Calorie calculator

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) includes all movement that isn't formal exercise: walking, fidgeting, standing, typing. Some people naturally have high NEAT; others sit still. This variation explains why some people seem to eat freely without gaining weight.

A pound of muscle burns about 6 calories/day at rest; a pound of fat burns about 2. Adding 10 lbs of muscle increases BMR by only 40 calories/day — helpful, but not transformative. The main benefit of muscle is during activity, not rest.

Poor sleep elevates ghrelin (hunger) and suppresses leptin (fullness), leading to roughly 300-400 extra calories consumed per day. Seven to nine hours of sleep supports weight management independent of diet and exercise.

FDA allows 20% variance in nutrition labels. A "200-calorie" snack might contain 160-240 calories. Restaurants are worse — portion sizes vary, and listed calories are estimates. Don't treat calorie counts as precise numbers.

Calculate TDEE and subtract 300-500 calories for gradual loss (0.5-1 lb/week). Larger deficits accelerate loss but increase muscle loss, hunger, and metabolic adaptation. A 250-lb person needs a larger deficit than a 150-lb person to achieve the same rate of loss.

BMR is calories burned at complete rest — your body running on idle. TDEE adds daily activity. BMR might be 1,800; TDEE might be 2,400 for a moderately active person. Eat at TDEE to maintain weight, below to lose, above to gain.

Generally no, or only partially. Calorie burn estimates from fitness trackers are notoriously inflated (often 30-50% too high). If you eat all the "600 calories" your watch says you burned, you may actually be eating at maintenance or above.

Within 200-300 calories for most people. Equations predict average metabolism; you might be 10% above or below. Use the number as a starting point, track your weight for 2-3 weeks, then adjust based on actual results.

No. Many people succeed with portion control, eliminating certain foods, or eating only during specific windows (intermittent fasting). Calorie counting provides precision but isn't necessary if other approaches work for you. The best method is the one you'll actually follow.

Be honest. Most office workers are sedentary or lightly active, not moderate. Overestimating activity is the most common reason online TDEE feels "too high." Track weight trend for 2–3 weeks and adjust.

For pure weight change, energy balance dominates. For hunger, health markers, and adherence, protein, fiber, and food quality matter enormously. Use TDEE as a budget, not a reason to ignore nutrition quality.

Equations include age because lean mass and hormones shift over time. Older adults may need more protein and resistance training to keep metabolic rate higher than a sedentary estimate suggests.

Not without medical guidance. Energy needs change by trimester and lactation; this tool is a general adult estimate, not obstetric advice.

Take TDEE, subtract 250–500 kcal, and hold for two weeks. If scale velocity is off, adjust by 100–150 kcal—not by guessing activity again.

Model adding 100–150 kcal per week toward estimated maintenance while watching trend weight to avoid overshooting.

Start from honest activity tier, then add structured workout calories conservatively—watches overestimate burn; many athletes fuel closer to maintenance + modest workout add-ons.

Try lightly active vs sedentary side by side. Three hours of training does not make a week \"very active\" if the rest is sitting.

Use fixed height/weight/age examples with the Mifflin-St Jeor lines in the sidebar, then show how ±200 kcal shifts projections—great for reproducible lesson plans with cited methodology.