Calories are a measure of energy used to quantify how much food we consume and how hard we exert ourselves during physical activity. This simple relationship between the amount of calories we eat and burn is known as energy balance and it plays a very important role in overall health.

Energy Balance

Energy balance is the most important factor in weight control. A positive energy balance (consuming more than you burn) causes weight gain. A negative energy balance (burning more than you consume) causes weight loss. A neutral energy balance (consuming and burning the same amount) promotes steady weight.

Knowing how many calories you consume and burn gives you the power to adjust weight. Body weight is a good indicator of overall health (through Body Mass Index and body fat percentage). A high body weight is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes and cancer. It is therefore important to control calorie intake as well as energy expenditure (exercise & physical activity) in order to reside within a healthy weight range.

What is the Calorie Calculator?

The calorie calculator uses physical characteristics (weight, height, age, gender), activity level and weight goals (gain, lose or maintain weight) to estimate daily calorie needs. The calorie calculator estimates how much to consume based on the weight goal selected. In addition to calorie estimations, the calculator provides:

• basal metabolic rate (BMR)
• BMI
• Healthy Weight Range
• macronutrient distribution (how much fat, carbohydrates and protein you need each day)
• meal/snack size examples

Instructions

To begin, fill out the form below with weight (pounds), height (feet & inches), age, physical activity level, gender, weight goal and click calculate. The next page displays the results as well as detailed explanations on the significance of the calculations.

The Calorie Calculator