Calorie Calculator

FOODMANAC · KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Calorie Calculator

Estimate maintenance calories and explore a chosen calorie deficit or surplus using your age, height, weight and activity.

Your details

YOUR ESTIMATE

Start with your details

Enter your measurements to see the calculation and its assumptions.

Connect your numbers to real food

Search Foodmanac’s existing food database. Choose the correct preparation and compare its recorded nutrient basis with a portion you actually eat.

How to use this calorie calculator

Choose activity based on your typical whole week, including work and movement. The factors 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 and 1.9 are common planning conventions, not part of the original Mifflin study. Review your trend over several weeks rather than treating one number as exact.

Formula and assumptions

Resting kcal = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + sex coefficient (+5 male, −161 female). Maintenance = resting kcal × activity factor. Target = maintenance × (1 ± chosen percentage).

Example calculation

A 30-year-old male, 70 kg and 175 cm, has an estimated resting expenditure of 1,649 kcal/day. At activity factor 1.55, maintenance is about 2,556 kcal/day; a chosen 15% deficit gives about 2,172 kcal/day.

Frequently asked questions

Is this my exact calorie requirement?

No. Equation estimates and activity categories cannot capture individual metabolism.

Should I add exercise calories again?

Usually not when your chosen activity category already includes that exercise.

How do I choose my activity level?

Consider your whole week, including work and walking. Sedentary means mostly sitting; light means some movement; moderate means regular exercise and daily movement; very active and extreme indicate substantially more activity. These categories are rough estimates.

What does a 10% adjustment mean?

For a 2,000 kcal maintenance estimate, 10% is 200 kcal. A deficit subtracts it and a surplus adds it. It is not a 10% change in body weight.

Should I react to a single day of weight change?

No. Short-term weight changes can reflect factors other than tissue gain or loss. Compare a longer-term trend rather than treating a daily fluctuation as proof.

What if I do not know which number to enter?

Read the explanation below each field. The initial values are examples, not your measurements. Use your scale or tape for body measurements. For a calorie budget, start with the Calorie or TDEE calculator. Optional water allowances can stay at zero.

Can I switch between kilograms and pounds or centimetres and inches?

Yes, where body measurements are used. Changing the unit selector converts the entered values. Imperial height is total inches: 5 feet 9 inches is 69 inches, not 5.9.

Who is this calculator intended for?

Generally healthy adults aged 20–78 who are not pregnant or breastfeeding. It is not intended for children, eating-disorder recovery, medically prescribed diets or fluid restrictions.

Why can another calculator give a different result?

Tools may use different equations, activity assumptions, unit conversions or rounding. Compare the method and inputs before comparing the result. None of these estimates is an exact measurement.

How do I save my result?

Calculate first, then choose Download PNG or Print / Save PDF. The export includes the inputs, results, explanation, method and references. Your site logo is included when configured; otherwise a Foodmanac wordmark is used.

Are my measurements sent to Foodmanac?

This plugin calculates in your browser and does not send your measurements. Food search sends the food name to the website. Other site plugins may have their own analytics or privacy behavior.

Sources and methodology

Source-backed equations are distinguished from Foodmanac planning presets. No result is an exact measurement or a medical prescription. Content version: 1.1.0.

Keep exploring Foodmanac

Measurements stay in this browser through this plugin. PNG and PDF exports contain the details you entered; share them only as you intend. Other site analytics and plugins have their own privacy behavior.