Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply feel your best, knowing how many calories you need each day is a powerful first step. This guide—and the calculator below—can help you estimate your daily calorie needs based on your body, lifestyle, and fitness goals.

How to Use the MyFitnessPal Calorie Needs Calculator

All need to do is enter a few basic pieces of information about yourself, including:

• Age: Needs can vary by age, especially as muscle mass naturally declines over time.
• Sex: Though it’s just one consideration, men and women tend to have different calorie needs.
• Height and Weight: Your height and weight help determine your calorie needs.
• Activity Level: Whether you’re sedentary or highly active, your activity level plays a big role in the calculation.
• Fitness Goals: Whether you’re aiming to lose weight, build muscle, or maintain your current health, the calculator adjusts your recommendations accordingly.

How Calorie Needs Are Calculated

Knowing how many calories you need can help guide your food and activity choices to reach your goals. This is the whole idea behind the CICO diet, which stands for Calories In Calories Out. 

The logic behind the CICO diet is that once you know your caloric needs, you can add, subtract, or meet them to gain, lose, or maintain weight. 

Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to calculating your caloric needs using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Plus, you’ll learn how to work with that number once you know it.

Step 1: Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

It all starts with the basal metabolic rate (BMR). That’s the number of calories your body burns just to stay alive. (1)  Even if you stayed in bed all day, your body would still require energy (aka calories) to breathe, pump blood, produce cells and hormones, and so on.

One of the most reliable ways to calculate BMR is by using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which factors in your weight, height, age, and gender. (1, 5) 

By plugging your own numbers into this formula, you can get a personalized estimate of how many calories your body burns at rest. I say “estimate” because while this is one of the most accurate ways to calculate your BMR, it’s not a perfect science. (More on this later.) 

Let’s take an example and calculate this together. For instance, if you’re a 35-year-old woman who’s 5’4’’ and weighs 165 pounds, you’d first need to calculate your height and weight in centimeters and kilograms. 

• Height in centimeters = height in inches x 2.54 or 64 x 2.54 = 162.56
• Weight in kilograms = weight in pounds ÷ 2.2 or 165 ÷ 2.2 = 75

Now, let’s plug these numbers into the BMR equation.

• BMR = (10 × 75) + (6.25 × 162.56) – (5 × 35) – 161  
• BMR = 750 + 1016 – 175 – 161  
• BMR ≈ 1,430 calories/day

This means your body requires about 1,430 calories each day just to maintain essential functions. However, since you don’t spend all day lying down, you need to adjust your energy needs based on how active you are. (If you’d rather skip the math, you can easily calculate your BMR here.)

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Step 2: Adjust BMR Based on Your Activity Level

Now that you know your BMR, you can factor in your activity level to get a more accurate picture of how many calories you really need each day. That’s your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). TDEE considers your daily movement and adjusts your caloric needs accordingly. (1)  To estimate your TDEE, you can use the following activity level multipliers:

Sedentary (little to no exercise)

Use this activity level multiplier if you get minimal activity or movement throughout the day–say, because you drive to work and have a desk job. (1) 

Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.2

Lightly active (exercise 1-3 days per week)

This is when you perform some activity–such as going for a walk–up to three days a week. (1) 

Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.375

Moderately active (exercise 3-5 days per week)

Let’s say you walk a lot in your day-to-day life and exercise most days; you’d be considered moderately active. (1) 

Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.55

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Very active (exercise 6-7 days per week)

If you’re engaging in any purposeful exercise–like hopping on the elliptical –most days, or you have a physical job, you’d be considered very active. (1) 

Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.725

Super active (hard exercise or physical job)

You’d be considered super active if you pushed yourself hard when you work out–say in spin class–or if you have an intensely physical job. (1) 

Activity multiplier: BMR × 1.9

Getting back to our example, if you exercise four times per week, your activity multiplier would be BMR × 1.55. Your BMR was 1,430 calories, so the equation looks like this.(1) 

TDEE = 1,430  × 1.55 = 2,216.50 calories/day

This means that for you to maintain your current weight, you’d need around 2,215 calories per day. Now, we’ll adjust this number based on your goals. 

Step 3: Set Your Goal: Weight Loss, Maintenance, or Gain

Here’s where you’ll learn how to calculate your caloric needs depending on your personal goal.

For weight loss:

The logic behind the CICO diet is that a pound is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories. (6) Therefore, to lose weight, you’d subtract 250 to 500 calories from your TDEE.  

