Our calorie calculator answers the question 'how many calories should I eat?' by calculating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), then adjusting for your fitness goal. Whether you want to lose weight with a calorie deficit, maintain your current weight, or build muscle with a calorie surplus, this calculator provides accurate daily calorie targets with macro breakdown.
500 calorie deficit for weight loss
Resting metabolism
Maintenance calories
Weekly Change
-0.5 kg
Monthly Change
-2 kg
Calorie Warning
Target is below recommended minimum.
Pro Tip
Track for 2-3 weeks and adjust based on actual results. These are estimates with ~10% margin.
Input your age, gender, current weight, and height accurately for precise calculations.
Choose how active you are weekly. When in doubt, choose one level lower — most people overestimate.
Select weight loss (deficit), maintenance, or muscle gain (surplus) based on your fitness objective.
See your personalized daily calorie intake with macro breakdown. Track for 2-3 weeks and adjust as needed.
Your daily calorie needs are calculated by first determining your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplying by an activity factor to get TDEE. For weight loss, we subtract 500-1000 calories (calorie deficit). For muscle gain, we add 300-500 calories (calorie surplus).
Daily Calories = TDEE ± Goal Adjustment
For safe weight loss, create a 500-calorie deficit (loses ~0.5kg/week) — never go below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men
For muscle gain, add 300-500 calories above maintenance combined with strength training
Track your calories for 2-3 weeks and adjust based on actual weight changes
Protein intake is crucial — aim for 1.6-2.2g per kg of body weight
Be honest about your activity level — overestimating leads to eating too much
Recalculate your calories after every 5kg of weight change
Our free calorie calculator tells you exactly how many calories you need per day based on your age, gender, height, weight, activity level, and fitness goal. Whether you want to lose weight with a calorie deficit, maintain your weight, or build muscle with a calorie surplus, this calculator gives you personalized daily calorie intake recommendations.
Your daily calorie needs are unique to you. They depend on:
Most adults need between 1,600-3,000 calories per day. Our calorie calculator uses the scientifically-validated Mifflin-St Jeor equation to calculate your exact needs.
To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit — eating fewer calories than you burn.
A 500-calorie daily deficit results in about 0.5kg (1 pound) of weight loss per week. Our calorie deficit calculator shows you exactly how many calories to eat for safe, sustainable weight loss.
Building muscle requires a calorie surplus — eating more than you burn.
Combined with strength training, a 300-500 calorie surplus supports muscle growth while minimizing fat gain. Our calculator shows your bulking calorie target with optimal macro ratios.
Understanding these numbers helps you make informed decisions about your nutrition.
Maintenance calories equal your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) — your basal metabolic rate multiplied by an activity factor.
For an 80 kg, 180 cm, 30-year-old man with a BMR near 1780 kcal, moderate activity (×1.55) gives a maintenance level around 2759 kcal/day.
Eating at maintenance keeps weight stable; eating above or below drives gain or loss. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans note needs vary widely by size, age, sex, and activity, so this is an estimate to refine by tracking results.
Weight loss requires eating fewer calories than you burn.
Because a pound of fat holds roughly 3,500 kcal, a daily deficit of about 500 kcal produces close to one pound of loss per week — a rate the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics considers safe and sustainable.
Larger deficits speed loss but risk muscle loss, fatigue, and rebound. A moderate deficit, adequate protein, and strength training preserve muscle while losing fat.
Building muscle generally requires a modest calorie surplus — often 250-500 kcal/day above maintenance — combined with progressive resistance training and sufficient protein.
A large surplus adds fat faster than muscle, since muscle gain has a biological speed limit.
The American Council on Exercise recommends a 'lean bulk' with a small surplus and regular progress checks. Beginners and those returning to training can sometimes gain muscle near maintenance.
Calories come from three macronutrients:
The Dietary Guidelines suggest broad ranges, but for body composition, figuring out how much protein per day you need is the priority (often ~1.6-2.2 g per kg of body weight for active people) — it preserves muscle in a deficit and supports growth in a surplus.
Carbs fuel training and fat supports hormones. Total calories drive weight change; macros shape what that change is made of.
For weight change, a calorie is a calorie — total energy balance determines gain or loss.
But food quality matters for health, hunger, and adherence: protein and fiber-rich whole foods are more filling per calorie, stabilize blood sugar, and make a deficit easier to sustain than the same calories from refined sugar. The Dietary Guidelines emphasize nutrient-dense foods.
So while calories govern the scale, food choice governs how you feel and your long-term health.
As you lose weight, your calorie needs fall — a smaller body burns less, and the body partially adapts by reducing energy expenditure (adaptive thermogenesis).
This is why weight loss slows and plateaus form even when you stick to a plan.
The fix is to:
Expecting the original deficit to work indefinitely is a common reason people stall.
Frequent mistakes include:
People also trust calorie labels and estimates as exact when they carry error.
Weigh portions initially, log honestly, base activity multipliers on reality, prioritize protein, and adjust targets from your actual weekly weight trend rather than the formula alone.
Data sourced from trusted institutions
All formulas verified against official standards.