Knowing the calorie content of food and drink – and how much we have – makes it easier to keep track of our daily intake. Add to that the calories you burn per day from running and other activities (we have a calculator for that, too), and you get your overall calorie needs. That figure is your basal metabolic rate, or the amount of your energy your body needs to maintain basic functions such as breathing, digestion, and brain activity. You should update your numbers every time you lose or gain 3 to 5 kg, or if your physical activity level significantly changes. What is the calorie calculator? Take a look at the table below to determine how to adjust your eating habits according to how many calories you are burning through exercise on any given day. For example, if your maintenance is 2,000 calories, try to eat between 2,200 and 2,500 calories to encourage muscle growth while minimizing fat gain. Your daily calories are calculated based on your non-exercise activities (walking, cleaning, standing) and intentional workouts. Fill out the details in the calorie calculator below based on your current stats and activity level. And if you’re not getting enough of these amino acids, your muscles won’t grow. This is for the athletes and lifters who already have a lengthy history of pumping iron under their belts, or who is a hardgainer by definition and want to go to the next level. This is the tried-and-true standard used by bodybuilders, athletes, and anyone who wants a lean, muscular physique without the guesswork. Remember that this is the absolute floor for muscle building or maintenance. Most people have no clue how much protein they actually need. Adjusting Over Time Your TDEE is shown in kcal (kilocalories) but you can switch to kJ (kilojoules) if you prefer. In your calorie calculator results, the first number you see is your TDEE. You'll need to click the "Calculate calories" button again when you change any input in the form. For example, if you calculate your maintenance calories as 2,500 per day, you can simply eat 2,000 calories per day to lose around 1 pound per week. Our 100 calorie fat burners are small amounts of exercise or physical activity that burn 100 calories in a short amount of time. Many people therefore believe that maintaining a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day (3,500 divided by 7) will allow you to lose 1 lb per week. This does not include the calories you burn through physical activity nor the impact of digesting food after you have eaten. Our calorie calculator helps you understand how many calories you burn each day and estimates how many calories you should consume to achieve your weight loss or weight gain goal. A huge perk of this eating method is that no foods are off-limits.For example, protein increases feelings of satiety, which will go a long way in decreasing your consumption of less healthy calories.Thus, your TDEE is equal to your BMR times the activity factor corresponding to your general level of activity.Multiply daily calorie requirements by 0.45 & 0.65 to obtain calories from carbohydrates.It’s easy to forget that calorie estimates need to be taken with a grain of salt.This step-by-step guide takes a look at how to alter your eating habits and your workout habits to maximize your weight loss most effectively. This macro helps build and maintain your body’s lean muscle, and then some. "This stored fuel powers high-intensity exercise, which is key for building lean muscle and revving up your metabolism," she adds. Ahead, experts break down what you need to know about macros for weight loss—plus, the benefits and potential risks of the method. A huge perk of this eating method is that no foods are off-limits. BMR typically increases with your weight and height, because you have a larger body mass to support. This includes the baseline activity of your organs, but does not include the digestion of food. In general, most people should not attempt to lose more than 2 lb per week without medical supervision. Losing more than 2 lb per week is dangerous and can have serious health consequences. For each of these increments, it will display the number of calories needed to reach your goal. Simple things like adjusting portion sizes and making sure your meals are made up of the right types of food can also make a big difference.Please consult your doctor if you have any concerns about your health or need personalized advice on managing your weight.Nutritionists are also great for telling you what foods you should absolutely cut out all together and where you might have room to cheat a little for favorites once in a while.From there, you can tweak your goal calorie level to achieve a healthy weight range.Animal proteins (like chicken, beef, eggs, and whey) contain all nine essential amino acids and high leucine levels, which trigger muscle growth.Eating 3,500 fewer calories doesn't mean your body will automatically burn 3,500 calories of fat.This produces a fairly accurate estimate for most people looking to lose or gain weight.This is great for people who have joint pain or bone issues, as it doesn't put pressure on the limbs. This