Enter your age, sex, height, weight and activity level. You get your maintenance calories (about how many calories a day keep your current weight), your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily calorie targets for losing or gaining weight at different rates.
Enter height in cm and weight in kg. The results are estimates from formulas, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are still growing, talk with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Result
Enter your age, sex, height, weight and activity level on the left and press "Calculate". The result will appear here.
Table of Contents
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What you can do on this page
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What is this calculation used for?
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How to Use
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Formula
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Symbols and terms
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Good to know before you start
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How to calculate it in Excel
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How to calculate it in Google Sheets
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How to calculate it in Python
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How to write it in LaTeX and other math languages (copy and paste)
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How to have ChatGPT do the calculation
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DataChef Features
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Related Features
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NumberChef Calculators List
What you can do on this page
- Enter your age, sex, height, weight and activity level to see your maintenance calories (about how many calories a day keep your current weight) on the spot
- Your basal metabolic rate (BMR, the calories you burn in a day even at complete rest) is shown at the same time
- Daily calorie targets are worked out for losing or gaining about 0.5 lb, 1 lb or 2 lb a week
- You can choose from three BMR formulas: Mifflin-St Jeor, revised Harris-Benedict and Katch-McArdle
- A plain-language explanation of the formulas and copy-and-paste formulas for Excel, Google Sheets and Python are all on this page
All of these formulas are statistical estimates, so the results are only a rough guide, not medical advice. They cannot fully reflect personal differences such as muscle mass. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are still growing, talk with a doctor or a registered dietitian before using them.
What is this calculation used for?
Planning weight loss with numbers
Instead of "eating a bit less" without a plan, first find your maintenance calories, then eat 250 to 500 kcal a day less. That works out to losing roughly 0.5 to 1 lb a week, based on the common rule of thumb that 1 lb of body fat is about 3,500 kcal.
Very large cuts are thought to lead to muscle loss and weight regain, so a slow pace is often recommended. Having a number as your goal makes everyday food choices easier.
Deciding how much to eat for strength training and bulking
To build muscle, you are thought to need to eat a little more than you burn, along with training. Adding about 250 to 500 kcal to your maintenance calories, a "lean bulk", is a common way to gain weight while limiting the gain in body fat.
When athletes and trainers plan meals, the starting point is also an estimate of maintenance calories (total calories burned).
Reading food labels against your own day
A deli sandwich might be about 600 Calories and a large bag of chips about 300. The numbers alone do not tell you whether that is a lot or a little. If you know your maintenance calories are 2,400 kcal, you can see at once that "this one sandwich is a quarter of my day" (the Calories on a US food label are kcal).
Having one reference number of your own turns the calories on food labels into numbers you can use, and makes day-to-day eating choices more concrete.
A starting point for lifestyle changes after a checkup
If your doctor suggests losing weight at an annual checkup, an estimate of the calories you burn is a starting point for deciding what to change and by how much. Once you know your maintenance calories, you can estimate the effect of a change in numbers, such as "dropping a 200-Calorie snack cuts about 1,400 kcal a week".
