How many calories should you eat a day?
Most adults need between about 1,600 and 3,000 kcal a day, depending on sex, age, size and activity. To lose weight, eat about 250 to 750 kcal under your own number. Work it out in seconds below.
Your daily calories
Mifflin-St Jeor formula, the same one Enough uses. An estimate, not medical advice.
How your daily calories are calculated
Your body burns energy in three ways: keeping you alive at rest (your basal metabolic rate, about 60 to 70% of the total), digesting food, and moving. Add them up and you get your total daily energy expenditure: the calories that keep your weight stable.
The calculator above uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the one most likely to land within 10% of measured values in a large review of predictive formulas. It is also the one Enough uses for your daily line, so the number you see here is the number you will see in the app.
- Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
- Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Then multiply by your activity: 1.2 (mostly seated), 1.375 (lightly active), 1.55 (active), 1.725 (very active), 1.9 (athlete).
Daily calories by profile
| Profile | To keep your weight | To lose about 0.5 kg a week |
|---|---|---|
| Woman, 25, 170 cm, 60 kg, active | 2,130 kcal | 1,630 kcal |
| Woman, 30, 165 cm, 65 kg, lightly active | 1,880 kcal | 1,380 kcal |
| Woman, 45, 160 cm, 80 kg, mostly seated | 1,700 kcal | 1,200 kcal* |
| Man, 30, 180 cm, 85 kg, active | 2,840 kcal | 2,340 kcal |
| Man, 50, 175 cm, 95 kg, lightly active | 2,470 kcal | 1,970 kcal |
How many calories to lose weight?
Take your maintenance number and eat a little under it. A deficit of 500 kcal a day is the usual target: about 0.5 kg a week. 250 kcal is gentler and easier to keep, 750 kcal is faster but harder. For the full picture, read our guide to losing weight calmly.
Why your real number may differ
Every formula is an estimate: two people with the same profile can burn a few hundred calories apart. The fix is simple: follow your line for two or three weeks, watch your weekly weight average, then adjust. If you lose faster than planned, eat a bit more; if nothing moves, eat a bit less or check for a plateau.
Calories to maintain or gain weight
To keep your weight, eat around your maintenance number. To build muscle, add about 300 kcal a day and train with weights; a slow gain keeps most of it lean. In both cases protein matters: see how much protein you need.
Questions about daily calories
How many calories does a woman need a day?
Usually between 1,600 and 2,400 kcal a day to keep her weight, depending on age, size and activity. To lose weight, about 250 to 500 kcal less, and not under 1,200 kcal without medical supervision.
How many calories does a man need a day?
Usually between 2,000 and 3,000 kcal a day to keep his weight. To lose weight, about 250 to 750 kcal less, and not under 1,500 kcal without medical supervision.
Is 1,200 calories a day enough?
For many smaller, less active women it is a floor, not a target. Most people lose weight well above it, with more energy and less muscle loss.
Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising?
Partly at most. Watches and machines often overestimate exercise calories. Choosing the right activity level in the calculator already accounts for regular training.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990.
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025: estimated calorie needs.
- Hall KD, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The Lancet, 2011. NIH Body Weight Planner.
This calculator gives estimates for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, under 18, live with an eating disorder or a medical condition, or take medication, ask your doctor what is right for you.