Find how many calories your body needs each day to lose, maintain, or gain weight. This calculator works out your BMR (calories at rest) and your TDEE (calories including activity) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation that dietitians prefer — then sets a safe daily target for your goal.
Fill in your details to see your daily calorie target, with your BMR and TDEE.
These are estimates to guide you, not a prescription. Calorie needs vary with body composition, health, and medicines. For a plan tailored to you, speak to a doctor or dietitian.
Your daily calorie need is built in three steps: your body's needs at rest, plus the energy you burn moving, adjusted for your goal. Understanding the chain makes the number far more useful than a figure on its own.
A calorie calculator estimates how much energy your body uses in a day, so you can eat the right amount for your goal. It finds your BMR (calories burned at rest), scales it by your activity to get your TDEE (total daily burn), then adjusts for whether you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight.
The calories your body uses just to stay alive — breathing, circulation, cell repair — if you rested all day. It's the largest part of your daily burn, usually 60–75%.
Mifflin-St Jeor: 10×kg + 6.25×cm − 5×age + ss = +5 for men, −161 for women
Your BMR multiplied by an activity factor, which accounts for movement, exercise, and digestion. This is your true daily calorie burn — your maintenance level.
TDEE = BMR × activity factor1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active)
Eat below your TDEE to lose weight, at it to maintain, above it to gain. A 500-calorie daily deficit gives roughly half a kilo of loss per week.
Lose: TDEE − 500≈ 0.5 kg per week, kept above a safe floor
Pick the row that honestly matches a typical week — most people sit closer to "light" than they think.
| Activity level | What it means | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk work, little or no exercise | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1–3 days a week | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Moderate exercise 3–5 days a week | 1.55 |
| Active | Hard exercise 6–7 days a week | 1.725 |
| Very active | Very hard exercise or a physical job | 1.9 |
A number is easier to use when you can picture it. Here's roughly how common Indian foods add up — useful for sanity-checking a day against your target.
Figures are rough averages; portion size and cooking oil change them a lot. Use them to estimate, not to count to the calorie. A balanced plate of grains, dal or protein, vegetables and curd is more sustainable than chasing an exact figure.
A calorie number only helps if it fits your life. The goal isn't the lowest possible figure — it's a target you can hold steady for months. Here's how to use yours sensibly, and why slow beats fast almost every time.
Eating about 500 calories below your TDEE loses roughly half a kilo a week. It feels slow — but it protects muscle, energy and mood, and it's far easier to sustain than a crash diet.
Very low intake slows your metabolism, burns muscle, and triggers strong hunger — so the weight usually returns. Eating too little is not a shortcut; it's the most common reason diets fail.
Hitting your target most days matters more than hitting it exactly every day. A missed day isn't a failure — the monthly average is what moves the scale.
Rather than tracking every calorie, structure each meal. This naturally keeps you near your target while keeping food satisfying and Indian-friendly.
If counting calories starts to feel stressful, or you find yourself wanting to eat far less than this tool suggests, please step back and talk to a doctor or dietitian. Healthy eating should give you energy and freedom — not anxiety. This calculator estimates needs for general wellness; it isn't for anyone managing an eating disorder or a medical condition that affects nutrition.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the most reliable general formula available — but it's still an estimate. Your true needs depend on things a formula can't measure. Knowing the margin is what lets you use the number well instead of trusting it blindly.
Muscle burns more energy than fat. Two people of the same weight can have different real needs — a muscular build burns more than the formula predicts, and vice versa.
The activity multiplier is the biggest source of error. Most people over-estimate how active they are, which inflates the target. When unsure, choose the lower level.
Genetics, hormones, thyroid function, sleep and past dieting all shift your real burn. The formula gives a population average, not your personal figure.
The smart way to use any calorie target: eat at it consistently for two to three weeks, then check the scale and how you feel. If nothing's changing, adjust by 100–200 calories and reassess. Your body's real response over a few weeks is more accurate than any formula — it's the only truly personal data you have.
For these situations, a generic calorie number isn't enough — a doctor or dietitian should guide you.
This calculator gives a well-founded estimate to point you in the right direction. It isn't a diagnosis or a medical prescription, and it can't replace advice tailored to your body and health. Use it as a starting point, listen to how you feel, and check in with a doctor or dietitian for a plan that truly fits you.
Clear, India-first answers on daily calorie needs, BMR vs TDEE, safe deficits, and how to use your number well.
To lose weight, eat about 500 calories below your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), which gives roughly half a kilogram of loss per week. Use the calculator above to find your personal number. It never drops below a safe minimum — around 1,500 calories for men and 1,200 for women.
BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest, just to stay alive. TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor, so it includes movement and exercise. TDEE is your true daily calorie burn and your maintenance level; BMR is the resting baseline it's built on.
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which research finds is the most accurate general formula for estimating resting energy needs in healthy adults. It uses your weight, height, age, and sex, and predicts resting energy expenditure to within about 10% for most people.
Your maintenance calories equal your TDEE — your BMR multiplied by your activity level. Eating around this amount keeps your weight stable. The calculator shows this figure when you choose the maintain goal; for most Indian adults it falls somewhere between 1,600 and 2,400 calories a day.
Around 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 for men is treated as a safe lower limit for general weight loss. Eating below this regularly is not recommended without medical supervision, as it can slow metabolism, cost you muscle, and leave you short of nutrients. Slower loss at a higher intake is safer and more sustainable.
It gives a good estimate, not an exact figure. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation explains about 71% of the variation in resting energy needs; the rest comes from body composition, genetics, and metabolism, which a formula can't measure. Use the number as a starting point and adjust based on your real results over a few weeks.
As a rough guide, one roti is about 100 calories, a katori of cooked rice about 135, a katori of dal about 120, and a katori of paneer curry about 250. Rather than counting every item, structure your plate — half vegetables, a quarter protein, a quarter grains — to stay near your target naturally.
Usually no, if you picked an activity level that already includes your exercise, because that is built into your TDEE. Eating back exercise calories on top of that often cancels your deficit. If you chose a sedentary level and train hard, a partial adjustment may be reasonable.
The equation, activity factors, and nutrition guidance on this page are based on the following sources.
Medical disclaimer: This calorie calculator and its content are for general information and education only. The results are estimates, not a diagnosis, medical advice, or a prescribed diet. Calorie needs vary by individual, and this tool is not intended for anyone managing an eating disorder or a medical condition affecting nutrition. Always consult a qualified doctor or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet. Read our full medical disclaimer.