estimate how many calories you need each day to maintain, lose or gain weight, based on your body and activity level.

Calories to maintain your weight

2,661 calories/day

Basal metabolic rate: 1,717 calories/day
Activity level: Moderately active: exercise 3–5 days a week
Lose 1 lb per week: 2,161 calories/day
Gain 0.5 lb per week: 2,911 calories/day

This result is not medical advice.

Daily calories for each weight goal

Goal	Calories per day	vs. maintenance
Lose 2 lb per week	1,661	−38%
Lose 1 lb per week	2,161	−19%
Lose 0.5 lb per week	2,411	−9%
Maintain weight	2,661	0%
Gain 0.5 lb per week	2,911	+9%
Gain 1 lb per week	3,161	+19%

Goal	Sedentary	Light	Moderate	Very active	Extra active
Lose 2 lb per week	1,060†	1,361	1,661	1,962	2,262
Lose 1 lb per week	1,560	1,861	2,161	2,462	2,762
Lose 0.5 lb per week	1,810	2,111	2,411	2,712	3,012
Maintain weight	2,060	2,361	2,661	2,962	3,262
Gain 0.5 lb per week	2,310	2,611	2,911	3,212	3,512
Gain 1 lb per week	2,560	2,861	3,161	3,462	3,762

About the calorie calculator

The number of calories you burn in a day depends mostly on your size, age, sex and how much you move. This calculator first estimates your basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor to get the calories you need to keep your weight steady.

From that maintenance figure it builds a table of daily targets for losing or gaining weight at several weekly rates, for every activity level. One pound of body weight is treated as roughly 3,500 calories (7,700 calories per kilogram), so a 500-calorie daily gap equals about one pound a week.

Real results vary. Water, muscle change and metabolic adaptation mean that the scale will not follow the arithmetic exactly. Targets below 1,200 calories a day are marked because eating that little should only be done under medical supervision.

Formula

BMR (men) = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5
BMR (women) = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age − 161
Maintenance = BMR × activity factor (1.2 to 1.9)
Goal calories = maintenance ± (3,500 × lb per week ÷ 7)

Example

A 25-year-old man who is 177.8 cm tall, weighs 72.57 kg and exercises 3 to 5 days a week has a BMR of about 1,717 calories and a maintenance level of about 2,661 calories a day. Losing one pound a week means eating about 2,161 calories a day.