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Calculate your daily calorie needs
Last updated: 09/29/2008
You may use the form below to find out how many calories are needed to maintain your current weight. The calculator uses the Harris Benedict formula, which will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (it will under-estimate calorie needs) and the very overweight (it will over-estimate calorie needs).
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
Around 60 percent of calorie intake is used for basic body processes, while at rest. This is called BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate.
On average, the BMR burns approximately 24.3 calories of energy per kilogram of body weight for women, or 26.9 calories per kilogram of body weight for men.
Around 30 percent of calorie intake is used for physical activity, while the remaining 10 percent is used while we eat and digest food.
Calorie Needs to Lose Weight
There are approximately 3,500 calories in a pound of stored body fat (7,715 calories per kilogram). If you reduce your weekly calorie intake by 3,500, you will lose one pound (7,715 calories to lose one kilogram).
If you plan to lose weight by decreasing your calorie intake, you should lose a maximum of 1 to 2 pounds per week, no more than that. If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels should never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 per day for men.