gives you the estimate of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. This healthy diet will include animal foods and other sources of protein, as well as other natural unprocessed foods such as whole grains and starches, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats. The key to successful muscle gain is calculating your actual calorie needs, balancing your calorie breakdown, and fueling your body with the right mix of nutrient-dense foods in a proper diet. Over a period of time, that adds up to one or two pounds per week, which is considered healthy weight loss. Losing 2 lb per week is equivalent to a daily calorie deficit of 1,000 kcal. Cardio complements this by promoting heart health, burning calories and improving your overall fitness level. Doing regular resistance training while losing weight can offset the muscle mass your body uses for energy. For those with overweight or obesity, the analysis found that a gradual weight loss strategy resulted in less fat mass and a lower body-fat percentage. Your recommended daily calories: 2322 In all cases, extreme methods of weight loss can be dangerous and have serious health consequences. The Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that healthy adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. The Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that healthy adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. Cardio exercises like running or cycling typically burn more calories during the workout itself when compared with resistance training. This is a situation to avoid, because maintaining muscle mass is key to a strong body and good metabolic health. It also doesn’t include any calories you need for physical activity and exercise. TDEE is a measure of how many calories you burn per day, adding together your BMR along with the calories you burn through physical activity. Our calorie calculator estimates your maintenance calories by multiplying your BMR by an activity level. Using your TDEE along with your target weight, the calorie calculator will output up to 4 weight loss or weight gain goals, from 0.5 lb per week to 2 lb per week. The calculation is based on your age, gender, height, weight and your level of physical activity. As muscle mass decreases, so does the number of calories you burn daily. People with higher initial body fat burn more fat from the energy imbalance versus muscle tissue than those with lower amounts of body fat. Eating 3,500 fewer calories does not mean you're exclusively burning 3,500 calories worth of body fat. This amounts to 3,500 fewer calories a week (7 days times 500 calories) and is sometimes referred to as the 3500-kcal rule. Calculate your walking pace and speed based on duration and distance. If you're serious about losing in a healthy way and staying at your goal once you reach it, then focus on your lifestyle. Altering your habits and changing your lifestyle isn't easy, but the improvements you make will last you for far longer than any fad diet or quick weight-loss fix will. Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, and if you're worried about cholesterol, nix the yolks. Focus on sources of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. One of the worst culprits for weight gain is trans fat, and you have to be diligent when looking out for it. If you eat the right kinds of foods then portion control happens almost automatically. Rather than following fad diets or hoping for a quick fix, losing in a healthy, lasting manner is much more likely with careful diet change and the right exercise regimen. As, this can be unhealthy and lead to nutrient deficiencies. Consult a healthcare professional before making dietary or fitness changes. See More Everyday LifeTools Being aware that it's going to happen will help you stave off the cravings and gives you the chance to substitute in a healthier option. Going cold turkey on favorite snack foods isn't possible for everyone, and if you relapse and chow down on some chocolate, the first step is to forgive yourself for the lapse. You may find that you're not hungry enough for a snack later, and even if you are, you've already met your day's nutrition goals. Unless you have pre-existing kidney disease, eating high amounts of protein is perfectly safe and won’t cause health issues.This calorie calculator provides general estimates only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.Add your details to estimate the daily calorie intake required to achieve your weight loss goal.Use this protein intake calculator to figure out your daily requirements and start making real progress.Convert body weight in pounds to kg's (round to the nearest 10th).This includes the energy you exert during exercise and the energy expended during non-exercise activities (non-exercise activity thermogenesis/NEAT). While achieving rapid weight loss may seem like an attractive goal, it can often result in negative outcomes. Losing too much muscle can lead to general weakness, which can adversely impact your day-to-day activities. Our macro calculator is a simple way to get macro estimates (in grams per day) of each macro. Our