Calorie calculator
Your estimated daily need — as an honest range, because no formula knows your metabolism to the gram.
Indicative estimate (Mifflin-St Jeor). Your real metabolism varies — follow your trend over 2–3 weeks and adjust.
Why a range, not an exact number?
No formula is exact. Mifflin-St Jeor estimates your metabolism from population averages — in the Frankenfield et al. (2005) review it was the equation most often within 10% of measured values, but not for everyone. Hence a ±10% range, and your activity level adds its own margin.
What matters is the trend. Aim for the middle of the range for 2–3 weeks, watch your weight evolve, then adjust. That's more reliable than any single calculation.
Honesty prevents dropout. No false control, no guilt when the number "doesn't add up". Just a realistic target you can stick to.
By Can Ozmen, founder of Volumeal · Updated October 20, 2026 · Method & sources