Find out exactly how many calories you need per day to lose weight, maintain, or build muscle — plus your macro targets.
| Goal | Calories/day | Change |
|---|
Basal Metabolic Rate is what you burn lying still. It's the floor of your energy needs — even a coma patient burns this many calories.
Eat at your TDEE and your weight stays the same. Go below it to lose, above it to gain. Simple energy balance.
Calories come from protein, carbs, and fat. Protein targets are higher during a cut to preserve muscle. Fat stays above a minimum for hormone health.
This uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (the most validated formula for the general population) and standard TDEE activity multipliers. Real-world results vary ±10–15% because activity levels are self-reported and metabolisms differ. Use the result as a starting point, track for 2–3 weeks, and adjust by 100–150 kcal if you're not seeing the expected change.
Different calculators use different BMR formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, Katch-McArdle) and different activity multipliers. Mifflin-St Jeor is recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as the most accurate for most adults.
Hit your protein target first — it's the most important for muscle retention and satiety. Fill the rest of your calories with carbs and fat in whatever ratio you prefer. You don't need to hit macros exactly every day — weekly averages matter more.
Losses faster than 1 kg/week typically include significant muscle loss. Most nutrition guidelines recommend a maximum deficit of 500–750 kcal/day. Larger deficits are sometimes used medically under supervision.