Calculate your daily calorie needs and macro split using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
Your body burns calories just existing — keeping your heart beating, maintaining body temperature, and running every other system. That baseline is your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). On top of that, everything you do physically — including sitting at a desk — burns additional calories. Add them together and you get your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): the number of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.
Once you know your TDEE, the maths of weight change is straightforward. A consistent deficit of around 500 calories per day leads to roughly 0.5kg of weight loss per week. A surplus leads to weight gain at a similar rate. This calculator estimates both figures based on your stats and activity level.
Keep in mind that calorie calculators give estimates, not exact figures. Individual metabolism varies, calorie counts in food are approximate, and activity levels are subjective. Use the result as a starting point and adjust based on what actually happens over two to four weeks.
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest — just to stay alive. TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor based on how much you move. Your TDEE is the number to use for planning food intake.
Most health guidelines recommend losing no more than 0.5-1kg per week for sustainable results. Very low calorie diets can cause muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies, and metabolic adaptation that makes it harder to maintain weight loss long term.
No. Many people do well with rough tracking or portion awareness. But if things aren't progressing, detailed calorie tracking for a few weeks can reveal where calories are coming from that you hadn't accounted for — sauces, drinks, and snacks are common culprits.
A few common reasons: underestimating food portions, overestimating activity levels, water retention masking fat loss in the short term, or the body adapting over time. If you've been at it consistently for more than four weeks with no change, reassess your inputs.
Basal Metabolic Rate is the calories your body burns at complete rest. It is the minimum energy needed to keep basic functions running.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate formula for most adults according to the American Dietetic Association.
Macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates and fat. The macro split shown is a balanced starting point — adjust based on your personal goals.