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Calorie calculator

How many calories do you need a day? BMI alone can’t tell you. What matters is your weight, height, age, sex and how active you are.

How the calorie calculator works

Basal metabolic rate: The energy your body needs at complete rest. We use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women.

Maintenance calories: Basal metabolic rate times an activity factor. The factor is made up of your everyday activity (1.2 to 1.6) and your exercise (plus 0 to 0.3).

Budget for losing weight: Around 7,700 kcal roughly equal one kilogram of body weight. We plan for at most 0.5 kg a week, at most 1% of body weight and at most 25% below your needs. Because your needs fall as your weight drops, weight loss slows down over time.

Different rules apply to children and teenagers, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and if you are underweight. In these cases, please seek medical advice.