Health · Quick Answer
How many calories should I eat per day?
Most adults need 1,600-2,400 calories per day for weight maintenance, depending on sex, age, weight, and activity level. Subtract about 500 calories per day for roughly 1 lb/week weight loss.
Calculating your number
The accurate approach is to compute your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE):
- BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + s (s = +5 men, −161 women)
- TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier (1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 active, 1.9 very active)
Typical TDEE ranges
- Sedentary adult woman (30, 5'5", 140 lb): ~1,700 cal
- Moderately active adult woman: ~2,000 cal
- Sedentary adult man (30, 5'10", 175 lb): ~2,200 cal
- Moderately active adult man: ~2,600 cal
For weight change
- Lose ~1 lb/week: TDEE − 500 calories
- Maintain: eat at TDEE
- Gain ~0.5 lb/week: TDEE + 250 calories
Don't drop below 1,200 cal/day (women) or 1,500 cal/day (men) without medical supervision.
Run the numbers
All calculators →TDEE Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the total calories you burn each day including activity.
Calorie Intake Calculator
Calculate how many calories you should eat daily based on your goals, lose, maintain, or gain weight.
Macro Calculator
Calculate your daily macronutrient targets, protein, carbs, and fat, based on your goals.
Related answers
All answers →What is TDEE?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total calories your body burns in a day, including resting metabolism, digestion, activity, and exercise. TDEE = BM…
How much protein should I eat per day?
For most adults, 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.6-2.2 g/kg) is ideal for muscle maintenance and fat loss. Sedentary adults need only 0.36 …