Use our daily calorie intake calculator to estimate how many calories your body needs each day. This tool allows you to enter your height, weight, age and gender using either metric or imperial measurements and provides an estimated daily calorie requirement.
After calculating your base calorie needs, you can view recommended daily intake levels based on different activity levels, helping you understand how exercise and lifestyle affect calorie requirements.
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Disclaimer: This calculator provides general estimates only and is not a substitute for medical or nutritional advice. Last checked/updated February 2026.
This calculator estimates daily calorie needs using established metabolic formulas that take into account personal characteristics and activity level.
The calculator uses:
Height – entered in metric or imperial units
Weight – entered in kilograms or pounds
Age – in years
Gender – used for metabolic calculations
It then calculates your BMI value and assigns a general category based on commonly used BMI ranges.
How to Use This Calorie Data
The number this calculator provides is your Maintenance TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)—the exact number of calories needed to keep your weight exactly the same.
For Weight Loss (Calorie Deficit):A safe, sustainable rate of weight loss is generally 1 to 2 pounds per week. To achieve this, most health guidelines suggest subtracting roughly 300 to 500 calories from your maintenance number. For example, if your maintenance is 2,400 calories, a healthy weight loss target would be 1,900 to 2,100 calories per day.
For Muscle Gain (Calorie Surplus):If you are actively weight training and trying to build muscle, you need to eat slightly more than you burn. Adding a modest surplus of 200 to 300 calories to your maintenance number provides the energy required for muscle synthesis without gaining excessive fat.
Calorie Needs by Activity Level
Once your base calorie needs are calculated, you can view estimated daily intake based on how active you are:
Sedentary: You spend most of the day sitting (e.g., a desk job, driving) and perform little to no structured exercise.
Lightly Active: You have a job that requires some standing, or you do light exercise (like brisk walking or yoga) 1 to 3 times a week.
Moderately Active: You are on your feet often during the day, or you engage in moderate-intensity exercise (like cycling, swimming, or jogging) 3 to 5 times a week.
Very Active: You have a physically demanding job (like construction) or perform intense exercise/sports 6 to 7 days a week.
Super Active: You engage in professional athletic training twice a day, or have a highly strenuous physical job combined with daily exercise.
These activity levels help estimate how many calories your body needs to maintain energy levels throughout the day.
What Are Calories and Kilojoules?
Calories (kcal) and kilojoules (kJ) are units used to measure energy. Kilocalories are commonly used in nutrition labels, while kilojoules are often shown alongside calories in many regions.
This calculator shows both values to make results easy to understand and compare.
When Should You Use a Daily Calorie Calculator?
This calculator is useful when you want to:
Estimate daily calorie needs
Understand how activity level affects intake
Support fitness or lifestyle planning
Track calorie requirements over time
Gain general awareness of energy needs
It provides a practical starting point for understanding daily energy requirements.
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About This Daily Calorie Intake Calculator
This calculator uses widely recognised metabolic formulas and activity multipliers to estimate daily calorie requirements. It is designed to provide clear and accessible results using simple inputs.
Calorie needs can vary based on individual health, metabolism and lifestyle factors. Results should be used as general guidance only.
For official UK dietary guidelines, please refer to the NHS Eat Well guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this calorie calculator?
It provides a highly accurate estimate based on widely accepted metabolic formulas (such as Mifflin-St Jeor). However, because muscle mass, genetics, and hormone levels vary wildly from person to person, this number should be treated as a starting point. If you eat this amount and still lose or gain weight, you will need to adjust your intake accordingly.
Does this calculator help with weight loss or gain?
This tool calculates your ‘maintenance’ calories. To lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit (eating less than the maintenance number). To gain weight, you must create a calorie surplus. We recommend consulting a registered dietitian before beginning any strict diet plan.
Can I use imperial measurements?
Yes. You can choose either metric or imperial units when entering your details.
Is this calculator free to use?
Yes. All calculators on Calchub are free to use. You’re welcome to bookmark any of your favourites and use them as much as you would like.
What activity level should I choose?
Select the option that best matches your typical weekly activity and exercise level.
Disclaimer
This calculator provides general nutritional estimates only and should not be used as medical or dietary advice.
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