Health

Daily Calorie Needs Calculator (1970) — TDEE for Weight Goals

Daily calories for your goals.

Height (cm)

Weight (kg)

Age

Sex

Activity level

Result

2,556 kcal/day

Maintenance calories

Lose weight

2,056 kcal

Gain weight

3,056 kcal

Disclaimer: this tool is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.

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Quick summary

Estimate maintenance calories (TDEE) and targets for losing or gaining weight.

How to calculate calorie needs manually

TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier (1.2 sedentary → 1.9 very active).
Lose: TDEE − 500; gain: TDEE + 500.

Estimate maintenance calories (TDEE) and targets for losing or gaining weight.

How it works

TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier (1.2 sedentary → 1.9 very active). Lose: TDEE − 500; gain: TDEE + 500.

Example

BMR 1,649 × 1.55 (moderate) ≈ 2,556 kcal maintenance.

Expert guide

Daily calorie needs: the math behind sustainable weight goals

Whether your goal is fat loss, maintenance, or lean muscle gain, every successful U.S. nutrition plan starts with one number: your daily calorie target. Get this right and the rest is execution.

From BMR to TDEE: matching calories to your real day

We start with BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) and multiply by your activity factor: 1.2 for desk-bound days, 1.375 for light activity, 1.55 for moderate exercise 3–5×/week, 1.725 for daily training, and 1.9 for hard physical labor or twice-daily training. The result is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the calories that keep your weight stable. Be honest about activity: most adults overestimate it by one full level, which is the #1 reason 'I can't lose weight' plans stall.

Calorie targets for fat loss, maintenance, and muscle gain

For weight loss, a 500 kcal/day deficit produces about 1 lb/week of fat loss — the rate the CDC and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics consider safe and sustainable. For lean muscle gain, a 250–500 kcal/day surplus paired with progressive strength training produces about 0.5–1 lb/week of mostly-muscle gain in beginners (less in trained lifters). Maintenance is your TDEE itself, which most adults need during de-load periods, vacations, and refeeds to reset hormonal markers like leptin.

Macros and food quality matter as much as totals

Calories drive weight change, but macronutrients drive body composition. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines suggest 10–35% of calories from protein, 20–35% from fat, and 45–65% from carbs. For fat loss while preserving muscle, push protein to 0.7–1.0 g per pound of body weight — research consistently shows this preserves lean mass and improves satiety. Whole, minimally processed foods make hitting your target far easier than ultra-processed alternatives at the same calorie count.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Subtract 500 kcal/day from your TDEE for steady, sustainable loss of about 1 lb per week. Don't drop below 1,500 kcal/day for men or 1,200 kcal/day for women without medical supervision — extreme deficits suppress metabolism, trigger muscle loss, and rarely produce lasting results.

Are calorie calculators accurate?

Predictive equations like Mifflin-St Jeor are typically accurate within 10% for healthy adults. Use the calculated number as a starting point for 2–3 weeks, then adjust based on real scale and tape-measure trends. Your body's response is the final source of truth, not the formula.

Should I eat back the calories I burn from exercise?

If you used a sedentary or light activity multiplier, eat back about half of intentional exercise calories tracked by a heart-rate device. If you already chose 'moderate' or higher, your activity is already baked into your TDEE — don't double-count it, which is a very common reason fat loss stalls.

Fact-checked by Calcly Editorial Team

Editorial disclaimer

For informational purposes only. Consult a certified medical professional before making health decisions.

How we calculate your daily calorie needs

TDEE = BMR × activity factor   (1.2 sedentary → 1.9 very active)

We first compute BMR using Mifflin-St Jeor, then multiply by your activity factor to get TDEE — the calories you burn in a typical day. For weight loss we subtract a 500 kcal/day deficit (≈1 lb per week); for weight gain we add 500 kcal/day. These targets follow CDC and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics guidance for sustainable change.