Advice differs from person to person, so use the results as a reference together with guidance from your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Formula
Basal metabolic rate (Mifflin-St Jeor equation, pounds and inches)
Standard notation
(the usual math form)
\(B\)
\(=\)
\(4.536W\)
\(+\)
\(15.875H\)
\(-\)
\(5A\)
\(+\)
\(5\)
\(B\)
\(=\)
\(4.536W\)
\(+\)
\(15.875H\)
\(-\)
\(5A\)
\(-\)
\(161\)
In words
(symbols replaced with words)
⑤
\(B\): BMR (men)
\(=\)
①
4.536 × \(W\): weight (lb)
\(+\)
②
15.875 × \(H\): height (in)
\(-\)
③
5 × \(A\): age (years)
\(+\)
④
constant for men \(5\)
⑦
\(B\): BMR (women)
\(=\)
4.536 × \(W\): weight (lb)
\(+\)
15.875 × \(H\): height (in)
\(-\)
5 × \(A\): age (years)
\(-\)
⑥
constant for women \(161\)
The formula in words
①
Take
4.536 × \(W\): weight (lb)
②
add
15.875 × \(H\): height (in)
③
subtract
5 × \(A\): age (years)
④
and for men add the
constant for men \(5\)
⑤
to get the
\(B\): BMR (men)
⑥
For women, instead of adding a constant, subtract the
constant for women \(161\)
⑦
to get the
\(B\): BMR (women)
Quick example
For a 25-year-old man who is 5 ft 10 in (70 in) tall and weighs 160 lb, the BMR is
\(B\): BMR (men)
\(=\)
4.536 × weight (160 lb)
\(+\)
15.875 × height (70 in)
\(-\)
5 × age (25)
\(+\)
constant for men (5)
\(4.536 \times 160 + 15.875 \times 70 - 5 \times 25 + 5\)
\(= 725.76 + 1111.25 - 125 + 5 = 1717.01 \approx 1717\)
Key idea
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is an estimate of the calories you would burn lying down and doing nothing all day. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation was published in 1990. In studies of people today it is often closer to measured values than older formulas, so it is the default in this calculator.
It was published in metric units: \(B = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5\) for men and \(- 161\) for women, with \(W\) in kg and \(H\) in cm. The card above is the same formula rewritten for pounds and inches (1 lb = 0.4536 kg, so 10 × 0.4536 = 4.536; 1 in = 2.54 cm, so 6.25 × 2.54 = 15.875).
You can also choose two other formulas. Both use \(W\) in kg and \(H\) in cm (kg = lb × 0.4536, cm = in × 2.54), and both are statistical estimates with personal differences.
- Revised Harris-Benedict: men \(B = 13.397W + 4.799H - 5.677A + 88.362\); women \(B = 9.247W + 3.098H - 4.330A + 447.593\)
- Katch-McArdle: \(B = 370 + 21.6(1 - F)W\) (\(F\) is body fat percentage as a decimal, for example 20% → 0.20. It is meant for people who know their body fat percentage and does not use sex, age or height.)
Maintenance calories (estimated total calories burned per day)
Standard notation
(the usual math form)
In words
(symbols replaced with words)
\(M\)
\(=\)
\(B\)
\(\times\)
\(k\)
③
\(M\): maintenance calories
\(=\)
①
\(B\): BMR
\(\times\)
②
\(k\): activity factor
The formula in words
①
Take the
\(B\): BMR
②
multiply it by the
\(k\): activity factor
③
and you get the
\(M\): maintenance calories
Quick example
For a person with a BMR of 1717 kcal/day (the 25-year-old man above) who does moderate exercise, 4–5 workouts a week (activity factor 1.465), the maintenance calories are
\(M\): maintenance calories
\(=\)
BMR (1717)
\(\times\)
activity factor (1.465)
\(1717 \times 1.465 = 2515.405 \approx 2515\)
Key idea
The activity factor is a multiplier that shows how many times your BMR you burn in a day. In this calculator you choose from 7 levels, from 1 (BMR only, no activity) to 1.9 (a physical job). Maintenance calories are also called total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). In theory, if you eat this many calories, your weight stays the same.
People tend to rate their own activity level too high. If you are unsure, choose one level lower and adjust while you watch how your weight actually changes. That is the safer way to use it.
Weight loss and gain plans (daily calorie target)
Standard notation
(the usual math form)
\(T\)
\(=\)
\(M\)
\(\pm\)
\(E\)
In words
(symbols replaced with words)
③
\(T\): calorie target
\(=\)
①
\(M\): maintenance calories
\(\pm\)
②
\(E\): daily adjustment
The formula in words
①
From the
\(M\): maintenance calories
②
subtract the
\(E\): daily adjustment
to lose weight (add it to gain weight)
③
and you get the
\(T\): calorie target
Quick example
For a person with maintenance calories of 2515 kcal/day who wants to lose about 1 lb a week (a daily adjustment of 500 kcal), the calorie target is
\(T\): calorie target
\(=\)
maintenance calories (2515)
\(-\)
adjustment (500)
\(2515 - 500 = 2015\)
Key idea
The adjustment \(E\) depends on how fast you want to lose or gain: about 0.5 lb a week → 250 kcal, about 1 lb a week → 500 kcal, about 2 lb a week → 1,000 kcal. This comes from a common rule of thumb that 1 lb of body fat is roughly 3,500 kcal (500 kcal × 7 days = 3,500 kcal). Real weight loss usually slows down over time, so treat it as a starting point.
