Calorie Calculator

How the Calorie Calculator Works

The Calorie Calculator can be used to estimate the number of calories a person needs to consume each day. This calculator can also provide some simple guidelines for gaining or losing weight.

• Exercise: 15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
• Intense exercise: 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
• Very intense exercise: 2+ hours of elevated heart rate activity.

Food Energy Converter

The following converter can be used to convert between Calories and other common food energy units.

Calculation Formulas

This Calorie Calculator is based on several equations, and the results of the calculator are based on an estimated average. The Harris-Benedict Equation was one of the earliest equations used to calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy expended per day at rest.

Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:

For men: BMR = 10W + 6.25H – 5A + 5

For women: BMR = 10W + 6.25H – 5A – 161

Revised Harris-Benedict Equation:

For men: BMR = 13.397W + 4.799H – 5.677A + 88.362

For women: BMR = 9.247W + 3.098H – 4.330A + 447.593

Katch-McArdle Formula:

BMR = 370 + 21.6(1 – F)W

where:
W is body weight in kg
H is body height in cm
A is age
F is body fat in percentage

The value obtained from these equations is the estimated number of calories a person can consume in a day to maintain their body-weight, assuming they remain at rest. This value is multiplied by an activity factor (generally 1.2-1.95) dependent on a person’s typical levels of exercise, which accounts for times during the day when a person is not at rest.

Calorie Counting as a Means for Weight Loss

Calorie counting with the intent of losing weight, on its simplest levels, can be broken down into a few general steps:

1. Determine your BMR using one of the provided equations. If you know your body fat percentage, the Katch-McArdle Formula might be a more accurate representation of your BMR.
2. Determine your weight loss goals. Recall that 1 pound (~0.45 kg) equates to approximately 3500 calories, and reducing daily caloric intake relative to estimated BMR by 500 calories per day will theoretically result in a loss of 1 pound a week.
3. Choose a method to track your calories and progress towards your goals. If you have a smartphone, there are many easy-to-use applications that facilitate tracking calories, exercise, and progress, among other things.
4. Track your progress over time and make changes to better achieve your goals if necessary.
5. Keep at it!

Zigzag Calorie Cycling

Zigzag calorie cycling is a weight loss approach that aims to counteract the human body’s natural adaptive tendencies. Counting and restricting calories, as described above, is a viable method to lose weight, but over a period of time, it is possible for the body to adapt to the lower number of calories consumed. In cases where this happens, a plateau in weight loss that can be difficult to surmount can result. This is where zigzag calorie cycling can help, by not allowing the body to adapt to the lower calorie environment.

Zigzag calorie cycling involves alternating the number of calories consumed on a given day. A person on a zigzag diet should have a combination of high-calorie and low-calorie days to meet the same overall weekly calorie target.

Calories in Common Foods

Calories Burned from Common Exercises