Calorie Calculator & TDEE Calculator
Find your maintenance calories (TDEE), your target for losing weight or building muscle, and your macros. It uses the same formula as the Broqo app.
Your daily calories for your goal
kcal / day
That's the lowest safe target (1,200 kcal for women, 1,500 kcal for men), so you'll reach your goal more slowly than the pace you chose.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR): kcal · TDEE: kcal
BMR calculated with the Katch–McArdle equation from your body fat.
To reach your target weight: about weeks.
At this pace, reaching your target weight would take more than 2 years.
Calories for every pace
| Goal | kcal / day |
|---|---|
| Maintain weight | |
| Lose 0.25 kg / week | |
| Lose 0.5 kg / week | |
| Lose 0.75 kg / week | |
| Lose 1 kg / week | |
| Gain 0.25 kg / week | |
| Gain 0.5 kg / week | |
| Gain 0.75 kg / week | |
| Gain 1 kg / week |
* lowest safe target
Keep this plan in Broqo
Broqo sets the same targets and counts the calories in every meal from a photo, with no manual logging.
Download on the App StoreHow it works
1. Resting energy (BMR)
Mifflin–St Jeor equation, built from measurements of 498 healthy adults:
BMR = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5 (men) or − 161 (women).
With body fat %, Katch–McArdle: BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean mass (kg), more accurate if you're muscular.
2. Maintenance calories (TDEE)
BMR × activity factor: 1.2 (0–2 workouts a week), 1.375 (3–5), 1.55 (6+). Eat this much to keep your weight.
3. Your goal
A deficit or surplus of ~7,700 kcal per kg (3,500 per lb). It's a starting point: metabolism adapts, so real loss is slower. Re-check every 2–3 weeks. Safe pace per the NHS: 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lb) a week, never below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 for men. Fat is 30% of calories (the WHO upper limit), fiber 14 g per 1,000 kcal, protein by body weight, carbs the rest.
Example daily calorie needs
BMR and TDEE at age 30, kcal a day:
| Profile | BMR | 0–2 workouts | 3–5 workouts | 6+ workouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 165 cm (5′5″), 60 kg (132 lb) | 1,320 | 1,584 | 1,815 | 2,046 |
| Woman, 170 cm (5′7″), 70 kg (154 lb) | 1,452 | 1,742 | 1,997 | 2,251 |
| Man, 180 cm (5′11″), 80 kg (176 lb) | 1,780 | 2,136 | 2,448 | 2,759 |
| Man, 175 cm (5′9″), 90 kg (198 lb) | 1,849 | 2,219 | 2,542 | 2,866 |
Example: man, 180 cm, 80 kg, 3–5 workouts, losing 0.5 kg a week: 2,448 − 550 = 1,898 kcal a day and ~144 g protein.
Why logging food helps
A review of 22 studies links self-monitoring (logging food, weighing yourself) with more weight loss. People who logged more often lost more weight, even though logging took 15–23 minutes a day. Broqo makes it one photo. New to this? Read how to count calories.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat a day?
Eat your TDEE to keep your weight. To lose, subtract a deficit (~550 kcal a day for 0.5 kg a week); to gain, add it.
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure: BMR × activity factor. The calories that keep your weight stable.
What are maintenance calories?
The calories that keep your weight stable: your TDEE. Eat this much and you neither gain nor lose. The calculator above finds yours from your age, height, weight and workouts.
What is BMR?
Basal metabolic rate: the energy your body uses at rest.
How many calories to lose weight?
TDEE minus 275 kcal a day for 0.25 kg a week, 550 for 0.5 kg, 1,100 for 1 kg. Never below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 for men.
How many calories are in a kilo of fat?
About 7,700 kcal (3,500 per lb). So losing 0.5 kg a week takes a deficit of about 550 kcal a day (7,700 × 0.5 ÷ 7). It's a starting point: metabolism adapts, so real loss is slower.
How much protein do I need a day?
1.8 g per kg (~0.8 g per lb); 1.9 g vegetarian, 2.0 g vegan. That's within the 1.4–2.0 g/kg recommended for active people, just above the ~1.6 g/kg where muscle gains plateau. See tracking protein from a photo.
How accurate is a calorie calculator?
An estimate. Mifflin–St Jeor is within ±10% for more people than other common equations, but individuals vary. Track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust.
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Estimates only, not medical advice.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–247. doi:10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241
- McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL. Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (textbook).
- Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837. PMC3880593
- NHS. Overweight and obesity. nhs.uk
- Harvard Health Publishing. Calorie counting made easy. health.harvard.edu
- WHO. Healthy diet (fact sheet). who.int
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, HHS. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. dietaryguidelines.gov
- Burke LE, Wang J, Sevick MA. Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011;111(1):92–102. PubMed 21185970
- Harvey J et al. Log often, lose more: electronic dietary self-monitoring for weight loss. Obesity. 2019;27(3):380–384. PubMed 30801989
- Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
- Morton RW et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376–384. PMC5867436
- 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):775–789. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2005.02.005