Four quick steps to an estimate of the calories your body needs each day.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is an estimate of the calories your body burns at rest to keep essential functions running—such as breathing, circulation, and cell repair. FitQuota uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a widely cited formula that considers your sex, age, weight, and height. It is the floor of your daily energy use, before any movement is added.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) builds on BMR by accounting for daily activity and exercise. It is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor that reflects how active you are. TDEE is often used as an estimate of maintenance calories—the amount that may keep your weight stable.
The calculator runs three steps in order, using the values you entered above.
1. Estimate BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor)
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5 for men, or − 161 for women
2. Apply your activity multiplier
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier
3. Adjust for your goal
Target = TDEE, or TDEE ± 250 kcal for weight loss or gain
| Activity level | Typical week | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Little or no exercise, desk job | ×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 |
| Extra active | Very hard exercise or a physically demanding job | ×1.9 |
A 250 kcal daily adjustment is deliberately conservative: it is a moderate starting point rather than an aggressive deficit or surplus. Real-world needs depend on many factors, including muscle mass, genetics, sleep, stress, and overall health, so treat the result as a hypothesis to test over a few weeks rather than a fixed number.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation behind the BMR step.
Calorie targets are estimates rather than prescriptions. Needs vary considerably between individuals, so treat this figure as a starting point to test over a few weeks.
If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history of eating disorders, or are making a significant change to how you eat or train, consider speaking with a qualified healthcare professional.
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