Cutting more than 1,000 kcal a day, or eating very few calories, is considered a health risk, such as losing muscle or not getting enough nutrients. In general, eating fewer than 1,200 kcal a day for women or 1,500 kcal a day for men should be done only under medical supervision. If you are planning a large weight loss, talk with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Your daily maintenance calories are usually estimated as "BMR × activity factor". To lose or gain weight, you set a target by adding or subtracting a daily adjustment (250 to 1,000 kcal). Every formula here is an estimate and people differ, so use the results as a rough guide and adjust while you watch how your weight actually changes.
Symbols and terms
Symbols
| \(B\) | bee | Basal metabolic rate (BMR), the estimated calories you burn in a day at complete rest (kcal/day). This page uses B, the first letter of "basal". |
| \(W\) | double-u | Weight, from the first letter of "weight". In the formula card on this page it is in pounds (lb); in the original metric formulas it is in kg. |
| \(H\) | aitch | Height, from the first letter of "height". In the formula card on this page it is your total height in inches (5 ft 10 in = 70 in); in the original metric formulas it is in cm. |
| \(A\) | a | Age in years, from the first letter of "age". The older you are, the lower the estimated BMR. |
| \(F\) | ef | Body fat percentage written as a decimal (for example, 20% → 0.20). It is used in the Katch-McArdle formula. F stands for "fat". |
| \(k\) | kay | The activity factor, a multiplier that shows how many times your BMR you burn in a day. In this calculator you choose from 7 levels between 1 and 1.9. |
| \(M\) | em | Maintenance calories, the estimated calories per day that keep your current weight (kcal/day). M stands for "maintenance". |
| \(T\) | tee | The calorie target, the estimated calories per day for a weight loss or weight gain plan. T stands for "target". |
| \(E\) | ee | The daily adjustment (250, 500 or 1,000 kcal), the calories you add to or subtract from your maintenance calories. It sets how fast you lose or gain. |
Terms
| kcal (kilocalorie) | A unit of energy. When food labels and nutrition talk say "calories", they almost always mean kcal. The "Calories" on a US Nutrition Facts label are kcal. 1 kcal is the energy needed to warm 1 liter of water by 1 °C. |
| BMR (basal metabolic rate) | The energy you use just to stay alive, for things like keeping your body warm, breathing and keeping your heart beating (kcal/day). It is thought to make up about 60–70% of the calories you burn in a day. |
| activity factor | A multiplier for the extra calories you use for exercise and daily activities. You multiply your BMR by it to estimate the total calories you burn in a day. |
| maintenance calories | The estimated calories per day at which what you eat and what you burn balance out, so your weight stays the same. Also called total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). |
| body fat percentage | The share of your body weight that is fat (%). You can measure it with a home body composition scale or similar. The Katch-McArdle formula uses it to estimate BMR. |
| lean body mass | Your body weight minus the fat (muscle, bone, organs and so on). The Katch-McArdle formula is based on the idea that BMR is roughly proportional to lean body mass. |
| Mifflin-St Jeor equation | A formula for estimating BMR, published in 1990. It is often found to be fairly close to measured values in people today and is widely used, including by dietitians in the US. It is the default formula in this calculator. |
| Harris-Benedict equation | A classic formula for estimating BMR, published in 1919. This page uses the revised version, whose numbers were updated in 1984. |
| Katch-McArdle formula | A formula that estimates BMR from lean body mass. It is considered accurate for people who know their body fat percentage well. Its strength is that it reflects differences in muscle mass. |
Good to know before you start
Here is what helps you use the calculation on this page with real understanding, not just by pressing the button.
| Multiplying decimals (Grades 5–6) |
|
| Percentages (Grade 6) |
|
| Rounding (Grade 4) |
|
| Adding and subtracting larger numbers (Grades 3–4) |
|
How to calculate it in Excel
Copy the whole table below and paste it into cell A1 in Excel. It works as is.