Using our example TDEE of 2,215, you can cut your intake by 500 calories, aiming for a daily intake of around 1,715 calories. This should lead to a gradual, sustainable weight loss of about 1 pound per week. 

Remember that gradual changes are helpful because they don’t feel overwhelming. Also, keep in mind again that while calorie counting is a helpful tool for weight loss, it isn’t a precise science. You may lose more or less weight than predicted after calculating your personal caloric needs for weight loss.

For weight gain:

If you’re trying to gain muscle or increase your weight, you’ll need to consume more calories than your TDEE. Your caloric needs for weight gain can increase by about 500 calories per day, bringing your total to around 2,715 calories. 

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A calorie counting tool will come in handy as you focus on adding calories for weight gain. MyFitnessPal can also make it easier to ensure you’re adding calories from nutritious sources.

For maintenance:

For weight maintenance, aim to match your calorie intake to your TDEE. In our example, that would mean consuming about 2,215 calories per day.

Whatever your goal, making small, gradual adjustments is the best way to ensure long-term success. Extreme caloric deficits or surpluses can be difficult to sustain and may negatively impact your health. A calorie counting app, like MyFitnessPal, can help you follow the CICO diet for weight gain, loss, or maintenance.

About the Experts:

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, is a nationally recognized food and nutrition expert, media personality, nutrition consultant, and author. Cassetty is a former nutrition director for Good Housekeeping and the co-author of the book Sugar Shock.

Daisy Mercer, RD, is a Food Data Curator at MyFitnessPal. She graduated with her bachelors of Food Science and Dietetics from Colorado State University and completed her dietetic internship with the VA San Diego Healthcare system.

Macronutrient Balance: Optimizing Your Caloric Intake

The CICO diet can help you manage your caloric intake, but macronutrient balance helps you optimize your nutrition. 

The three macronutrients are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The right balance helps you fuel your body properly for specific goals, whether that’s losing weight, building muscle, or weight maintenance. (You can determine a personal macro goal using this free macro calculator.)

Protein:

Protein is essential for maintaining muscle strength and mass. (7) Protein is also associated with increased satiety, helping you feel full for longer stretches after meals. (1) Getting enough protein while you’re losing weight will help you preserve muscle mass and improve satiety while you’re in a caloric deficit. (6)

Fats:

Fats not only help you absorb nutrients, but they slow the rate at which food is digested and metabolized. That means, like protein, fat can help you feel fuller longer. (8) A beneficial macronutrient balance includes about 30% of your daily caloric needs from heart-healthy fats, like those found in avocados, nuts, seeds, and extra virgin olive oil. (3)

Carbohydrates:

Carbs are often maligned–particularly among those trying to lose weight. However, carbs are your body and brain’s main energy source, and your muscles need carbs to fuel physical activity. (9) The net-net is that carbs are a vital part of your macronutrient balance. Typically, 40% of your daily caloric needs should come from carbohydrates.(3)

Of course, these are general guidelines, and some people prefer to balance their macronutrient intake differently. 

Calorie Counting Isn’t an Exact Science: Other Factors to Consider 

While calorie counting can be a helpful tool for managing your weight, there are other things that influence your body’s ability to lose or gain weight. 

That’s why it’s important to be gentle with yourself as you embark on a weight management journey. While calorie tracking is helpful, there’s still some trial and error to the process.

Metabolism:

You don’t have as much control over your metabolism as you think. Everyone’s metabolism is unique, and age, genetics, and gender influence your metabolic rate.(7) Of course, your activity levels–how active or inactive you are–is a factor of your metabolic rate that you can control. (More on this below.)

Hormones:

Hormones, particularly those related to thyroid function, can affect weight gain or loss. Hormones related to menopause may also influence your ability to lose weight. Talk to your doctor if you suspect hormonal imbalances are making it harder for you to manage your weight. (7) 

If you’ve lost weight in the past, appetite-regulating hormones may make it more difficult to maintain this weight loss because these hormones make you hungrier. (10)

Exercise and muscle mass:

In addition to improving your health and burning some calories, exercise–particularly strength training– helps you build more muscle tissue. (5) Muscle burns slightly more calories than fat, even at rest.(5) So, the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism and caloric needs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Calorie Calculator

The Bottom Line: Understanding and Adjusting Your Caloric Needs 

To optimize your health and reach your goals, start by calculating your caloric needs using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, adjusting for your personal activity level. Then you can start counting calories for weight loss, maintenance, or gain. (MyFitnessPal can make this so much easier!) 

