How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

A moderate deficit of 500 calories below your maintenance level leads to about 1 lb of weight loss per week. Never go below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) without medical supervision.

How many calories do I need to maintain my weight?

This depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. The calculator above gives your personalized maintenance number using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. For most adults, maintenance ranges from 1,600 to 3,000 calories per day.

Does cutting calories slow my metabolism?

Severe calorie restriction can lower BMR over time — a phenomenon called "metabolic adaptation." To minimize this, avoid very low calorie diets, incorporate strength training to preserve muscle, and consider diet breaks or refeeds if in a long-term deficit.

How many calories does exercise burn?

Calorie burn from exercise varies widely. A 155 lb person burns roughly 260 calories in 30 minutes of moderate cycling, 335 calories jogging, and 112 calories walking briskly. The activity factor in this calculator accounts for your overall activity level including exercise.

Free Calorie Needs Calculator

Calculate your daily calorie needs based on age, weight, height, and activity level using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.

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Weight

lbs

Height (total inches)

inches

Enter total height in inches (e.g., 5'10" = 70 inches)

Age

years

Activity Level

Maintenance Calories

2,693

Weight Loss (500 deficit)2,193

Weight Gain (500 surplus)3,193

Basal Metabolic Rate1,737

Maintenance Calories vs Weight

View formula & how it works →

How Daily Calorie Needs Are Estimated

Your body burns calories just keeping you alive. Breathing, circulation, cell repair, brain function. That baseline is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). On top of that, you burn calories through activity: walking, exercising, fidgeting, even digesting food. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is BMR multiplied by an activity factor.

The Formula (Mifflin-St Jeor)

Men: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) + 5 Women: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) - 161

Then multiply by your activity level:

Sedentary (desk job, little exercise): BMR x 1.2

Lightly active (exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375

Moderately active (exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55

Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725

We use Mifflin-St Jeor because it's the most accurate for most adults. The American Dietetic Association recommended it over the older Harris-Benedict equation in 2005.

When to Use This

When starting a diet or fitness plan and you need a calorie target. To lose weight, eat 300-500 calories below your TDEE. To gain weight, eat 300-500 above it. A 500 calorie daily deficit produces roughly 1 pound of fat loss per week.

What This Can't Account For

Metabolism varies between individuals by 200-300 calories even at the same weight, height, and activity level. Muscle mass, genetics, hormones, sleep quality, and stress all affect your actual burn rate. Treat this number as a starting point. Track your weight for 2-3 weeks and adjust based on what actually happens.

Common Mistakes

Overestimating activity level. Most people who exercise 3 days a week are "lightly active," not "moderately active." The gym burns fewer calories than people think.

Using this number as exact truth instead of an estimate. Your real TDEE could be 10-15% higher or lower.

Eating at too large a deficit. Below 1,200 calories/day for women or 1,500 for men is generally not recommended without medical supervision.

Example Calculation

A 30-year-old male, 170 lbs, 5'10", moderately active.

01Weight in kg: 170 x 0.4536 = 77.1 kg
02Height in cm: 70 x 2.54 = 177.8 cm
03BMR = 10(77.1) + 6.25(177.8) - 5(30) + 5 = 1,733
04TDEE = 1,733 x 1.55 = 2,686 calories/day

Example Calculations

How many calories does a 30-year-old male need?

About 2,400–2,600 calories/day

1.Male, 30 years old, 5'10", 175 lbs
2.BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 × 79.4 + 6.25 × 177.8 − 5 × 30 − 5 = 1,755
3.Activity factor (moderately active): 1.55
4.TDEE: 1,755 × 1.55 = 2,720 calories/day
5.For maintenance: ~2,600–2,800 calories/day

How many calories to lose 1 pound per week?

Eat 500 fewer calories per day

1.1 pound of fat ≈ 3,500 calories
2.To lose 1 lb/week: 3,500 ÷ 7 = 500 calorie deficit/day
3.If TDEE is 2,400: eat 1,900 calories/day
4.Or: eat 250 fewer + burn 250 more through exercise
5.Do not go below 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) calories/day

How many calories does a sedentary woman need?

About 1,600–1,800 calories/day

1.Female, 30 years old, 5'5", 140 lbs, sedentary
2.BMR: 10 × 63.5 + 6.25 × 165.1 − 5 × 30 − 161 = 1,337
3.Activity factor (sedentary): 1.2
4.TDEE: 1,337 × 1.2 = 1,604 calories/day
5.For maintenance: ~1,600 calories/day

Frequently Asked Questions

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