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- Tells you how many calories to eat each day to lose, keep or gain weight at the pace you choose.
- Starts from your maintenance calories (TDEE), then subtracts or adds calories for your weekly goal.
- Shows how many weeks it should take to reach your goal weight and an estimated date.
- Keeps the daily target at or above common safe minimums (1,200 for women, 1,500 for men).
How to use the calorie calculator
Enter your details
Choose your sex, age and units, then enter your height, current weight and goal weight.
Choose your activity level
Pick what matches a normal week. This sets your maintenance calories.
Pick a pace
Choose how fast you want to lose or gain: from 0.5 to 2 lb (0.25 to 1 kg) a week.
Read your target
You get a daily calorie target, your maintenance calories, time to goal and your BMI at the goal weight.
How the calorie target is worked out
Step 1: maintenance calories
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age, + 5 for men or − 161 for women
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Activity factors run from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active).
Step 2: daily target
Daily change = pace per week × 7,700 calories per kg ÷ 7
Target = TDEE − daily change (to lose) or + daily change (to gain)
7,700 calories per kg is about 3,500 calories per pound of body weight, a common rule of thumb.
Step 3: time to goal
Weeks = weight to change ÷ pace per week
If the target would fall below 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) calories, it is held there and the time is recalculated.
Calorie calculator examples
Example 1: losing 20 lb
A 35-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in, 170 lb, lightly active, with a goal of 150 lb at 1 lb a week.
At 0.5 lb a week her target would be 1,768 calories and take about 41 weeks; at 1.5 lb a week, 1,269 calories and about 14 weeks.
Example 2: losing 10 kg
A 30-year-old man, 180 cm, 90 kg, moderately active, with a goal of 80 kg at 0.5 kg a week.
A higher TDEE means a larger person can lose weight while still eating a fair amount.
Example 3: when the pace is too fast
The woman from example 1 picks 2 lb a week.
Holding the minimum is safer, and her goal still arrives in about 3 months.
Daily calorie change for each pace
Deficit or surplus per day
Based on about 7,700 calories per kg (3,500 per lb).
Slower paces are easier to keep up and help protect muscle.
Where a calorie calculator helps
Setting a weight loss goal
Turn a goal weight into a daily number and a realistic date.
Choosing a pace
Compare a gentle pace with a faster one before you commit.
Gaining weight
Set a calorie surplus for building muscle or regaining weight.
Checking a goal
See the BMI at your goal weight to check that it is a healthy target.
These are estimates. As you lose weight your body burns a little less, so recalculate every 10 lb or so. This is general information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 or have a health condition, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first. Related tools: TDEE calculator, BMI calculator, ideal weight calculator and macro calculator.
Calorie calculator FAQ
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Start from your maintenance calories (TDEE) and subtract about 500 a day to lose roughly 1 lb a week. The calculator does this for you based on your height, weight, age and activity.
How many calories are in a pound of fat?
A common rule of thumb is about 3,500 calories per pound, or 7,700 per kg. Real results vary because weight loss is not only fat.
What is a safe rate of weight loss?
Many health organizations suggest about 1 to 2 lb (0.5 to 1 kg) a week for most adults. Slower is often easier to keep up.
Why is the target held at 1,200 or 1,500 calories?
Below about 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men it is hard to get enough nutrients without medical supervision, so the calculator does not go lower and lengthens the time instead.
Why has my weight loss slowed down?
As you get lighter, you burn fewer calories, so the same intake creates a smaller deficit. Recalculate with your new weight to update your target.
Can I use this calculator to gain weight?
Yes. Enter a goal weight above your current weight, and the calculator adds calories for your chosen pace instead of subtracting them.