weight loss calculator incorporates a dynamic caloric deficit model which estimates how many calories you would need to reduce your daily intake by in order to achieve a given weight loss goal. Guys, if your daily protein intake isn’t dialed in to your body composition goals and activity level, you’re sabotaging muscle protein synthesis and slowing down recovery. It is a myth that by eating 500 fewer calories a day, you will slowly lose a pound of weight a week. Use this calorie deficit calculator to find out how many calories you need to eat daily to reach your goal weight and how long it will take. When you eat less than your body needs for daily functions and activities, it taps into stored fat for energy, leading to weight loss over time. Whether you’re looking to add muscle mass or lose weight or body fat, you’ll want to take into account how many calories you’re burning through your regular exercise activity as well. When in a calorie deficit, your body breaks down body fat and muscle to get the additional energy it needs, resulting in weight loss. If you are aiming to lose weight, you can eat fewer calories or increase your level of physical activity. Your activity multiplier adjusts your ideal calorie intake to fuel your body weight goals, whether that’s a healthy weight loss approach, muscle growth, or the pace of weight gain needed to bulk up. If you’re not realistic, you’ll either under-fuel your body’s energy requirements, leading to fatigue, excessive weight loss and other health concerns, or overestimate, causing excess calories to creep in. Having the above calculation allows us to use the two-compartment macronutrient flux balance equation presented in Chow & Hall which stems from the law of energy conservation. Variability in this proportion can result in large differences in the required caloric intake restriction. Calculation of Total Daily Energy Expenditure (a.k.a. Total Energy Expenditure) and Body Fat Percentage is done using the formulas described in our respective dedicated calculators. If you’re serious about building muscle, recovering faster, and getting stronger, complete proteins need to be a non-negotiable part of your diet. Not all protein sources fuel muscle growth the same way. Without adequate protein intake, you’ll be stuck spinning your wheels with lifting, dieting, and still wondering why you’re not seeing results. If you’re training like an athlete, recovering like an athlete, and performing like an athlete, your protein intake needs to match your output. For example, if you weigh 180 lbs, your high protein target is 216g per day (180 x 1.2). The most accurate resource for calorie, fat and carbohydrate counts. Your body will sense that food is in short supply and will slow down your metabolic rate to try and protect it from starvation. Nutrition therapists will tell you that food group targets and nutrient recommendations will not be met below those levels. This calculator also calculates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) at your starting and goal weights. Rather, the loss levels off nonlinearly because of body dynamics. How are maintenance calories adjusted for weight loss and gain? If this continues over time, we may put on weight. That said, the figure this tool provides gives you a (good) rough idea of your at-rest caloric needs, which is consistent from day to day. Bear in mind, people of the same height, weight, and gender can have different basal metabolic rates. Your body has a limit on how much protein it can use for muscle growth at any given time. It needs to be flipped multiple times a day to keep your body in a muscle-building state. Every time you eat a protein-rich meal, you turn on MPS, the process that builds and repairs muscle. Your body can only use so much protein at a time for muscle growth. Most people obsess over hitting their daily protein goal but completely ignore how they spread it throughout the day. Nutrition & Exercise Standards: If you've ever dreamed about adding a physical hobby to your life, now is the time to do it.The potential loss of muscle mass is why exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet that includes sufficient protein when losing weight is essential.A 2020 meta-analysis compared the effects of gradual weight loss and rapid weight loss.If you’re training consistently and want to achieve muscle growth, fat loss, and better recovery, one gram of protein per pound of body weight is your number.Feeling good about yourself and how you look will make getting on that scale every week easier.If you burn an extra 100 calories per day, over a week you will have burned 700 calories. Most people will calculate their TDEE using an activity factor based on the amount of activity they generally do in a given day. Since muscle mass has higher metabolic activity than fat mass, the Katch-McArdle equation was developed. This includes the energy you exert during exercise and the energy expended during non-exercise activities (non-exercise activity thermogenesis/NEAT). One great way to do this is to "crowd out" the bad foods with the good. Instead, slowly cut out one bad food at a time