How many calories should you eat a day?

Your daily calories and macros · backed by research

Age
20304050607080
Height
140150160170180190200210
Weight
404550556065707580859095100105110115120125130135140145150
How many workouts do you do per week?
01234567+
Gender
What is your goal?

Lose per week 0.5 kg Recommended

How this is worked out

Burned at rest (BMR)
–
Burned in a day (TDEE)
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  1. Burned at rest (BMR) by the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age, then +5 for men or −161 for women. A systematic review found it the most reliable of the common equations.
  2. Burned in a day (TDEE) = BMR × 1.375 (0–2 workouts), 1.55 (3–5) or 1.725 (6+), the standard activity multipliers used with BMR equations. Scaling BMR by activity level comes from the FAO/WHO/UNU expert report on human energy needs.
  3. Target = TDEE minus or plus your chosen speed, taking 1 kg of body weight as about 7,700 kcal. That's a rule of thumb: real weight change slows as the body adapts (Hall et al., 2011). It never goes below 1,500 kcal (men) or 1,200 kcal (women), the usual minimum in obesity treatment guidelines, or BMR × 1.05.
  4. Macros: protein 1.8 g per kg (lose), 1.5 (maintain) or 2.0 (gain), inside the 1.4–2.0 g/kg the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends for active people; fat 27% of energy, inside the 20–35% range in the National Academies' Dietary Reference Intakes; carbs take the rest.

These are estimates for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding or have a medical condition, check with a doctor or dietitian first. What you type is worked out on your device and never sent to us.

Thai iced tea: the lab-tested average for drinks ordered through Bangkok delivery apps (Jindarattanaporn et al., IJERPH 2023).

Sources9
  1. Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–7.
  2. Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775–89.
  3. FAO/WHO/UNU. Human energy requirements: report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation. Rome: FAO; 2004.
  4. Wishnofsky M. Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 1958;6(5):542–6.
  5. Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–37.
  6. Jensen MD, Ryan DH, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults. Circulation. 2014;129(25 Suppl 2):S102–38.
  7. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.
  8. Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2005.
  9. Jindarattanaporn N, et al. Nutritional content of popular menu items from online food delivery applications in Bangkok, Thailand: are they healthy? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023.