While this is a good start, it’s also helpful to consider your macronutrient balance since some calories are more filling and nutritious than others. 

Remember, this process is highly individual, and other factors like genes, hormones, and muscle mass also play a role. With gradual, sustainable changes and a balanced approach to calories and macronutrients, you can make progress toward your personal goals.

Originally published November 7, 2024; Updated May 2026

The post Daily Calorie Calculator: How Many Calories Do You Need Each Day? appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

A high protein for weight loss gets a lot of attention, and the evidence suggests there are a few good reasons why. Higher-protein diets do not ‘melt fat,’ but they do more than you think. However, it’s still not a magic fix. 

“Protein does not cause weight loss on its own, but it can play a useful role by helping with fullness and supporting lean mass during a calorie deficit,” Katherine Basbaum, RD MyFitnessPal dietitian explains. (2,4,5,7) 

Why Protein Matters for Weight Loss

Does protein help you lose weight? It can be helpful as part of a balanced weight-loss plan. Higher-protein eating patterns have been linked with better weight management outcomes in adults who are overweight or obese. (1)

1. It Helps You Feel Full Longer

   One way protein may support weight loss is by helping you feel fuller for longer. Some studies have found that people feel more satisfied after eating more protein. (4,8)

2. It May Help Reduce Overall Calorie Intake

   By improving fullness, protein may make it easier to eat fewer calories over the rest of the day. It has been found that people may eat fewer calories later after higher-protein meals, although results are not perfectly consistent across all studies. (2)

3. Does Protein Boost Metabolism?

   Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbohydrate or fat, which means the body uses more energy to digest and metabolize it. That effect is real, but modest, so it is better viewed as a helpful bonus than as a stand-alone weight-loss strategy. (2,7)

4. It Helps Preserve Lean Mass During Weight Loss

   When people lose weight, they usually lose some muscle along with body fat. Increased protein intake significantly helps prevent muscle-mass loss in adults who are overweight or obese and are trying to lose weight. (5)

5. It Helps You Build Better Meals

   Protein can also help you build more balanced meals instead of relying on snacks that may not keep you full for long. A good amount of protein can be found in beans, lentils, peas, eggs, seafood, soy foods, nuts, seeds, and lean meats and poultry. (9,10)

How Much Protein Should I Eat to Lose Weight?

A practical protein intake for weight loss is often higher than the adult minimum. The adult RDA is 0.8 g/kg/day, which is the amount set to meet the needs of nearly all healthy adults. Reviews focused on weight management often discuss somewhat higher intakes, around 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg/day, and sometimes roughly 25 to 30 g per meal to help with hunger and help you hold on to muscle. (2,6,5)

If you have chronic kidney disease or another condition that changes protein needs, do not use a generic target without consultation. Your protein goal may need to be adjusted with help from a doctor or dietitian. (11)

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Best Protein Foods for Weight Loss

Good options include eggs, seafood, lean meats and poultry, soy foods, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Protein is found in both plant and animal foods, and its label guidance suggests comparing foods by looking at the grams of protein per serving. (10)

How to Use MyFitnessPal to Support a Protein Goal

Try MyFitnessPal’s Protein Calculator, which uses body weight and physical activity to estimate a target. The calculator’s default macro setup is 20% of calories from protein, and users can customize protein, carb, and fat goals in the Goals section. 

Premium users can also view macros by meal, which makes it easier to see whether protein is being spread across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, or if it’s limited to one meal. 

If you’re building a new protein habit, there’s a place to do it alongside others in the MyFitnessPal community.

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Things to Keep in Mind

Protein can support weight loss, but it does not replace the fundamentals. Weight loss still comes down to eating in a way you can stick with, staying active, and building healthy habits. Protein works best when it helps you stick to that structure, not when it is treated like a shortcut. (7)

Also, keep in mind that more protein is not automatically better for everyone, especially if you have chronic kidney disease. (11)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Does protein help you lose weight?

A higher-protein eating pattern can support weight loss by helping with fullness and by helping preserve lean mass while you are in a calorie deficit. It works best as part of an overall reduced-calorie, balanced eating pattern, not as a stand-alone fix. (1,4,5,7) 

• How much protein should I eat to lose weight?

The adult RDA for protein is 0.8 g/kg/day. Reviews focused on weight management often discuss somewhat higher intakes, often around 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg/day. (6,2)

• Does protein boost metabolism?

