The way to maintain a healthy weight is to balance the calories you consume with the amount your body uses. But how many calories do you need? While this number can be calculated exactly in a lab, you can also get an accurate estimate by using the Forbes Health Calorie Calculator. It was created with guidance from three Forbes Health Advisory Board members.
If you want to drop some weight, this calculator can help you with that goal, too. Just slide the bar to the number of pounds you’d like to lose and see your new daily calorie intake, along with the number of days it will take you to reach your goal safely. A healthy reminder: Always consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before starting a weight loss plan.
Calorie Calculator Methodology
The Forbes Health Calorie Calculator estimates the number of calories your body uses each day. If you want to lose weight, it calculates the number of daily calories you need to consume to achieve your weight loss goal. It also displays how long it will take you to reach your goal weight safely.
To Maintain Your Weight
To calculate your daily calorie needs to maintain your weight, the calculator considers your:
- Resting metabolic rate (RMR)
- Physical activity
- The thermogenic effect of food (the calories you burn while processing food)
Each of these components requires a different amount of calories.
Ready To Build Healthier Habits? Start Noom
Grounded in science and psychology, Noom is a complete lifestyle change. Simply take Noom’s quiz to receive your custom weight loss program and start your journey toward a healthier you.
1. Your RMR requires the most energy, far more than physical activity or food processing. It can be measured scientifically in a lab or estimated using an equation. In this calculator, your RMR is measured using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. It’s the most reliable formula, according to a review of studies in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. It calculates your RMR based on your sex, weight, height and age.
2. Physical activity burns calories, so athletes need to consume more calories than people who don’t exercise. An activity factor—ranging from 1.2 for people who are sedentary to 1.9 for extremely active people—is assigned based on your physical activity level. The calculator then multiplies your RMR by this number.
3. The thermogenic effect of food makes up the remainder of your daily energy needs (approximately 10%). To find this number, the calculator takes your RMR multiplied by your activity factor and multiplies that number by 10%.
To Lose Weight
To determine your daily calorie needs to lose weight, the calculator decreases the number of calories you use each day by 25%, resulting in a new recommended daily calorie intake. Our Forbes Health Calorie Calculator panel of experts recommended this equation for safe, sustainable weight loss.
The calculator won’t display fewer than 1,200 calories a day no matter your starting weight. “If you go below that, it’s very difficult to get all the macronutrients and micronutrients you need for optimal health,” says Melina Jampolis, M.D., a Forbes Health Advisory Board member.
The Forbes Health editorial team consulted 2021 Forbes Health Advisory Board members Melina Jampolis, M.D., Toby Amidor, R.D. and Sabrena Jo, M.S., the senior director of science and research at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), for this calculator. They reviewed the methods used by this tool to calculate daily calorie needs to maintain and lose weight.
Meet Our Panelists
The Forbes Health Calorie Calculator panel consists of a physician, a registered dietitian and the senior director of science and research at the American Council on Exercise (ACE). They reviewed the methods used by this tool to calculate daily calorie needs to maintain and lose weight.
Melina Jampolis, M.D.
Diet / Nutrition
Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., C.D.N, F.A.N.D.
Food / Nutrition / Food Safety
Sabrena Jo, Ph.D.
Exercise & Sports Science / Fitness
How Many Calories Should You Eat a Day?
The number of calories you should eat or drink a day depends on several things—your age, sex, height, weight and physical activity. In general, men require more calories than women, and because metabolism slows as people age, older adults generally need fewer calories than younger people.
While a calorie calculator gives you the best approximation of your needs, the government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 offers estimates.
Estimated Daily Calorie Needs
Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a calorie?
A calorie is a unit of energy. Calories in food and drinks refer to the amount of energy supplied from the carbohydrates, fat, protein and alcohol in a serving.
How many calories do you burn in a day?
This number depends on things you don’t control, like your age, as well as things you do control, like your physical activity. In general, moderately active men burn 2,200 to 2,800 calories a day, and moderately active women burn 1,800 to 2,200 calories a day.
How many calories are in a pound?
One pound equals about 3,500 calories. If you consume 500 calories fewer than what your body uses to maintain weight daily, you’ll lose 1 pound in a week. You can also increase the number of calories your body uses with more physical activity to create this caloric deficit. Experts typically recommend losing weight through a combination of eating less and moving more.
