Calorie Calculator
Estimate daily calorie needs using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
How to use the Calorie Calculator
Enter your values and pick a mode if the tool offers one.
Click calculate — results appear instantly, computed in your browser.
Copy the result or save the tool to your favorites.
Frequently asked questions
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a widely used estimate of basal metabolic rate.
Basal metabolic rate — the calories your body uses at rest.
BMR multiplied by 1.375, a light-activity factor, as a rough daily maintenance estimate.
No. It is a general estimate. Consult a qualified professional before making health or diet decisions.
No. Your inputs stay in your browser.
About the Calorie Calculator
This calculator estimates how many calories your body needs each day, using a well-established equation based on your age, weight, and height. It shows your basal metabolic rate and a maintenance estimate that accounts for light daily activity, giving a general starting point for understanding energy needs.
What basal metabolic rate means
Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the number of calories your body uses at complete rest, simply to keep essential functions running: breathing, circulation, maintaining temperature, and basic cell activity. It represents the energy you would burn lying still all day, and it accounts for the majority of most people's daily calorie use. Everything you do on top of resting, from walking to exercise, adds to this baseline.
The equation used
The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which estimates BMR from weight, height, and age, and is widely regarded as one of the more accurate general formulas. It then multiplies the BMR by a light-activity factor to give a rough daily maintenance figure, the calories needed to stay at your current weight with modest activity. People who are more active need more, and the multiplier would be higher.
Why these are estimates, not prescriptions
It is important to understand that any formula gives an approximation. Individual metabolism varies with body composition, genetics, hormones, and health conditions that no simple equation captures. Two people with identical height, weight, and age can have genuinely different needs. Treat the numbers here as a general reference point for understanding, not a precise target, and never as a basis for restrictive dieting.
Using the result responsibly
Calorie estimates can support general awareness, but decisions about diet, weight, nutrition, or fitness should be made with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian who can consider your full circumstances and goals. This is especially important for anyone with a health condition, anyone who is pregnant, or anyone with a history of disordered eating, for whom calorie counting can be harmful. The tool is for general information only and is not medical advice.
Privacy and related tools
Your details are used only in your browser to compute the estimate and are never sent anywhere or stored. For body mass index see the BMI Calculator, and for exact age the Age Calculator. The calculation is instant and private.