Calorie Calculator
Enter your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level to estimate your daily calorie needs for maintaining, losing, or gaining weight.
Last updated: September 22, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I need to maintain my weight?
It depends on your BMR and activity level - for a 30-year-old, 5'10", 180 lb male at moderate activity, maintenance is roughly 2,763 calories per day.
How many calories should I cut to lose weight?
A deficit of about 500 calories per day below maintenance is a common target for roughly 1 lb of weight loss per week, since 1 lb of body fat is approximately 3,500 calories.
Why do two people with the same age, height, and weight get different results?
Activity level and gender both factor into the formula - a more active lifestyle raises the calorie target substantially above someone sedentary at the same stats, and the underlying BMR formula also accounts for typical differences in body composition between men and women.
What's the difference between BMR and the calorie target this tool gives me?
BMR is the energy your body burns at complete rest; this calculator's maintenance number - your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) - adds your activity level on top of BMR, since daily movement and exercise burn additional calories beyond what your body needs just to function.
How many calories should I eat to gain weight?
A surplus of about 300-500 calories per day above maintenance is a common target for gradual, mostly lean weight gain - eating far above that tends to add more fat than muscle even with training.
What's an example TDEE calculation?
A 25-year-old woman, 5'5" (65 in), 150 lb, at light activity comes out to roughly 1,950 calories per day for maintenance - that's her estimated BMR multiplied by the activity factor for 'lightly active.'
Is this the same as a 'TDEE calculator'?
Yes - Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is exactly what this tool's maintenance number represents. Some sites label the calculation 'TDEE calculator' and others 'calorie calculator,' but the underlying formula (BMR × activity multiplier) is the same.