Free calculator
Calorie calculator: calories, protein and your goal date
Find your maintenance calories (TDEE), a sensible deficit, how much protein to eat, and when you could reach your goal. Uses the same maths as the Unavoidable Health app.
Free · no sign-up · kg or stone
Work out your numbers
Work out how many calories and how much protein you need each day, and the date you'd reach your goal weight. Takes thirty seconds.
Nearly there
Estimates only. Not medical advice. 18+. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula. If you're losing, we aim for about 0.75% of your body weight a week, never cutting more than 25% of what you burn and never below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men).
What is TDEE?
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the number of calories your body burns in a day: your resting needs (BMR) plus everything you do, from walking about to training. Eat around your TDEE and your weight stays steady. Eat below it and you lose weight; eat above it and you gain.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Eat a little less than your TDEE: for most people that's a steady loss of about 0.5 to 1% of body weight a week. For example, a 34-year-old man, 178 cm and 92 kg, who is lightly active and trains twice a week burns about 2,560 kcal a day, so around 1,920 kcal a day loses about 0.6 kg a week. We never plan below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men.
| Person | Burns (TDEE) | To lose weight | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man, 34, 178 cm, 92 kg, trains twice a week | 2,560 kcal | 1,920 kcal | 184 g |
| Woman, 29, 165 cm, 75 kg, trains three times a week | 2,070 kcal | 1,550 kcal | 150 g |
What is a calorie deficit?
A calorie deficit means eating fewer calories than you burn, so your body makes up the difference from stored energy, mostly fat. A moderate deficit you can stick to beats a crash diet: you keep more muscle, feel better and are more likely to keep the weight off.
How much protein do I need?
Most people who train do well on 1.6 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, at the higher end while losing weight to protect muscle. Spread it across three to five meals. If you're carrying a lot of extra weight, base it on a healthy target weight instead.
What are maintenance calories?
Maintenance calories are the calories you need to keep your weight the same. It's the same thing as your TDEE. Your Unavoidable Health plan starts from an estimate, then the weekly check-in adjusts it from what you actually eat and weigh.
How the calculator works
We estimate your resting energy (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula most dietitians use:
- Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
Then we multiply by an activity factor for your day-to-day life, and add a little for each weekly workout:
| Day to day | Factor |
|---|---|
| Mostly sitting (desk job, under 5,000 steps) | 1.2 |
| Lightly active (on your feet some of the day) | 1.3 |
| Active (lots of walking or a hands-on job) | 1.4 |
| Very active (physical job, on the go all day) | 1.55 |
| Each weekly workout | +0.035 |
To lose weight, we aim for 0.5 to 1% of your body weight a week depending on the pace you choose, but never cut more than 20 to 30% of what you burn, and never go below 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men). Goal weights below a healthy BMI aren't accepted, and if you're pregnant or breastfeeding we only set maintenance targets.
Estimates only, not medical advice. For 18s and over. If you have a medical condition, talk to your GP first. See also the NHS guide to daily calorie intake. Last updated 24 October 2026.
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