Calorie Calculator
Estimate the calories your body uses in a day at your activity level.
Estimated daily energy
2,151 calories per day
- Low end of range
- 1,949 kcal
- High end of range
- 2,353 kcal
- Resting calories
- 1,392 kcal
At a sedentary or light activity level, your body is estimated to use about 2,151 calories a day, in a range of 1,949 to 2,353. Resting calories alone are about 1,392.
Calculation breakdown
| Step | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Resting energy (Mifflin-St Jeor) | 10 × 68.04 kg + 6.25 × 167.64 cm − 5 × 35 − 161 | 1,392 kcal |
| Daily energy at the middle of the range | 1,392 × 1.545 | 2,151 kcal |
| Low end of the range | 1,392 × 1.4 to 1,392 × 1.69 | 1,949 kcal |
How it works
Enter your details and choose the activity that best matches an ordinary week.
Worked example
A 30-year-old man, 80 kg and 180 cm, with a sedentary or light lifestyle:
- Resting energy: 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,780 kcal
- Middle of the sedentary range: (1.40 + 1.69) ÷ 2 = 1.545
- Daily energy: 1,780 × 1.545 = about 2,750 kcal
- Range: 1,780 × 1.40 to 1,780 × 1.69 = 2,492 to 3,008 kcal
What this is not
The result is an estimate of how much energy a typical person with these details uses. It is not a prescription for how much to eat, and it does not include any weight-loss or weight-gain target.
Sources
- Mifflin MD et al., A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:241-247 (cited by the National Cancer Institute)
- Merck Manual: Mifflin-St. Jeor resting energy expenditure calculator
- FAO/WHO/UNU 2004 Human energy requirements: Table 1, PAL categories
Frequently asked questions
How are daily calories estimated?
The calculator first estimates your resting energy use with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which uses age, sex, height and weight. It then multiplies by a physical activity level from the FAO/WHO/UNU 2004 energy report to estimate the calories you use in a day.
What is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?
It is a formula published in 1990 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition for estimating resting energy expenditure in healthy adults. For men it is 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age + 5, and for women the last term is − 161 instead.
What do the activity levels mean?
The FAO/WHO/UNU report describes habitual activity as physical activity level, a multiple of resting energy. Sedentary or light activity is 1.40 to 1.69, active or moderately active is 1.70 to 1.99, and vigorous is 2.00 to 2.39. The report notes that levels of 2.40 or more are difficult to maintain for long.
Why does the calculator show a range?
Each activity level covers a range of multiples, and people with the same height, weight and age use different amounts of energy. The main number uses the middle of the range, and the low and high figures show the ends of it.
Is this a calorie target for losing or gaining weight?
No. It estimates how many calories your body uses, not how many you should eat. It does not suggest a deficit or a surplus. A doctor or registered dietitian can advise on what is right for you, particularly if you have a health condition.
Why is this only for adults?
The equation was developed from healthy adults and the FAO activity levels used here are for adults. Energy needs for children, teenagers and pregnant or breastfeeding women are estimated in different ways.
This is an estimate of energy use for information only, not medical or dietary advice. Individual needs vary.