Daily Calorie Calculator
Find exactly how many calories you need per day to lose weight, maintain, or build muscle — personalised to your stats and activity level.
Your daily calorie needs vary enormously based on body size, activity level, and goal. Eating the right amount is the single most important factor in weight management — yet most people have never calculated their actual needs.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to compute your TDEE, then applies evidence-based adjustments for your goal: −500 kcal for fat loss (~0.45 kg/week), maintenance, or +250 kcal for lean muscle gain.
Why Calorie Counting Works
Energy balance is the foundation of weight management. A sustained calorie deficit leads to fat loss; a surplus enables muscle gain. While food quality, macronutrient distribution, and meal timing all matter, total calorie intake is the primary determinant of body weight changes over time.
How Accurate are Calorie Calculators?
Mifflin-St Jeor predictions are accurate to within ±10% for most people. Individual metabolic variation means some people need 10–15% more or fewer calories than predicted. The best approach: use the calculator as a starting point, then track body weight weekly and adjust by 100–200 kcal if not trending in the right direction after 2–3 weeks.
The Minimum Safe Calorie Intake
For women, 1,200 kcal/day is the widely cited minimum. For men, 1,500 kcal/day. Below these levels, meeting all essential micronutrient needs becomes extremely difficult. Very-low-calorie diets (VLCD) below 800 kcal/day must be medically supervised.
Why Calories Are Different for Men and Women
Women have, on average, 10–15% lower TDEE than men of similar size due to differences in average muscle mass, body fat distribution, and hormonal profile. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation directly accounts for this with sex-specific constants.
💡 Expert Tips
- ✓Weigh food raw and use a digital kitchen scale — portion estimation is notoriously inaccurate.
- ✓Focus on total weekly calories rather than perfect daily hitting — a weekly average within 5% of target is excellent.
- ✓Protein has the highest satiety effect — prioritise it to make your calorie target feel less restrictive.
- ✓Cooking at home gives you full control over ingredients and portions — restaurant meals are often 30–50% more calories than estimated.
- ✓Track for at least 3 weeks before adjusting targets — water weight fluctuations mask fat loss/gain in the short term.
📊 Daily Calorie Guidelines by Goal
| Goal | Adjustment | Weekly Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid fat loss | TDEE − 750 | ~0.68 kg/wk | BMI >30, medically guided |
| Fat loss | TDEE − 500 | ~0.45 kg/wk | Most people losing weight |
| Slow loss | TDEE − 250 | ~0.23 kg/wk | Near goal weight, preserve muscle |
| Maintenance | TDEE ± 0 | 0 | Athletes, weight maintenance |
| Lean bulk | TDEE + 250 | ~0.23 kg/wk | Intermediate/advanced lifters |
| Moderate bulk | TDEE + 500 | ~0.45 kg/wk | Beginners, hard gainers |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories a day do I need?+
Is 1,200 calories a day enough?+
How do I know if I'm eating the right number of calories?+
Do calories matter more than macros?+
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