as you introduce new, healthier options into your lifestyle. One source of fatigue from altering one's diet is trying to cut out too many favorite foods at once. If you stay away from fast food & do not have fast carbs in your house, you can't eat them. The nutrition information may say 0 grams trans fat, but if a food contains 0.49 grams or less, the company is allowed to list it as 0 grams. Body weight loss through caloric restriction does not continue downwards indefinitely in a linear fashion as the 3500-kcal rule would suggest. Formulas incorporated into this online calculator are based on a mathematical model developed by Kevin Dennis Hall, Ph. D., and a team of researchers at the National Institute of Health. The 3500-kcal rule does not consider important factors such as the physiological changes that occur during weight loss. Creating a calorie deficit with a mix of smart dietary choices and increased physical activity results in safe weight loss that you’ll be able to maintain. If your goal is to lose weight, you can calculate the caloric intake of your new diet based on your total daily energy expenditure and your weight loss goal. Using this number, decreasing caloric intake by 500 calories each day could result in a weight loss of about one pound a week. For a typical overweight woman, eating 1,300 calories is sufficient to lose 2 pounds week, when combined with regular exercise. BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate (Mifflin-St Jeor Equation) Trainers will help you develop an exercise regimen that works for your body and your goals. Taking a weekly cardio class or hiring a personal trainer are two great ways to keep yourself on track. A food journal is much more than just recording what you ate in a day. Nutritionists are also great for telling you what foods you should absolutely cut out all together and where you might have room to cheat a little for favorites once in a while. If you're still feeling confused about how to manage your portions and how much of which types of food you should eat, a nutritionist can help. To calculate how many calories you should eat including your calorie deficit, you have to figure out how much energy you expend on any given day. Many factors affect somebody’s ability to lose weight, and the most important factor is creating a calorie deficit. Your TDEE gives you the estimated number of calories you need to maintain your current weight based on your activity level. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you consume). This weightloss calculator estimates your daily calorie needs for healthy weight loss. You should always use a calorie calculator for an accurate estimate. Multiply this number by your activity level, measured with the Standard Activity Factor (SAF) to get your TDEE. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique. Don’t have a fully fleshed out nutrition and fitness program that can help you achieve the weight loss or weight gain you’re after? If you have any existing medical issues, it’s always best to seek medical advice and assistance with your daily diet prior to changing your nutrition or your calorie goals. Losing excessive weight too fast can result in adverse health effects and decreased metabolism. A general estimate is that one pound is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. This is your “calories out.” Conversely, all the meals and snacks you consume count toward your “calories in.” However, you should do this in a safe and calculated manner to avoid nutritional deficiencies or the development of unhealthy eating habits. By then, inconsistent nutrition may have already impacted your metabolic health and performance. Results are based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and may vary depending on individual factors such as metabolism and genetics. Built by Everlab's Medical Team — developed by Everlab’s medical experts to provide evidence-informed guidance for your preventive health journey. That figure is your basal metabolic rate, or the amount of your energy your body needs to maintain basic functions such as breathing, digestion, and brain activity.Just because running or biking burns a lot of calories doesn't mean that's what you should do.Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or exercise routine.TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is BMR plus all activity and movement.Muscle growth happens when muscle protein synthesis (MPS) outpaces muscle protein breakdown (MPB)."The science behind" section contains details on the mathematics and statistics behind this calorie calculator for weight loss as well as the daily energy expenditure and body fat estimates used.In the free version of the app, you can track how many proteins, carbs, and fats you've eaten for the day.Unlike calculators based on the outdated "3,500 calories per pound" rule, it accounts for how your metabolism and body composition change as you lose or gain weight, giving you a more accurate and sustainable plan. Aim to include both resistance training and regular cardio into your weight loss plan. Those losing weight gradually lost 1 kg more of fat