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Calorie Calculator

Daily calories to lose, maintain or gain weight.

Losing weightStep 2 of 5

Best for: Use it to plan a cut, maintenance or lean bulk.

Complete guide
Why this result happened View assumptions
Country (units):

Input

How it's calculated & sources

Method: TDEE (Mifflin-St Jeor × activity) with a ±500 kcal/day adjustment for ~0.5 kg/week change — the widely accepted safe rate. Reviewed June 2026. Not a substitute for advice from a dietitian.

Key assumptions
  • About 3,500 kcal per 0.45 kg of weight change
  • An estimate - individual results vary

Educational estimate only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for decisions about your health.

Free & no sign-up · runs entirely in your browser. Results are estimates for general information, not professional advice — verify important decisions with a qualified expert. Last reviewed June 2026.

How it works

Calories = TDEE + Goal Adjustment

Lose: −500 kcal/day (~0.5 kg/week) · Gain: +500 kcal/day · Maintain: TDEE

Example

TDEE 2,554. To lose weight: ~2,054 kcal/day. To gain: ~3,054 kcal/day.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 500-calorie deficit safe?+

Yes for most healthy adults. Larger deficits can cause muscle loss and fatigue.

Do I count calories from drinks?+

Yes — liquid calories from juice, soda and alcohol all count.

Continue your journey

Where people usually head next.

🔥
BMR Calculator
Basal metabolic rate using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
⚡
TDEE Calculator
Total Daily Energy Expenditure for any activity level.
🥗
Macro Calculator
Daily carbs, protein and fat for any goal and split.
🧍
Body Fat Calculator
U.S. Navy method body fat percentage from circumferences.

Complete guide

Quick answers

Short, sourced answers to the questions people (and AI assistants) ask most.

What is Calorie?
A calorie calculator estimates how many calories you should eat per day to lose, maintain or gain weight, based on your body and activity.
Why does Calorie matter?
It feeds BMI, calorie, body-fat and dosing calculations.
How is Calorie calculated?
It finds your maintenance calories (TDEE), then applies a deficit or surplus for your goal. Formula: Target = TDEE \u2212 deficit (to lose) or + surplus (to gain).
What are common calorie mistakes?
Cutting too aggressively, which loses muscle and stalls metabolism.
When should you use the Calorie Calculator?
Use it to plan a cut, maintenance or lean bulk.

What is the Calorie Calculator?

A calorie calculator estimates how many calories you should eat per day to lose, maintain or gain weight, based on your body and activity.

How the Calorie Calculator works

It finds your maintenance calories (TDEE), then applies a deficit or surplus for your goal.

Target = TDEE \u2212 deficit (to lose) or + surplus (to gain)
  • TDEE — Maintenance calories
  • deficit/surplus — \u2212500 \u2248 \u22120.5 kg/week; \u22121000 \u2248 \u22121 kg/week
  1. Enter your weight — your body weight, entered in kilograms or pounds.
  2. Enter your height — your height, entered in centimeters/meters or feet and inches.
  3. Enter your age — your age in years.
  4. Enter your activity level — how much you move and exercise in a typical week, from sedentary to very active.
  5. Enter your calories — a unit of food energy; here, your daily intake or target.
  6. Enter your target weight — the weight you are aiming to reach.
  7. Read the result, then change any input to compare scenarios instantly — the Calorie Calculator recalculates as you type.

Understanding the inputs

What each value means, why it matters, and a typical range — so you can fill in the calculator with confidence.

Weight

Your body weight, entered in kilograms or pounds.

Why it matters:
It feeds BMI, calorie, body-fat and dosing calculations.
Typical range:
Varies by person; tools accept metric or imperial.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: Raises BMI and calorie needs.
  • Lower: Lowers BMI and calorie needs.

Common mistake: Mixing units - entering pounds where kilograms are expected.

Height

Your height, entered in centimeters/meters or feet and inches.

Why it matters:
It is paired with weight to judge healthy ranges and body composition.
Typical range:
Varies by person.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: A given weight reads as a lower BMI.
  • Lower: A given weight reads as a higher BMI.

Common mistake: Entering centimeters where meters are expected, or mixing units.

Age

Your age in years.

Why it matters:
Metabolism, heart-rate zones and many health formulas change with age.
Typical range:
Adult formulas usually assume 18 and over.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: Generally a lower metabolism and maximum heart rate.
  • Lower: Generally a higher metabolism and maximum heart rate.

Common mistake: Using adult formulas for children, who need age-and-sex percentiles.

Activity Level

How much you move and exercise in a typical week, from sedentary to very active.

Why it matters:
It multiplies your resting calorie burn into your real daily needs (TDEE).
Typical range:
Sedentary to very active, multiplying BMR by about 1.2 to 1.9.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: Higher daily calorie needs.
  • Lower: Lower daily calorie needs.

Common mistake: Overestimating it - most people sit more than they think.

Calories

A unit of food energy; here, your daily intake or target.

Why it matters:
Eating above or below your maintenance drives weight gain or loss.
Typical range:
Roughly 1,600 to 2,400 per day for many adults, varying with size and activity.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: A surplus that tends to cause weight gain.
  • Lower: A deficit that tends to cause weight loss.

Common mistake: Eating at your resting (BMR) number instead of your full daily burn (TDEE).

Target Weight

The weight you are aiming to reach.

Why it matters:
It sets the size of your calorie deficit or surplus and the timeline.
Typical range:
Often chosen within the healthy BMI range for your height.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: A surplus if above current weight (muscle gain).
  • Lower: A bigger deficit and longer journey if far below current weight.

Common mistake: Setting an unrealistic target below a healthy weight range.

What impacts results most

  1. 1.
    Activity level (High impact)Sets maintenance calories.
  2. 2.
    Goal (deficit/surplus) (High impact)Determines how far from maintenance you eat.
  3. 3.
    Weight (Medium impact)Drives the underlying maintenance figure.

Key assumptions

  • About 3,500 kcal per 0.45 kg of weight change
  • An estimate - individual results vary

Calorie change vs weekly result

\u2212500 kcal/dayLose ~0.5 kg (1 lb) per week
\u22121000 kcal/dayLose ~1 kg (2 lb) per week
+300\u2013500 kcal/dayLean muscle gain

Worked example

Inputs: TDEE ≈ 2,556 kcal, goal: lose weight Calculation: target = TDEE − 500 Result: ≈ 2,056 kcal/day What it means: A 500-calorie deficit is about 0.5 kg/week; don't drop below ~1,200 (women)/~1,500 (men).

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Cutting too aggressively, which loses muscle and stalls metabolism.
  • Not tracking portions \u2014 estimates drift quickly.

Compared to alternatives

Calories vs Macros

Total energy versus how it's split.

CaloriesMacros
ControlsWeight up/downBody composition
OrderSet the target firstThen split it
PriorityCalorie balanceProtein

Bottom line: Calories decide weight; macros (especially protein) decide what that weight is made of.

Calories calculator·Macros calculator

Related concepts

How Calories connects to the concepts around it.

TDEE:
Total calories burned in a day, including activity.
BMR:
The calories your body burns at complete rest.
Macros:
The split of calories into protein, carbs and fat.
Protein:
The daily protein needed to build or keep muscle.
Water Intake:
The recommended daily fluid intake.

Health learning path

A sensible order to learn these concepts.

BMIBody FatBMRTDEECalories

Reviewed sources & methodology

Methodology: Professional Estimate · Last reviewed June 2026.

Keywords: calories, diet, weight.

This tool is for general information only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for decisions about your health.

Reviewed by the Free Tools Galaxy editorial team · Updated June 2026 · Calculated privately in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Calorie Calculator free to use?+

Yes. Every tool on Free Tools Galaxy is 100% free, runs in your browser and requires no signup.

How accurate is the Calorie Calculator?+

Calorie Calculator uses the standard calorie formula in double-precision arithmetic, so the same inputs always produce the same result and you can verify any figure by hand. It is an educational estimate — real-world outcomes depend on your actual rates, rules and assumptions.

Do you store my inputs?+

No. The Calorie Calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or saved to a server.

Can I use the Calorie Calculator on mobile?+

Yes — the interface is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets and desktops.

What are common mistakes to avoid?+

The most frequent mistake is mixing units. Double-check your inputs use a single, consistent unit before clicking Calculate.

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Related searches: healthy weight range calculator, ideal weight calculator, steps to calories calculator

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Likely next step

🥗Macro CalculatorTop match💧Water Intake CalculatorDaily water needs based on weight and exercise.🔥BMR CalculatorBasal metabolic rate using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.⚡TDEE CalculatorTotal Daily Energy Expenditure for any activity level.🧍Body Fat CalculatorU.S. Navy method body fat percentage from circumferences.🎯Ideal Weight CalculatorDevine, Robinson and Miller ideal weight estimates.

Part of a workflow

💪Lose WeightStep 4 / 5
bmi calculatorbmr calculatortdee calculatorcalorie calculatormacro calculator
Continue → Macro Calculator

Smart recommendations

Next best tool

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Healthy Weight Range Calculator
WHO BMI 18.5–24.9 range for your height.

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Daily calories to lose, maintain or gain weight.

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