Find out how many calories you burn daily and how many to consume to reach your goal, with a suggested macronutrient breakdown.
1452
Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
1996
Daily requirement (TDEE)
2000
Calorie goal (kcal)
Suggested macronutrient breakdown
262 g
Carbohydrates · 52%
112 g
Protein · 22%
56 g
Fats · 25%
Indicative values calculated using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula: they do not replace the advice of a doctor or nutritionist. Not suitable during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in the presence of kidney disease.
How does the calculation work?
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the energy your body consumes at rest, estimated using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula based on sex, age, height, and weight. Multiplying it by your activity level gives your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
To lose weight, you need a moderate calorie deficit; to gain mass, a slight surplus: the calorie target applies this correction to your daily needs.
Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body consumes at rest to stay alive: breathing, circulation, body temperature, and organ activity. It's the amount of calories you burn even on a day spent in bed, without any movement.
Total daily energy expenditure is the basal metabolic rate multiplied by the activity factor, and therefore also includes movement, training, and digestion. The factors used by the calculator are 1.2 for sedentary individuals, 1.375 for lightly active, 1.55 for moderately active, 1.725 for very active, and 1.9 for extremely active.
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula, one of the most reliable estimates of basal metabolic rate: 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm - 5 × age, then add 5 for men and subtract 161 for women. The result is the BMR in kcal per day.
With the "Lose weight" goal, the calculator subtracts about 550 kcal per day from your energy needs: at first, this corresponds to about 0.5 kg per week, because 1 kg of body fat is worth about 7700 kcal. Over time, the body adapts and weight loss slows down. With "Maintain weight", the target remains equal to your energy needs, while with "Gain muscle" it adds about 275 kcal per day, a moderate surplus that limits fat gain. The surplus only builds muscle when combined with strength training: without training, the extra weight is mostly fat. The target never drops below 1200 kcal for women and 1500 kcal for men.
Protein intake depends on body weight: 1.6 g per kg to maintain weight and 1.8 g per kg to build muscle or lose weight, as during a calorie deficit it helps protect muscle mass. If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is over 25, the calculation uses the weight corresponding to a BMI of 25. In any case, protein does not exceed 35% of calories. Fats cover 25% of calories and carbohydrates the rest. Conversions use 4 kcal per gram for carbs and protein, and 9 kcal per gram for fats.
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