Free tool
How many calories do you actually need?
Most calorie targets online are guesses. This one uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the same method dietitians use, to work out your real daily number, then shows you the macros to hit it. Under a minute, no sign-up to see your result.
Work out your number
Fill in the five fields below. We'll only ask for an email if you want the full meal-by-meal plan.
Fill in every field to get your number.
To maintain your weight
0 kcal
calories a day
Lose fat
0 kcal
Maintain
0 kcal
hold steady
Build muscle
0 kcal
lean gain
Tap a goal to see the macros for it. Fat-loss pace is set above.
Daily macros to maintain, at 0 kcal
0 g
0 g
0 g
How this is calculated
We estimate your resting metabolism with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiply by your activity level to get your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE):
BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + s (s is +5 for men, −161 for women)
Fat-loss and muscle-gain targets shift your maintenance by the pace you choose (roughly 7,700 kcal per kg of body weight). Protein is set at 1.8 g per kg, fat at around a quarter of your calories, and carbs fill the rest. These are solid starting estimates, not a substitute for a dietitian.
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Already know your calories? Work out your protein target next.
These are estimates to point you in the right direction, not personal medical or dietary advice. For a plan built around your body, your health and your goals, our accredited dietitian Charlie can help.
How many calories do you actually need?
Your maintenance calories are the amount of energy your body burns in a day. Eat around that number and your weight holds steady. Eat consistently below it and you lose fat. Eat above it, with training, and you build muscle. Everything in nutrition starts with knowing that number, and almost nobody actually does.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research has repeatedly found to be the most accurate of the common formulas for estimating resting metabolism. We then apply an activity multiplier to reach your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. It's the same starting point our dietitian uses before tailoring it to you.
Why the number is only a starting point
A formula can't see your body. It doesn't know your muscle mass, your history of dieting, your sleep, your stress, or how honestly you rate your own activity level. So treat the result as a well-educated first guess. Eat at it for two to three weeks, track your weight trend, and adjust from there. If the scale isn't moving the way you want, the number needs a nudge, not your willpower.
What about macros?
Calories decide whether you gain or lose. Macros, your split of protein, carbs and fat, decide how good you feel and look while you do it. Protein is the one most people get wrong, so once you have your calories, it's worth checking your protein target too. The calculator gives you a full macro split for each goal above.
Is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation accurate?
It's the most accurate of the widely used equations for estimating resting metabolic rate in most people, which is why dietitians and researchers favour it. That said, any formula is an estimate. Use the result as a starting point and adjust based on how your weight actually responds over a few weeks.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A moderate deficit of around 0.5 kg per week suits most people, which is roughly 500 calories a day below your maintenance number. Faster isn't better: too steep a deficit costs you muscle and is far harder to stick to. Pick a pace you can hold for months, not days.
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure, the total calories you burn in a day including exercise, movement and digestion. It's your maintenance number, and it's the figure this calculator gives you before adjusting for your goal.
Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising?
Usually no. Your activity level is already factored into the multiplier, so eating back exercise calories on top tends to double-count them. Set your target from your TDEE and leave it there unless your weight trend tells you otherwise.
Can you build a plan around this for me?
Yes. Our accredited dietitian Charlie takes numbers like these and turns them into a plan built around your life, your training and your health, and first appointments are usually claimable on private health. You can book directly through the site.
Want it dialled in for you?
The calculator gets you a number. Charlie, our accredited dietitian, builds the whole thing around your life, your training and your goals.
Book with our dietitian