Table to find the BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor equation)
| Sex (M or F) | M |
| Weight (lb) | 160 |
| Height (in) | 70 |
| Age (years) | 25 |
| BMR (kcal/day) | =4.536*B2+15.875*B3-5*B4+IF(B1="M",5,-161) |
Table to find the maintenance calories
| BMR (kcal/day) | 1717 |
| Activity factor | 1.465 |
| Maintenance calories (kcal/day) | =ROUND(B1*B2,0) |
Table to find the weight loss and gain plans
| Maintenance calories (kcal/day) | 2515 |
| Daily adjustment (kcal) | 500 |
| Weight loss plan (kcal/day) | =B1-B2 |
| Weight gain plan (kcal/day) | =B1+B2 |
After pasting, the upper rows are your inputs and the last row (B3 and B4 in the third table) is calculated automatically.
The IF function in the first table switches the constant by sex: if B1 is "M" it adds 5, otherwise (F) it subtracts 161. Weight is in pounds and height is your total height in inches (5 ft 10 in = 70). ROUND in the second table rounds to a whole number.
With the example numbers, the first table gives 1717.01, the second 2515, and the third 2015 for weight loss and 3015 for weight gain. Just replace the numbers in column B with your own.
The IF function in the first table switches the constant by sex: if B1 is "M" it adds 5, otherwise (F) it subtracts 161. Weight is in pounds and height is your total height in inches (5 ft 10 in = 70). ROUND in the second table rounds to a whole number.
With the example numbers, the first table gives 1717.01, the second 2515, and the third 2015 for weight loss and 3015 for weight gain. Just replace the numbers in column B with your own.
How to calculate it in Google Sheets
Copy the whole table below and paste it into cell A1 in Google Sheets. It works as is.
Table to find the BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor equation)
| Sex (M or F) | M |
| Weight (lb) | 160 |
| Height (in) | 70 |
| Age (years) | 25 |
| BMR (kcal/day) | =4.536*B2+15.875*B3-5*B4+IF(B1="M",5,-161) |
Table to find the maintenance calories
| BMR (kcal/day) | 1717 |
| Activity factor | 1.465 |
| Maintenance calories (kcal/day) | =ROUND(B1*B2,0) |
Table to find the weight loss and gain plans
| Maintenance calories (kcal/day) | 2515 |
| Daily adjustment (kcal) | 500 |
| Weight loss plan (kcal/day) | =B1-B2 |
| Weight gain plan (kcal/day) | =B1+B2 |
The same formulas as in Excel, including IF and ROUND, work as is. Copy the whole table, paste it into cell A1, and replace the numbers in column B with your own.
How to calculate it in Python
sex = "male" # "male" or "female"
age = 25 # age (years)
height_in = 70 # height (total inches: 5 ft 10 in = 70)
weight_lb = 160 # weight (lb)
activity_factor = 1.465 # activity factor (1 / 1.2 / 1.375 / 1.465 / 1.55 / 1.725 / 1.9)
# BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor equation, pounds and inches)
bmr = 4.536 * weight_lb + 15.875 * height_in - 5 * age
bmr = bmr + 5 if sex == "male" else bmr - 161
maintain = round(bmr * activity_factor) # maintenance calories (rounded to a whole number)
print(f"BMR: {round(bmr)} kcal/day")
print(f"Maintenance calories: {maintain} kcal/day")
plans = [("Mild weight loss (about 0.5 lb a week)", -250), ("Weight loss (about 1 lb a week)", -500),
("Fast weight loss (about 2 lb a week)", -1000), ("Mild weight gain (about 0.5 lb a week)", 250),
("Weight gain (about 1 lb a week)", 500), ("Fast weight gain (about 2 lb a week)", 1000)]
for label, adjust in plans:
print(f"{label}: {maintain + adjust} kcal/day")
Runs with the standard library only. Change the sex, age, height, weight and activity factor at the top and run it. round() rounds to a whole number (almost the same as rounding half up). To use the revised Harris-Benedict or Katch-McArdle formula, replace the two lines that find bmr with the formula from the "Formula" section (those formulas use kg and cm, so convert with kg = lb × 0.4536 and cm = in × 2.54 first).
