I Don't Know How Many Calories I Should Eat

"Just tell me how many calories I should eat." If that sentence sounds familiar, you are not alone. It is the single most common nutrition question, and the answer feels frustratingly complicated — until you break it down into three simple steps. This guide walks you through the entire process with real numbers and real examples. By the end, you will have your number.

Why There Is No Single Answer for Everyone

Your body burns a different amount of energy than the person sitting next to you. A 5'2" woman who works a desk job and a 6'1" man who trains five days a week have wildly different calorie needs. The number depends on your height, weight, age, biological sex, and how much you move.

That number — the total amount of energy your body burns in a full day — is called your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE. Everything starts with TDEE.

What Is TDEE and Why Does It Matter?

TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It represents every calorie your body uses in 24 hours. That includes keeping your heart beating, digesting food, walking to the kitchen, exercising, and even fidgeting at your desk.

Once you know your TDEE, the rest is simple math. Eat less than your TDEE and you lose weight. Eat exactly your TDEE and you maintain weight. Eat more than your TDEE and you gain weight.

How to Calculate Your TDEE Step by Step

The most widely used formula is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Researchers validated it in a 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association as the most accurate predictive equation for estimating resting metabolic rate.

Step 1 — Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):

• Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
• Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161

Step 2 — Multiply BMR by your activity factor:

Activity Level	Description	Multiplier
Sedentary	Desk job, little to no exercise	1.2
Lightly active	Light exercise 1-3 days per week	1.375
Moderately active	Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week	1.55
Very active	Hard exercise 6-7 days per week	1.725
Extremely active	Physical job + daily intense training	1.9

Step 3 — Adjust for your goal (covered in the next section).

Three Worked Examples

Example 1 — Small Woman, Sedentary

Sarah is 30 years old, 5'3" (160 cm), 130 lbs (59 kg), and works from home.

• BMR = (10 × 59) + (6.25 × 160) − (5 × 30) − 161 = 590 + 1,000 − 150 − 161 = 1,279 kcal
• TDEE = 1,279 × 1.2 = 1,535 kcal per day

Example 2 — Average Man, Moderately Active

James is 35 years old, 5'10" (178 cm), 180 lbs (82 kg), and goes to the gym three times a week.

• BMR = (10 × 82) + (6.25 × 178) − (5 × 35) + 5 = 820 + 1,112.5 − 175 + 5 = 1,762 kcal
• TDEE = 1,762 × 1.55 = 2,731 kcal per day

Example 3 — Active Female Athlete

Maria is 25 years old, 5'7" (170 cm), 145 lbs (66 kg), and trains six days per week.

• BMR = (10 × 66) + (6.25 × 170) − (5 × 25) − 161 = 660 + 1,062.5 − 125 − 161 = 1,436 kcal
• TDEE = 1,436 × 1.725 = 2,477 kcal per day

TDEE Reference Table by Weight, Height, Age, and Activity

This table shows estimated TDEE for common profiles. Find the row closest to you.

Profile	Weight	Height	Age	Activity	Estimated TDEE
Small woman	55 kg / 121 lbs	160 cm / 5'3"	25	Sedentary	1,500 kcal
Small woman	55 kg / 121 lbs	160 cm / 5'3"	25	Moderately active	1,940 kcal
Average woman	68 kg / 150 lbs	165 cm / 5'5"	35	Sedentary	1,600 kcal
Average woman	68 kg / 150 lbs	165 cm / 5'5"	35	Moderately active	2,070 kcal
Average man	80 kg / 176 lbs	178 cm / 5'10"	30	Sedentary	2,050 kcal
Average man	80 kg / 176 lbs	178 cm / 5'10"	30	Moderately active	2,650 kcal
Large man	95 kg / 209 lbs	185 cm / 6'1"	30	Sedentary	2,270 kcal
Large man	95 kg / 209 lbs	185 cm / 6'1"	30	Very active	3,370 kcal
Active athlete (F)	65 kg / 143 lbs	170 cm / 5'7"	25	Very active	2,430 kcal
Active athlete (M)	85 kg / 187 lbs	180 cm / 5'11"	25	Very active	3,180 kcal

These are estimates. Your actual TDEE may be 100-200 calories higher or lower depending on genetics, muscle mass, and daily non-exercise movement.

