Calorie calculator
How many calories do you need a day? Enter your details to get your daily calories and macros for losing, keeping or gaining weight.
Hit your numbers without counting by hand
Snap a photo of each meal — HolyShot works out calories and macros in seconds and tracks them against your targets.
How the calculator works
It's the same method HolyShot uses to set your goals in the app, in four steps.
1. Basal metabolism (BMR)
The calories your body burns at complete rest, from the Mifflin–St Jeor equation — widely considered the most reliable of the common formulas for adults:
Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
2. Activity
BMR is multiplied by your activity level to get your maintenance calories (TDEE):
| Activity | × BMR |
|---|---|
| Under 5,000 steps a daydesk job, no workouts | 1.2 |
| 5,000–7,000 steps a day1–2 light workouts a week | 1.38 |
| 7,000–10,000 steps a day3–4 workouts a week | 1.55 |
| 10,000–13,000 steps a day5–6 intense workouts a week | 1.73 |
| 13,000+ steps a daydaily training or a physical job | 1.9 |
3. Goal
- Lose weight: maintenance minus 250, 500 or 750 kcal a day — about 0.25, 0.5 or 0.75 kg a week.
- Gain muscle: maintenance plus 250, 500 or 750 kcal a day.
- Cut: 78% of maintenance, with extra protein to keep muscle.
- Never below 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 for men.
4. Protein, fat and carbs
- Protein per kg of body weight: 1.6 g when maintaining, 1.8 g when gaining, 2 g when losing, 2.3 g when cutting.
- Fat: about 0.9–1 g per kg (never under 0.8 g), raised to 28% of calories when carbs would otherwise pass 55%.
- Carbs: the rest of your calories, at least 50 g a day.
- Fiber: 14 g per 1,000 kcal, between 20 and 45 g a day.
- With a BMI over 30, protein and fat are counted from an adjusted weight: the weight at a BMI of 25 plus 30% of the difference.
How to use your numbers
Treat them as a starting point
Any formula is an estimate. Track what you eat for two to three weeks and watch your weight trend.
Adjust by the trend, not one weigh-in
If your weekly average hasn't moved in two to three weeks, change your calories by 100–200 kcal and check again.
Hit protein first
Protein keeps you full and protects muscle while you lose weight.
Make tracking effortless
Most people quit counting because of the typing. With HolyShot you snap a photo and get calories and macros in seconds.
Questions, answered
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Eat below your maintenance calories (TDEE). A deficit of 500 kcal a day comes to about 0.5 kg a week. Unless a doctor supervises you, stay above 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 for men.
What's the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. TDEE adds everything you do — walking, training, work — and is the amount that keeps your weight stable.
How accurate is this calculator?
The Mifflin–St Jeor equation is widely considered the most reliable of the common formulas for adults, but it's still an estimate: muscle mass, genetics and health change real needs. Use the result as a starting point and adjust by your weight trend.
How much protein do I need?
This calculator uses 1.6 g per kg of body weight when maintaining, 1.8 g when gaining, 2 g when losing and 2.3 g when cutting — more protein helps keep muscle in a deficit.
What does cutting mean?
Cutting is losing fat while keeping muscle: a moderate deficit (78% of maintenance here), high protein and strength training.
Can I use it if I'm under 18, pregnant or have a health condition?
It's built for healthy adults. Teenagers, pregnant or breastfeeding women and anyone with a health condition should get their targets from a doctor or dietitian.
This calculator gives an estimate for healthy adults. It isn't medical advice.