Protein has a higher thermic effect of food than carbohydrate or fat, so your body uses more energy to digest and metabolize it. That effect is real, but modest, so it is better thought of as a small advantage rather than the main driver of weight loss. (2,7)

• What are the best protein foods for weight loss?

Beans, peas, lentils, eggs, seafood, soy foods, nuts, seeds, and lean meats and poultry are all good sources of protein. And if you are comparing packaged foods, checking the grams of protein per serving on the Nutrition Facts label can help. (10)

• Can eating too much protein be bad for you?

Protein can fit into a balanced eating pattern for most healthy adults. But if you have chronic kidney disease or another condition that affects protein needs, it is best to talk with a clinician or dietitian before making major changes to your intake. (7,11)

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Bottom Line

Protein can be a helpful part of a weight-loss plan because it may help you feel fuller and support lean mass while you are eating in a calorie deficit. (2,4,5)

From there, you’re going to need to keep it practical: choose a realistic protein goal and use MyFitnessPal to check whether your intake is lining up with it.

Originally published October 11, 2016; Updated May 2026

The post High Protein Diet for Weight Loss: 5 Science-Backed Reasons It Helps appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

Air fryers have earned a permanent spot on many kitchen counters in recent years—and for good reason. They can help turn simple ingredients into fast, satisfying meals with the crisp texture, shorter cook times and less fat than other cooking methods. That does not mean it is a magic appliance. The healthiest outcome still depends on what you cook, how you cook it, and how much oil you use. But as a cooking tool, it can be genuinely helpful.

“An air fryer can make balanced meals easier to prepare on busy nights, thanks to its quick cooking time and simple cleanup,” says Joanna Gregg, MS, RD, MyFitnessPal dietitian.

Why the Air Fryer Keeps Earning Counter Space

One reason our registered dietitians keep coming back to air fryer meals is simple: the appliance solves a real-life problem. It helps food feel crisp, warm, and satisfying without the full setup of deep frying or traditional baking. That matters on nights when cooking motivation is low but takeout is not the goal.

It also invites a more flexible style of cooking. You can crisp vegetables, cook a protein, reheat leftovers, or build easy air fryer dinners from ingredients you already have. 

Once you start noticing the everyday uses of an air fryer, it stops feeling like a one-trick gadget and starts feeling more like a shortcut to getting dinner on the table. 

People tracking meals in the MyFitnessPal app will find entries for air-fried foods—like potatoes or chicken—making it easier to log calories and nutrients accurately.

How Air Fryer Works

If you have ever wondered how an air fryer works, the short version is this: it cooks food by rapidly circulating heated air around it. This convection-style process creates crisp edges without submerging food in oil. (1)

That lower-oil approach is not just marketing language. In a 2026 study on French fries, air frying produced about 1.2% oil content compared with 44.8% in deep-fried fries, while still delivering similar color and texture under certain cooking conditions. (2)

In other words, the air fryer creates the crisp texture many people enjoy while using far less oil than traditional frying, making the nutrition profile of air fried foods more desirable.

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What Is an Air Fryer Good For?

“Because of the fast air circulation, air fryers work especially well for foods that benefit from dry heat and crisping, like vegetables, potatoes, seafood, or tofu,” says Joanna Gregg, MS, RD.

Foods That Get Crispy or Browned

“Because of the fast air circulation, air fryers work especially well for foods that benefit from dry heat and crisping, like vegetables, potatoes, seafood, or tofu,” says Joanna Gregg, MS, RD.

Quick Small-Batch Meals

Air fryers also work well for smaller portions. If you are making lunch for one, a quick side for two, or an afternoon snack, they can feel faster and less fussy than using a full oven.

Simple Reheating

An air fryer can also be useful for reheating foods that you want to stay crisp, like roasted vegetables, fries, or breaded items. In some cases, it can bring back texture better than a microwave. Pro-tip: try it with flatbread or pizza!

Baking Small Items

And yes, you can bake in air fryer mode too (5). Small muffins, hand pies, baked oats, mini frittatas, and personal-size potatoes can all work well. Because the cooking chamber is smaller, foods may bake faster than they would in a traditional oven, so it helps to check them a little earlier.