How to Adjust for Your Goal

Once you have your TDEE, apply one of these adjustments.

Goal	Adjustment	Example (TDEE 2,000)
Lose weight (slow and steady)	Subtract 300 kcal	1,700 kcal
Lose weight (moderate pace)	Subtract 500 kcal	1,500 kcal
Maintain weight	Eat at TDEE	2,000 kcal
Body recomposition	Eat at TDEE with high protein	2,000 kcal
Build muscle (lean bulk)	Add 200-300 kcal	2,200-2,300 kcal

Safe Deficit Guidelines

For most people, a 300 to 500 calorie deficit per day is the sweet spot. That translates to roughly 0.25 to 0.5 kg (0.5 to 1 lb) of fat loss per week. Going much beyond a 500 calorie deficit increases muscle loss, hunger, and the risk of quitting altogether.

A general safety floor: women should not eat below 1,200 calories and men should not eat below 1,500 calories without medical supervision.

Just Tell Me a Number — Quick Estimates by Goal

If you want a rough starting point without doing any math, these ranges cover the majority of adults.

Goal	Women (rough range)	Men (rough range)
Weight loss	1,300-1,600 kcal	1,800-2,200 kcal
Maintenance	1,600-2,000 kcal	2,200-2,700 kcal
Muscle gain	1,900-2,300 kcal	2,500-3,200 kcal

These are starting points. Track your weight for two weeks. If you are losing about 0.5 kg per week, you are in the right zone. If nothing is changing, drop by 100-200 calories and reassess.

The Easier Way — Let Nutrola Calculate It for You

You do not actually need to do any of the math above by hand. During Nutrola's onboarding, the app asks for your height, weight, age, activity level, and goal. It then calculates your personalized calorie target using validated formulas and adjusts it based on your progress.

Nutrola recalculates as your weight changes, so your target stays accurate over time. The app uses a nutritionist-verified database of over 1.8 million foods, so once you have your number, logging meals is as simple as taking a photo or speaking into your phone. At €2.50 per month with zero ads, it removes every barrier between you and your calorie target.

What to Do After You Have Your Number

Knowing your calorie target is step one. Here is what to do next.

Week 1: Log everything you eat without trying to change your diet. This gives you a realistic baseline. Most people discover they eat 200-500 more calories than they assumed.

Week 2: Start making small swaps to close the gap between what you eat and your target. Replace one high-calorie item per day with a lower-calorie alternative.

Week 3 and beyond: Weigh yourself at the same time each morning. Compare weekly averages, not daily numbers. Adjust your calorie target by 100-200 calories if your weight trend is not matching your goal.

Consistency matters far more than perfection. Hitting your target five out of seven days is enough to make steady progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate are TDEE calculators?

TDEE calculators are estimates, typically within 10-15% of your true expenditure. They give you a solid starting point, but the real fine-tuning comes from tracking your intake and weight for two to three weeks and adjusting based on actual results.

Should I eat back the calories I burn during exercise?

For most people trying to lose weight, no. TDEE already accounts for your general activity level. If you add extra exercise calories on top, you risk overestimating the burn and eating back more than you actually used. If you find yourself unusually hungry on heavy training days, adding 100-200 extra calories is reasonable.

Does my calorie target change as I lose weight?

Yes. As you lose weight, your body burns fewer calories at rest because there is less mass to maintain. For every 5 kg lost, your TDEE drops by roughly 50-100 calories. This is why periodic recalculation matters, and why Nutrola automatically adjusts your target as your weight changes.

What if my calculated number feels too low?

If your calculated target is below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 for men, you should consult a healthcare professional before following it. A better approach may be to increase your activity level, which raises your TDEE and allows you to eat more while still losing weight.

Can I eat the same calories every day or should I cycle?

Either approach works. Eating the same amount daily is simpler and easier to track. Calorie cycling — eating more on training days and less on rest days — can improve workout performance but adds complexity. For beginners, consistent daily targets are the better starting point.