FREE TOOLS
How many calories you actually need
Your resting metabolic rate and daily energy need, with honest targets for losing or gaining weight at a sustainable pace.
How this is worked out
Resting metabolic rate comes from the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, then multiplies by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9 to give total daily energy. A deficit of roughly 550 kcal a day tends to produce about half a kilogram a week, because a kilogram of body fat holds somewhere near 7,700 kcal.
Two honest caveats. These are population averages and individuals vary by 10 to 15 per cent either way, so treat the number as a starting point and adjust from what actually happens over a fortnight. And a target below your resting metabolic rate is flagged above, because eating under it for any length of time is not a faster route — it is how people lose muscle and stall.
This tool gives an estimate for general information. It is not a diagnosis and it does not replace advice from a doctor or a dietitian — particularly if you are pregnant, under 18, an athlete, or managing a health condition.
