Calorie Calculator
Find out how many calories you need each day to maintain, lose or gain weight — using the science-backed Mifflin-St Jeor equation (with Harris-Benedict and Katch-McArdle options).
How many calories do you need?
Your body burns energy in two main ways: your BMR (basal metabolic rate — what you burn at complete rest just staying alive) and the additional energy from movement, exercise and digestion. Together they make up your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) — the number of calories that keeps your weight stable.
Eat consistently below your TDEE and you lose weight; eat above it and you gain. Everything else — macros, meal timing, diet style — matters far less than that energy balance.
Counting calories in 5 steps
Calorie counting doesn't have to be complicated. These five steps turn the number above into a plan you can actually follow:
- Find your maintenance (TDEE). Use the calculator above — it estimates the calories that keep your weight stable.
- Set a goal deficit or surplus. Subtract about 500 kcal/day to lose roughly 1 lb per week, or add 250-500 kcal/day for lean gains.
- Track what you eat. Log food with an app or a notebook for 1-2 weeks. Most people under-count by 20-40%, so weigh portions when you can.
- Weigh in and compare. Track your body weight on the same scale, same time of day, and average it over the week to see the real trend.
- Adjust every 2-3 weeks. If the scale isn't moving as expected, nudge intake by 100-200 kcal rather than making drastic cuts.
Consistency beats precision. A rough count you keep up for months will always beat a perfect count you abandon in a week.
The formulas this calculator uses
By default we use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research shows is the most accurate general predictor of resting metabolism. If you know your body fat percentage, Katch-McArdle can be even more precise because it works from lean body mass.
Mifflin-St Jeor (women): BMR = 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age − 161
Katch-McArdle: BMR = 370 + 21.6×lean mass (kg)
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Calories to lose or gain weight
A deficit of about 500 kcal/day trends toward roughly 1 lb (0.45 kg) of loss per week. Doubling the deficit doubles the pace but gets much harder to sustain — and losing more than about 1% of body weight per week increases muscle loss. For weight gain, a modest surplus of 250-500 kcal/day supports lean gains.
We never recommend going below 1,500 kcal/day for men or 1,200 kcal/day for women without medical supervision.
Choose your activity level honestly
- Sedentary: desk job, little intentional exercise.
- Light: exercise or sports 1-3 days per week.
- Moderate: training 3-5 days per week.
- Active: hard exercise 6-7 days per week.
- Extra active: physical job plus training, or twice-a-day sessions.
Over-estimating activity is the single most common reason calorie targets come out too high. When in doubt, pick the lower level.
Not all calories are equal in quality
A calorie is a unit of energy, so for weight change the number is what counts. But where those calories come from decides how full you feel, how well you recover and how easy the diet is to stick to.
- Nutrient-dense foods — vegetables, fruit, lean protein, whole grains, legumes — deliver vitamins, fibre and satiety per calorie. They make a deficit far easier to hold.
- High-calorie foods — nuts, oils, cheese, fatty meats — aren't "bad", but small portions add up fast, so they're easy to over-eat.
- Empty calories — sugary drinks, sweets, refined snacks and alcohol — give energy with little nutrition and rarely satisfy hunger.
A practical rule: build most meals from whole foods, keep empty calories to roughly 10% or less of your daily total, and prioritise protein (about 1.6-2.2 g per kg of body weight) to protect muscle while losing fat.
Calories in common foods
Rough calorie counts for everyday foods (USDA values). Portions matter as much as the food itself — measuring is the fastest way to close the gap between what you think you ate and what you actually did.