mass, even though both groups lost the same amount of weight overall. A 2020 meta-analysis compared the effects of gradual weight loss and rapid weight loss. WHICH ACTIVITY LEVEL SHOULD I CHOOSE? You can find calorie information on food labels, usually broken down per portion, per 100g and per pack. You will see the number of calories in an item listed on the packaging as "kcal". Calories are a measure of the amount of energy in an item of food or drink. With that figure, you can devise a plan to lose, maintain, or gain weight, depending on your goals. Not everyone likes that atmosphere, and thankfully, you have plenty of options when it comes to getting exercise that don't involve running on the treadmill. One of the great things about gyms is trial memberships. You might be snacking too much in mid-afternoon, or running for fast food when on a time crunch at work. This is a great way to see where your main concerns lie. You also might want to include if you were engaging in any activity, like working at your desk while you had lunch. Provided you are physically active, it's possible to lose 2 pounds per week using a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories per day. To lose 1 lb per week, an overweight man of average height might eat 1,700 calories per day if he was sedentary, and up to 2,400 calories per day if he was moderately active. To lose 1 lb per week, an overweight woman of average height might eat 1,300 calories per day if she was sedentary, and up to 1,800 calories per day if she was moderately active. Because women tend to have a higher body fat percentage than men, they generally need to eat fewer calories than men to lose weight. You can use Gym Geek's calorie calculator to estimate your maintenance calories and calculate a calorie deficit based on your weight loss goal. Doing these exercises every day can increase your daily energy expenditure, making it just a little easier to stay in deficit. Since a calorie deficit is just the difference between calories in and calories out, this allows you to create a deficit simply by doing more exercise. Doing exercise burns calories, and the more you do the more calories get added onto your daily energy expenditure. The easiest way to create a calorie deficit is on the calories in side of the equation, i.e. by eating fewer calories each day. When it comes to losing or gaining weight, creating a calorie deficit or surplus relative to your maintenance calories is key to achieving your goal. What about my metabolism? This gradual approach helps you lose fat rather than muscle or water weight. For a quick estimate of various factors related to weight loss and weight management, use our body weight loss calculator. The individual needs may differ based on age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. The physical activities that you perform in a day impact your daily calorie needs. Despite this evidence, the rule continues to appear on many health-related websites. For each unit decrease, you can see how much sooner it would take to reach your goal weight. If you would like more information on eating disorders, Beat has lots of useful advice for adults and children. Don't worry, the app makes it easy for you – just take it one week at a time. Simple things like adjusting portion sizes and making sure your meals are made up of the right types of food can also make a big difference. Results: Daily Calorie Requirements It’s based on a scientific formula called the Mifflin-St. The calorie estimate you got above isn’t just random guesswork. Once they are full, any leftover glucose is turned into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. Your macro breakdown is the proportion of your diet made up of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. To make the most of a calorie deficit diet, you need to understand the numbers on both sides of the CICO equation. A more advanced way to estimate your daily energy expenditure is using a method called adaptive TDEE. In other words, you’ll need to eat less food than if you had an average metabolism. If your metabolism is substantially different to average, you’ll need to adjust your maintenance calories up or down as appropriate. So, when they're trying to lose weight, they can afford to eat a bit more since their maintenance calories are already elevated. This means creating a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories. For a healthy and sustainable weight loss journey, it's typically recommended not to shed more than 2 pounds of fat weekly. Your BMR represents the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight without any additional activity. It's necessary to eat good and healthy food so that you can lose weight healthily. People usually do this by training with the upper body one day and the lower body the next time. Since you're focusing on losing and maintaining weight, you don't need to spend as much time building muscle as doing cardio. It's important to bring in muscle-building exercises as well. Just because running or biking burns a lot of calories doesn't mean that's what you should do. For example, if you weigh 180 