How to estimate daily calorie needs

BMR is an estimate of calories burned at rest. Mifflin–St Jeor uses age, sex, height, and weight. It is a population equation: two people with the same stats can still differ.

TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor, from sedentary desk work up to hard daily training. The biggest error is overstating activity — “I go to the gym three times” is not the same as a physically heavy job plus training.

NEAT (walking, fidgeting, standing) varies widely. If the estimate feels high, drop the activity level one notch and see whether the plan is easier to follow.

A common fat-loss starting point is about 500 kcal below estimated maintenance, often described as roughly 0.5 kg (about 1 lb) per week. Larger cuts are harder to sustain and can affect training, sleep, and hormones.

Muscle gain usually needs a smaller surplus than people expect, plus enough protein and progressive resistance training. Calories without the training stimulus mostly add fat.

As weight changes, needs change. Recalculate after a meaningful drop or gain rather than using a six-month-old number.

Once you have a calorie target, the Macro Calculator splits it into protein, carbohydrate, and fat using percentages, then converts to grams (4 kcal/g for protein and carbs, 9 kcal/g for fat).

Protein targets are often set from body weight and training, not only from a percentage split. Use the split as a starting template and adjust food you actually eat.

Health conditions, medications, pregnancy, and eating disorders need a clinician or registered dietitian — not a website preset.

Treat week-average weight and how clothes fit as the feedback loop. Daily scale noise is mostly water. If nothing changes for several weeks, adjust intake or activity slightly rather than overhauling everything.

BMI can sit beside this as a height–weight index; it does not tell you your calorie target by itself.

This is educational, not a personalised meal plan. Confirm health decisions with a qualified professional.