How many calories a day?
Enter your details to estimate maintenance calories, using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
For adults aged 19–78, the age range studied in the original equation. Not for pregnancy, breastfeeding, eating-disorder treatment or a medically prescribed diet.
Daily Calories
Enter your details and choose your activity level to see an estimate.
Understand your result
This is a rough maintenance-energy estimate, not a weight-loss prescription. Activity categories include both exercise and daily movement; choosing by exercise days alone can overestimate or underestimate your needs. Adjustments for weight change should be individualized.
How this works
Mifflin–St Jeor estimates resting energy in kcal/day: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age, then +5 for males or −161 for females. This calculator multiplies that result by an approximate activity factor: 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 or 1.9. These heuristic activity factors are separate from the original resting-energy equation.
Read about fat loss and weight loss.
Method and sources
- Mifflin et al. (1990): original resting-energy equation
- NIDDK: individualized adult body-weight planning
General educational estimates, not medical advice. Calculations run in your browser; this calculator does not save or send your entered measurements. Site analytics and advertising may still operate separately. Method and code checked on 27 September 2026; not clinically reviewed.
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