lbs, your high protein target is 216g per day (180 x 1.2).Getting your calorie target is just the beginning.The quicker method to calculate TDEE is to simply multiply your BMR by an activity factor.Then, instead of moving forward with your exercise routine, you'll be facing weeks of healing time, which can be discouraging if you set specific goals for yourself.If you are unsure of your physical activity level, start with the default - the worst-case scenario.This means that over time, you will need to recalculate your BMR and TDEE based on your new weight.Just like with your diet, think of writing in your food journal as one of the healthy eating habits you need to pick up. It is also recommended to have your measures taken by an assistant, since if you are taking them yourself you will not be fully relaxed and may be twisting your body and skewing the results. Therefore, you might consider these changes to your daily hydration. Still, we can lay out some guiding principles based on sound logic and confirmed through numerous experiments. The latter are primarily proteins since carbohydrates fluctuate only in very short time spans due to the limited glycogen storage capacity. No matter how hard you work out, it is hard to lose body mass if you have metabolic syndrome & are resistant to leptin. Press CALCULATE, and you’ll see estimated calorie requirements for losing weight, as well as a number for maintaining. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or exercise routine. Free online calculators to help you reach your health and fitness goals. Explore our other calculators to help you reach your health and fitness goals To figure out how many calories you should eat per day (caloric intake), the first important step is to figure out how many calories you’re currently burning per day. If you want to lose weight, gain weight, or keep your weight steady, understanding how many calories you need and the right balance of macronutrients can help you make better food choices and reach your goals. This calorie calculator uses a research-backed model from the National Institutes of Health to estimate the daily calories and macronutrients you need to reach your goal weight by a realistic target date. The implication for calorie calculation for weight loss is that the number of calorie reduction depends significantly on the proportion of fats in the amount of body weight which is lost. Formula (2) simply demonstrates the relationship between the proportional change, the energy intake and the energy expenditure, which allows the weight loss planning calculator to work. Then, use our weight loss percentage calculator to track your progress. Calories equal energy, and you exert energy through all of your physical activities, from intense exercise to simply sitting at your desk doing office work. You can use this information to create a calorie deficit, and you can calculate it using a simple formula. In most cases, you want to do a combination of these two things to achieve healthy weight loss. Uses proven Mifflin-St Jeorequation and evidence-based weight loss science. Resistance training promotes the growth of muscle, increases metabolic rate and increases bone density.Too high, and you’ll face the disadvantages of calorie surplus.Individual factors like metabolism and activity level, age, gender, and height can influence calorie needs.This is the tried-and-true standard used by bodybuilders, athletes, and anyone who wants a lean, muscular physique without the guesswork.When we eat and drink more calories than we use, our bodies store the excess as body fat.If you want to lose weight, gain weight, or keep your weight steady, understanding how many calories you need and the right balance of macronutrients can help you make better food choices and reach your goals.In addition to the online walking weight loss calculator, the Pacer Walking App provides a comprehensive AI weight loss coach that includes both walking programs and nutrition tracking. Physical activity and weight loss goals are connected. It also functions as a calorie calculator, helping to determine the calorie burn required for your weight goal. Most people looking to lose weight should try to lose around 0.5 lb to 2 lb per week. You should never consume less than 1,200 calories per day if you are a woman and never less than 1,500 calories if you are a man. Remember that slower weight loss is often more sustainable. This represents about 8-10% of your daily calorie expenditure. This accounts for about 60-70% of your daily calorie burn, even when you're completely at rest. First, calculate your maintenance calories using the calorie calculator above. Once you reach your goal weight, you can slowly increase your calorie intake to achieve long-term weight maintenance. Simply plug in the variables into the estimation formula and you are left with your suggested daily calorie intake. Basically, this is the number of calories a typical person burns at rest just to stay alive (think breathing, heart beating, and brain functioning). This is considered one of the most accurate equations out there for determining your daily calorie intake.