Calorie Calculator
Estimate daily maintenance calories from age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. The result can help you choose a starting point for weight maintenance, mild fat loss, or mild weight gain.
Formula
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate basal metabolic rate, then multiplies it by an activity factor.
Male BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5 Female BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161 Maintenance calories = BMR × activity factor
W is weight in kilograms, H is height in centimeters, and A is age in years.
Example
A 32-year-old male at 178 cm and 78 kg with moderate activity gets an estimated maintenance target. The mild loss and mild gain values subtract or add 300 calories as a simple planning range.
Limitations
- Calorie needs vary with body composition, health status, medication, training load, and daily movement.
- Activity multipliers are estimates and can easily be too high or too low.
- This is not medical, dietetic, or fitness coaching advice.
FAQ
What does maintenance calories mean?
It is an estimate of daily intake that may keep body weight roughly stable if activity and tracking are accurate.
Should I eat exactly this number?
No. Treat it as a starting estimate, then adjust based on real body-weight trends, hunger, training, and professional guidance when needed.
Why use centimeters and kilograms?
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula is commonly written with metric inputs, which keeps the calculation straightforward.