Fruit & vegetables
| Food | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | 1 medium (182 g) | 95 kcal |
| Banana | 1 medium (118 g) | 105 kcal |
| Orange | 1 medium (131 g) | 62 kcal |
| Grapes | 1 cup (92 g) | 62 kcal |
| Broccoli | 1 cup (91 g) | 31 kcal |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61 g) | 25 kcal |
| Potato, baked | 1 medium (173 g) | 161 kcal |
| Avocado | 1/2 fruit (100 g) | 160 kcal |
Protein foods
| Food | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 128 kcal |
| Salmon, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 177 kcal |
| Ground beef, 90% lean | 3 oz (85 g) | 184 kcal |
| Egg | 1 large | 78 kcal |
| Greek yogurt, plain | 1 cup (245 g) | 149 kcal |
| Tofu, firm | 3 oz (85 g) | 71 kcal |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup (172 g) | 227 kcal |
| Almonds | 1 oz (28 g / ~23 nuts) | 164 kcal |
Grains, dairy & staples
| Food | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| White rice, cooked | 1 cup (158 g) | 205 kcal |
| Brown rice, cooked | 1 cup (195 g) | 218 kcal |
| Bread, whole wheat | 1 slice | 81 kcal |
| Oatmeal, cooked | 1 cup (234 g) | 154 kcal |
| Pasta, cooked | 1 cup (140 g) | 221 kcal |
| Milk, 2% | 1 cup (244 g) | 122 kcal |
| Cheddar cheese | 1 oz (28 g) | 115 kcal |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp (14 g) | 119 kcal |
Snacks, drinks & treats
| Food | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Potato chips | 1 oz (28 g) | 152 kcal |
| Chocolate chip cookie | 1 medium | 78 kcal |
| Cola | 12 oz can | 136 kcal |
| Beer, regular | 12 oz | 153 kcal |
| Wine, red | 5 oz | 125 kcal |
| Cheeseburger, fast food | 1 sandwich | 300 kcal |
| Pizza, cheese | 1 slice | 285 kcal |
| Ice cream, vanilla | 1/2 cup | 137 kcal |
Calories burned by exercise
Approximate calories burned for a 155 lb (70 kg) adult. Lighter people burn a little less and heavier people a little more. For a personal estimate use our calories-burned calculator.
| Activity | 30 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|
| Walking, brisk (3.5 mph) | 149 kcal | 298 kcal |
| Hiking | 210 kcal | 420 kcal |
| Running (6 mph) | 342 kcal | 683 kcal |
| Cycling, moderate (12-14 mph) | 280 kcal | 560 kcal |
| Swimming laps, moderate | 203 kcal | 406 kcal |
| Elliptical trainer | 175 kcal | 350 kcal |
| Weight training, general | 122 kcal | 245 kcal |
| HIIT / circuit training | 280 kcal | 560 kcal |
| Yoga | 88 kcal | 175 kcal |
| Basketball | 280 kcal | 560 kcal |
Sample meal plans
Three balanced days at different calorie levels to show how the numbers translate into food. Treat them as templates — swap in foods you actually enjoy so the plan is easy to keep.
1,200 kcal day
| Meal | Example | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Greek yogurt with berries and a drizzle of honey | 250 kcal |
| Lunch | Large mixed salad with grilled chicken and light dressing | 350 kcal |
| Snack | Apple with a small handful of almonds | 200 kcal |
| Dinner | Baked salmon, steamed broccoli and a small potato | 400 kcal |
| Daily total | ~1,200 kcal | |
1,500 kcal day
| Meal | Example | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oatmeal with banana, peanut butter and milk | 400 kcal |
| Lunch | Turkey and avocado wrap with side salad | 450 kcal |
| Snack | Cottage cheese with fruit | 200 kcal |
| Dinner | Stir-fried tofu and vegetables over brown rice | 450 kcal |
| Daily total | ~1,500 kcal | |
2,000 kcal day
| Meal | Example | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Two eggs, whole-wheat toast, avocado and fruit | 500 kcal |
| Lunch | Chicken burrito bowl with rice, beans and salsa | 650 kcal |
| Snack | Greek yogurt with granola and nuts | 350 kcal |
| Dinner | Lean beef, sweet potato and roasted vegetables | 500 kcal |
| Daily total | ~2,000 kcal | |
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat a day?
Most adults maintain their weight on roughly 2,000-2,800 kcal (men) or 1,600-2,200 kcal (women), but the right number depends on your size, age and activity. Use the calculator above for a personal estimate, then adjust based on 2-3 weeks of real-world results.
How many calories to lose 1 pound?
About 3,500 kcal of cumulative deficit equals one pound of fat. A 500 kcal daily deficit therefore trends toward about 1 lb per week.
Is 1,200 calories a day safe?
For many adults 1,200 kcal is too low to sustain long term and risks nutrient shortfalls. Treat it as an absolute floor, not a target, and consult a professional before eating that little.
Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit?
The usual culprits: portions are larger than logged (tracking error averages 20-40%), activity is overestimated, weekends erase the weekday deficit, or water retention is masking fat loss on the scale. Track honestly for 2-3 weeks before changing the plan.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
If you selected an activity level that already includes your workouts, no — they are already counted. Only add calories for exercise on top of a sedentary setting, and even then count only 50-75% of device estimates, which tend to run high.
References
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 1990.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
- Hall KD, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet, 2011.