Daily calories to maintain, lose or gain weight, based on your BMR.
To maintain your weight
—
—
BMR — at complete rest
—
Lose 0.25 kg a week
—
Lose 0.5 kg a week
—
Gain 0.5 kg a week
Where the energy goes
An estimate from a population formula — individual needs vary with body composition, medication and health conditions. Speak to a doctor or dietitian before making large changes, and do not drop below 1,200 kcal a day without medical supervision.
Roughly 7,700 kcal is stored in 1 kg of body fat, so a 1,100 kcal daily deficit loses about 1 kg a week.
0.5–1 kg a week is the usual clinical guidance for sustainable loss.
Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate general formula, but it ignores body composition — a muscular person burns more than it predicts.
Most people overestimate their activity level. If progress stalls, drop one level rather than cutting food further.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest just to stay alive. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor, and is the figure to eat to.
How many calories should I cut to lose weight?
A deficit of 500 kcal a day loses roughly 0.5 kg a week. Going much below that rarely speeds things up and makes the diet harder to sustain.
Why does the same formula give different numbers elsewhere?
Other sites may use Harris-Benedict or Katch-McArdle instead. Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate for the general population; results typically differ by 5-10%.
Is this accurate for very muscular or overweight people?
Less so. Mifflin-St Jeor only uses weight, height, age and sex, so it can under-read a very muscular person's needs and over-read a person carrying more body fat, since it cannot see body composition. Katch-McArdle, which factors in lean mass, is more accurate for those cases if you know your body fat percentage.