How to write it in LaTeX and other math languages (copy and paste)
Basal metabolic rate (Mifflin-St Jeor equation, pounds and inches)
B = 4.536W + 15.875H − 5A + 5 (men), B = 4.536W + 15.875H − 5A − 161 (women)
B_{m} = 4.536W + 15.875H - 5A + 5, \quad B_{f} = 4.536W + 15.875H - 5A - 161
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block">
<mrow>
<msub><mi>B</mi><mi>m</mi></msub>
<mo>=</mo>
<mn>4.536</mn><mi>W</mi>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>15.875</mn><mi>H</mi>
<mo>−</mo>
<mn>5</mn><mi>A</mi>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>5</mn>
<mo>,</mo>
<msub><mi>B</mi><mi>f</mi></msub>
<mo>=</mo>
<mn>4.536</mn><mi>W</mi>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>15.875</mn><mi>H</mi>
<mo>−</mo>
<mn>5</mn><mi>A</mi>
<mo>−</mo>
<mn>161</mn>
</mrow>
</math>
B_m = 4.536W + 15.875H - 5A + 5, B_f = 4.536W + 15.875H - 5A - 161
{4.536*w + 15.875*h - 5*a + 5, 4.536*w + 15.875*h - 5*a - 161}
Bm := 4.536*W + 15.875*H - 5*A + 5; Bf := 4.536*W + 15.875*H - 5*A - 161;
B_m = 4.536*W + 15.875*H - 5*A + 5; B_f = 4.536*W + 15.875*H - 5*A - 161;
B_m = 4.536W + 15.875H - 5A + 5, B_f = 4.536W + 15.875H - 5A - 161
Maintenance calories (estimated total calories burned per day)
M = B × k
M = B \times k
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block">
<mrow>
<mi>M</mi><mo>=</mo>
<mi>B</mi><mo>×</mo><mi>k</mi>
</mrow>
</math>
M = B xx k
b*k
M := B*k;
M = B*k;
M = B × k
Weight loss and gain plans (daily calorie target)
T = M ± E
T = M \pm E
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block">
<mrow>
<mi>T</mi><mo>=</mo>
<mi>M</mi><mo>±</mo><mi>E</mi>
</mrow>
</math>
T = M +- E
{m - e, m + e}
Tloss := M - E; Tgain := M + E;
T_loss = M - E; T_gain = M + E;
T = M ± E
How to have ChatGPT do the calculation
You are a calorie calculation assistant. Do the following calculation by actually running Python code, and base your answer only on the numbers from the execution result (do not answer by mental math or guessing). A 25-year-old man is 5 ft 10 in tall and weighs 160 lb. 1. Convert his weight to kg (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg) and his height to cm (1 in = 2.54 cm), then find his BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (men: BMR = 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age + 5). 2. Multiply by an activity factor of 1.465 (moderate exercise 4–5 times a week) and round to the nearest whole number to find his daily maintenance calories. 3. Find the weight loss plans (maintenance calories minus 250, 500 and 1,000 kcal) and the weight gain plans (plus the same amounts). Show the formulas you used and the numbers from the execution result. Also note that these are estimates from formulas and not medical advice.
How to Use
-
1Enter your numbersType the numbers you want to calculate with into the input fields
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2CalculatePress the "Calculate" button
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3Check the resultThe result appears on the spot. The same page also explains the idea behind the calculation and the formula
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