LogmaHow many calories should you eat?
Your daily calorie target and macros in 10 seconds. Built on the Mifflin St Jeor equation, the one most dietitians use. No email, no account.
Let's start with you.
Metabolism differs by sex. Pick what matches your body.
How old are you?
Resting burn drops a little each year. We account for it.
Height and weight?
Your current weight, not the goal.
How active are you?
Be honest. Most people pick one level too high.
What's the goal?
You can change this later and re run the numbers.
Counting every calorie
Mifflin St Jeor · your activity · your goalKnowing the number is the easy part. Hitting it every day is where most people quit. Logma logs a meal in 3 seconds: just say what you ate.
Log it by voice, freeThe math behind
the number.
1. Resting burn (BMR)
Mifflin St Jeor estimates the calories your body burns at complete rest.
Men: 10w + 6.25h - 5a + 5Women: 10w + 6.25h - 5a - 161
w in kg, h in cm, a in years. It is the equation with the best track record in validation studies for healthy adults.
2. Total burn (TDEE)
Multiply BMR by an activity factor to get your maintenance calories, the amount you burn in a normal day.
| Activity | Factor |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 |
| Light | 1.375 |
| Moderate | 1.55 |
| Very active | 1.725 |
| Extra active | 1.9 |
Most people overrate this. If in doubt, pick one level lower. More on TDEE.
3. Your goal
About 7700 kcal equals one kilogram of body fat. A 500 kcal daily deficit is roughly 0.5 kg per week. We never go below 1200 kcal for women or 1500 for men. How big should a deficit be?
4. Macros
Protein is set at 1.8 g per kg of body weight when losing or gaining, 1.6 g when maintaining. Fat is 25 percent of calories. Carbs fill the rest. Why protein per kg matters.
Things people ask
about this calculator.
How accurate is a calorie calculator?+
Any formula is an estimate, usually within about 10 percent for most adults. Use the number as a starting point, track your intake for two weeks, and adjust by 100 to 200 kcal if your weight is not moving the way you expect.
Which formula does this calculator use?+
Mifflin St Jeor for BMR, multiplied by a standard activity factor for TDEE. It performs better than the older Harris Benedict equation in validation studies.
Should I eat the same calories every day?+
Not necessarily. Weekly averages matter more than daily precision. Some people eat a little more on training days and a little less on rest days. Consistency over weeks is what moves the scale.
Do I need to weigh my food to hit this target?+
No. Consistent estimates beat perfect weighing that you abandon after a week. Here is how to track without a scale, and Logma estimates portions from how you describe a meal.
Why is my target below what I burn?+
Because you picked a weight loss goal. The gap between your TDEE and your target is the deficit. Switch the goal to Maintain to see your break even number.
Got your number?
Now hit it.
Say what you ate. Logma counts every item and logs it with macros in about 3 seconds.