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Daily Calorie Calculator

Find your maintenance calories — what you need each day to stay the same weight — based on your BMR and activity level. It also shows calorie targets to lose or gain weight at a healthy pace.

What this means

Your body burns calories all day; total needs = BMR × activity factor. Eating below that creates a deficit that burns stored fat, while eating above builds weight.

How we calculate it

Formula

Maintenance = BMR × activity factor. Loss = maintenance − 500; Gain = maintenance + 500 (≈ 0.5 kg/week).

Worked example

A moderately active woman, 65 kg, 165 cm, 28 years:

  1. 1BMR = 10×65 + 6.25×165 − 5×28 − 161 ≈ 1395
  2. 2× 1.55 (moderate) ≈ 2162 kcal
  3. 3Lose ≈ 1662, gain ≈ 2662 kcal/day

Important assumptions

  • A 500-calorie daily deficit/gain changes weight by roughly half a kilogram per week.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

About 500 below maintenance for steady loss. Avoid going under roughly 1,200–1,500 without medical guidance.

What activity level should I choose?

Be honest: most office workers are sedentary or lightly active even if they exercise a couple of times a week.

Guide

BMI Calculator Guide: How to Read Your Body Mass Index

BMI is a quick screening number, not a diagnosis. Here is how to use it correctly and what to look at next.

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