Calculating Your Daily Calorie Needs
अवलोकन
Calorie needs vary enormously between individuals — a sedentary 60-year-old woman might need 1,600 calories per day while an active 25-year-old man training for a marathon could need 3,500+. Knowing your personal target is the foundation of any weight management plan. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (the most accurate widely-used formula, validated against indirect calorimetry studies) to estimate your basal metabolic rate, then multiplies by an activity factor to give total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
कैसे उपयोग करें (चरण-दर-चरण)
- 1
Fill in age, sex, height, weight
These feed the Mifflin–St Jeor formula, which is the most accurate widely-used BMR estimator. Decimal precision on weight doesn't matter — daily variation is bigger.
- 2
Pick your activity level honestly
Sedentary = desk job and no real exercise. Moderate = 3–5 workouts a week. Very active = manual labor or daily training. Most people overestimate this by one level.
- 3
Set a goal and read the daily target
Maintain, lose 0.5 kg/week (−500 cal/day), or gain (+250–500). Track for 2–3 weeks before adjusting — actual metabolism varies ±10%.
यह कैसे काम करता है
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula calculates BMR (basal metabolic rate — calories burned at complete rest) as: men: (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5; women: (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161. We then multiply BMR by an activity factor (1.2 for sedentary, 1.55 for moderate exercise 3–5 days/week, 1.9 for very active) to get TDEE. For weight loss, subtract 500 cal/day for about 0.5 kg/week loss; for gain, add 250–500 cal/day.
कब उपयोगी है
Calculate this when starting any nutrition or fitness program, after major life changes (new exercise routine, pregnancy, surgery recovery), or every 3–6 months as your body composition shifts. Athletes use it to plan eating around training cycles. Anyone tracking macros (protein/carbs/fat ratios) needs a calorie target first. People recovering from disordered eating should always work with a dietitian before applying calorie targets.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले प्रश्न
Within ~10% for most adults. Individual metabolism varies by hormones, genetics, and gut microbiome — the only way to know your true needs is to track intake against weight change over 4+ weeks. If you're not losing or gaining as expected, adjust by 100–200 cal/day.
महत्वपूर्ण सूचनाएँ
This is an estimate for healthy adults. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, growing teenagers, eating disorders, and certain medical conditions all alter calorie needs significantly — consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance.