How many calories you need a day
Find out in seconds how many calories you need per day to lose fat, maintain or build muscle. We compute your basal metabolism and total expenditure (TDEE) with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula and give you a realistic target plus a macro split.
Estimate based on the Mifflin-St Jeor formula. Guidance, not medical advice.
You have your target. Now the hard part
Hitting it daily. Photograph your plate and the app subtracts it from your target — no weighing, no searching.
Next time you sit down to eat, photograph the plate before the first bite. That is the whole method.
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How are your calories calculated?
First we estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the energy you burn at rest — with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate of the common formulas in validation studies. We multiply that by your activity level to get your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which is simply your maintenance calories. Then we adjust for your goal: to lose fat we subtract about 500 kcal, a healthy pace of roughly 0.5 kg per week, and to build muscle we add about 275 kcal so the gain stays mostly lean. Finally we split the macros: protein by body weight (1.8 g/kg while cutting or bulking, 1.4 g/kg at maintenance), 25% of calories from fat, and carbohydrates take the rest.
Maintenance calories by weight and sex
How many calories a day someone with your profile burns doing nothing in particular, and how many if they move. Computed with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation at age 35. Treat it as a starting point: two people at the same weight can differ by 300 kcal through muscle, genetics and how much they fidget.
| Profile | At rest | Sedentary | Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man, 70 kg | 1620 | 1950 | 2520 |
| Man, 80 kg | 1720 | 2070 | 2670 |
| Man, 90 kg | 1820 | 2190 | 2830 |
| Woman, 55 kg | 1250 | 1490 | 1930 |
| Woman, 65 kg | 1350 | 1610 | 2090 |
| Woman, 75 kg | 1450 | 1730 | 2240 |
Mifflin-St Jeor, age 35, 175 cm for men and 165 cm for women. Sedentary = x1.2; active = x1.55 (3 to 5 sessions a week). These are reference ranges for healthy adults, not a diagnosis or individual advice.
FAQ
How many calories should I eat a day?
It depends on your sex, age, height, weight, activity and goal — there is no universal number, and any site that gives you one without asking is guessing. The calculator estimates YOUR figure. For scale: an active 65 kg woman usually sits around 1,800-2,000 kcal at maintenance, an active 80 kg man around 2,400-2,700 kcal.
How many calories to lose weight?
Subtract about 500 kcal from your maintenance (TDEE) to lose roughly 0.5 kg per week — a pace you can actually hold. Much bigger deficits cost you muscle and make the rebound more likely. The calculator applies that deficit when you pick "lose fat", with a safety floor so it never drops you dangerously low.
What are maintenance calories (TDEE)?
The total you burn in a day: your basal metabolism plus everyday movement plus exercise. Eat around your TDEE and your weight holds; below it you lose, above it you gain. It is the starting point for any goal, which is why the calculator shows it separately.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a good estimate, but no equation is right for everyone — real expenditure varies by 10-15% between people with identical stats. Treat it as a starting point and let reality correct it: if after 2-3 weeks the scale is not moving as expected, adjust by 100-200 kcal. Tracking and adjusting beats any formula.
Does it give me macros too?
Yes. Under the result you get grams of protein, carbs and fat that fit your calorie target, worked out from evidence-based criteria: protein by body weight, fat at 25% of calories, carbohydrates filling the remainder.