Calorie Calculator
Estimate your daily calorie needs, BMR and TDEE, plus targets to lose, maintain or gain weight, using the accurate Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Runs in your browser.
Part of 💪 Free Health & Fitness Calculators
For general information and fitness planning only — not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or dietitian before making health decisions.
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Work Out Your Daily Calorie Needs
This free calorie calculator estimates how many calories you burn in a day so you can plan to lose, maintain or gain weight. It finds your BMR (the calories your body uses at rest) and your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, including activity) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula most dietitians consider the most accurate for everyday use.
Enter your sex, age, height, weight and activity level, and you instantly get your maintenance calories plus simple targets for losing or gaining about half a kilo a week. Everything runs in your browser, with no signup, and works in metric or imperial units.
How to Use the Calorie Calculator
- 1Choose metric or imperial units.
- 2Enter your sex, age, height and weight.
- 3Pick your activity level for a typical week.
- 4Read your maintenance calories plus lose, maintain and gain targets.
Why Use MakeToolz's Calorie Calculator?
BMR and TDEE
Shows both your resting BMR and your full daily burn with activity.
Goal targets
Gives calorie targets to lose, maintain or gain weight at a steady pace.
Accurate formula
Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely regarded as the most accurate for most people.
Metric or imperial
Switch between cm/kg and in/lb with one click.
100% in your browser
No signup and nothing uploaded; it all runs locally.
Free and instant
Results update the moment you change a value.
How the Calorie Calculator Works
Your body burns calories even when you do nothing, just to keep your heart beating, your lungs working and your temperature steady. That baseline is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). On top of that, every step, workout and fidget burns more. Multiply BMR by an activity factor and you get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), the number of calories you burn on a typical day. Eat that many to maintain your weight, fewer to lose, and more to gain.
This tool uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published in 1990 and repeatedly found to be more accurate than older formulas like Harris-Benedict for most people. It runs entirely in your browser, so your numbers stay private, and there is no signup or limit.
Activity Levels Explained
- Sedentary: desk job, little or no exercise.
- Light: light exercise or sport 1 to 3 days a week.
- Moderate: moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week.
- Active: hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week.
- Very active: very hard exercise or a physical job.
Calorie Targets at a Glance
| Goal | Daily calories | Expected change |
|---|---|---|
| Lose weight | TDEE minus 500 | About 0.5 kg per week down |
| Maintain | TDEE | Stable weight |
| Gain weight | TDEE plus 500 | About 0.5 kg per week up |
People Also Ask
How do I calculate my daily calorie needs?
Enter your sex, age, height, weight and activity level above. The calculator returns your TDEE, which is roughly the calories you need to maintain your current weight.
How many calories to lose 1 pound a week?
About a 500-calorie daily deficit leads to roughly one pound (0.45 kg) of loss per week, since a pound of fat is around 3,500 calories.
Why is my calorie need different from a friend's?
Calorie needs depend on sex, age, height, weight and activity, so two people can differ a lot. Larger, younger and more active people generally burn more.
Should I eat below my BMR to lose weight faster?
It is generally not recommended. Eating below BMR can be hard to sustain and may cost you muscle. A moderate deficit from TDEE is safer and steadier.
Is the calorie calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no signup and no limits. Everything runs in your browser.
Does it store my data?
No. All calculations happen locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded or saved.