How many calories do you need to consume each day to maintain your weight?
Use our calorie calculator below to get an estimate of your resting metabolic rate and your daily caloric expenditure.
Which Formula Does This Calorie Calculator Use?
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
The equations for the resting metabolic rate of males and females are:
- Men: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
- Women: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161
The resting metabolic rate is then multiplied with an activity factor to give you an estimate of your daily caloric expenditure.
How to Use This Information
The calorie calculator provides a rough estimate of the number of calories you need to stay healthy and maintain your weight.
- To gain weight, consume more calories than your daily expenditure.
- To lose weight, consume less calories than your daily expenditure.
How many more or less?
About 20% over or below your daily expenditure is a good caloric target in order to gain or lose weight, respectively. We recommend that you also use a weight scale and a measuring tape for more information regarding how your body composition changes, and to see if you are on track towards your goal.
More reading:
- How to Cut: Lose Fat and Keep your Muscle Mass
- Eating for Muscle Growth: When, How, and How Much to Eat for Adding Lean Mass
- Protein Calculator: How Much Protein Do You Need?
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