Calorie calculator: how many calories do you need?
Fill in the fields to see your result.
| Goal | kcal | Calories per day |
|---|---|---|
| Lose weight | −500 | — |
| Lose weight slowly | −250 | — |
| Maintain weight | ±0 | — |
| Gain weight slowly | +250 | — |
| Gain weight | +500 | — |
This calculator gives an estimate for healthy adults. It is not medical advice.
Turn the numbers into a plan: set your calorie and protein targets in ForceIndex, log meals in seconds and track your workouts in one place.
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First it estimates your basal metabolic rate — the energy your body burns at complete rest to keep you alive — with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. In studies it predicts measured BMR more accurately than the older Harris-Benedict formula for most adults.
Then it multiplies BMR by an activity factor to get your total daily energy expenditure, TDEE. That is your maintenance level: eat this many calories and your weight stays roughly the same. To lose weight, eat less than TDEE; to gain, eat more. A deficit of about 500 kcal a day leads to roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week at first.
| Activity level | × BMR | |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, little or no exercise | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1–3 days a week | 1.4 |
| Moderately active | Training 3–5 days a week | 1.6 |
| Very active | Hard training 6–7 days a week | 1.7 |
| Extremely active | Physical job plus hard daily training | 1.9 |
Treat the result as a starting point, not an exact truth: any formula can be off by 10% or more for a given person. Eat at your target for two to three weeks while weighing yourself several times a week, then compare the weekly averages. If your weight moves faster or slower than planned, adjust by 100–200 kcal.
Pick an honest activity level — most people overestimate it. If you train three times a week but sit the rest of the day, "lightly active" or "moderately active" is usually right. When cutting, keep protein high and keep lifting so the weight you lose comes mostly from fat, not muscle.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. TDEE adds everything else — walking, training, work and digesting food — so it is always higher than BMR. Your daily calorie target should be based on TDEE, not BMR.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Start about 300–500 kcal below your TDEE. That usually gives a steady loss of 0.25–0.5 kg (0.5–1 lb) a week without crushing your energy or strength. Very aggressive deficits make it harder to keep muscle and stick to the diet.
Should I eat back the calories I burn in workouts?
No — your activity level already includes your training. Adding workout calories on top counts them twice. Fitness trackers also tend to overestimate calories burned during exercise.
