Health calculator

Calorie Calculator

Estimate daily calories for maintenance, weight loss, or weight gain using your age, body size, and activity level.

Estimate your daily energy needs

Choose your measurement system, enter your details, and select the goal you want to explore.

Private calculation

Adult estimate: This calculator is designed for adults aged 18 and older. It is not intended for pregnancy, breastfeeding, competitive athletes, or people with conditions that significantly affect metabolism.

Goal

About the Calorie Calculator

This calculator estimates how much food energy an adult may need each day. It first estimates resting energy expenditure and then adjusts that value for activity and the selected weight goal.

How the calculation works

The calculator uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, which estimates resting energy expenditure from weight, height, age, and the sex-specific constant selected in the form. The resting estimate is multiplied by a broad activity factor to estimate maintenance calories.

Male equation 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5
Female equation 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161

W is weight in kilograms, H is height in centimeters, and A is age in years.

Why your actual calorie needs may differ

  • Prediction equations estimate averages and can be meaningfully high or low for an individual.
  • Activity labels cannot perfectly capture exercise, occupation, daily movement, and recovery.
  • Body composition, medications, illness, sleep, and recent weight change can affect energy expenditure.
  • Energy needs can change over time as body weight and activity change.

Using the result

Start with the estimate, track your average intake and body-weight trend consistently, and make small adjustments only after enough time has passed to see a pattern. A registered dietitian or qualified healthcare professional can provide individualized guidance.

Privacy

Your age, height, weight, activity level, and goal are processed only inside your browser. Toolslight does not send or store the values you enter here.

Health note: This calculator provides a general educational estimate, not medical or nutrition advice. Seek professional guidance for pregnancy, breastfeeding, eating-disorder concerns, metabolic disease, unexplained weight change, or highly demanding athletic training.