5 Benefits of Using the Air Fryer

1. Uses Less Oil Than Deep Frying

This is the headline benefit, and it is backed by both reviews and direct comparison studies. Hot air frying consistently reduces oil use and oil uptake compared with deep frying, especially in foods like fries. (1,2)

2. Makes Home Cooking Easier to Stick With

When cleanup is lighter and preheating is faster, cooking at home starts to feel less like a project. That can make it easier to build meals around vegetables, proteins, and simple starches more often.

3. Creates Crisp Texture Without Heavy Frying

A lot of people are not chasing fried food so much as the texture of fried food. That is an important difference. If crispness helps you enjoy salmon, green beans, or tofu more, the air fryer becomes a practical tool.

4. Works Well for Simple, Everyday Meals

Many easy air fryer recipes are simply vegetables, seafood, or proteins cooked quickly with seasoning. The appliance makes it easy to turn basic ingredients into a quick meal without much preparation.

5. Helps Reduce the Takeout Habit

The more familiar you get with your air fryer, the easier it becomes to throw together something quick and delicious at home before hunger pushes you toward a more expensive, less healthy takeout option.

“One of the biggest advantages of an air fryer is that it eliminates the need for preheating and cooks food faster than a traditional oven. When meals are quick and easy to prepare, people are more inclined to cook at home rather than turn to takeout,” says Gregg.

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How to Use an Air Fryer More Strategically

An air fryer can be a helpful kitchen tool, but the results depend on what you cook and how you use it.

“Like any kitchen tool, an air fryer can support a healthy routine when it’s used thoughtfully and intentionally,” notes Gregg.

Here are a few tips to get the most out of your air fryer meals:

1. Leave Room for Airflow

One of the most practical uses for an air fryer is crisping food quickly, but that only works when hot air can move around the food. USDA specifically warns that overcrowding can prevent enough air circulation to cook food properly, so cooking smaller batches is often the better move. (5)

2. Use Oil Strategically

Using little to no oil is essential– using too much can leave foods soggy instead of crisp.  Some foods—especially cut vegetables or potatoes—benefit from a light coating for crispiness and that golden color. Think brush or mist, not soak.

3. Check Food Early and Adjust as Needed

If you’re wondering how long to air fry, the answer depends on the model, the food, the cut size, the basket load, and how crispy you want the finish. 

Use recipe times as a starting point, but check food early and shake or flip it during cooking to help it cook evenly. For packaged foods, following the manufacturer’s instructions can also help ensure they cook safely. (5)

4. Use a Thermometer for Proteins

When cooking chicken, fish, or other proteins in an air fryer, don’t rely on appearance alone to judge doneness. Because cooking times can vary by model and basket load, the most reliable way to ensure food is fully cooked is to use a food thermometer and cook foods to recommended cook times. (5)

For raw, stuffed breaded chicken breast products, follow the manufacturer’s cooking instructions and avoid cooking them in an air fryer unless the packaging specifically says it’s safe. (5)

5. Season Thoughtfully

Because air fryers cook quickly, seasoning makes a big difference in the final result. A light coating of oil can help spices and herbs stick better, especially for vegetables or proteins. Simple additions like garlic powder, paprika, herbs, or citrus can boost flavor without needing extra sauces.

6. Don’t Rely on a Single Cooking Time

Cooking times can vary depending on the air fryer model, the type of food, and how much you’re cooking at once. Use recipes as a guide, but check food early and adjust as needed to avoid overcooking or drying it out. (5)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Are air fryers healthy?

They can support a lighter cooking style than deep frying because they use little or no oil and can sharply reduce oil uptake in foods like fries. But the full answer still depends on what you cook and how you cook it. (2)

• How do air fryers work?

They cook by circulating hot air rapidly around food. The moving hot air helps dry and brown the surface, which is why air-fried food can taste crisp without being submerged in oil. (1)

• Can you bake in an air fryer?

Yes. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service notes that air fryers can be used for baking, roasting, reheating, and cooking a variety of foods. (5) Smaller baked items like muffins, baked oats, mini frittatas, or personal-size potatoes tend to work especially well. 

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Bottom Line

Air fryers can make everyday cooking faster and less messy than other traditional methods, while still delivering the crisp texture many people enjoy. Like any cooking method, the biggest benefits come from how you use it—especially when it helps you prepare simple meals at home more often. (1,2) And if you log meals in the MyFitnessPal app, you’ll often find entries that reflect air-fried foods, helping you estimate calories and nutrients based on how they’re actually prepared.

The post Why Our Registered Dietitians Use an Air Fryer on Repeat appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.