How Accurate are Calorie Calculators? Let’s break it down!

Overall health is of utmost importance and a calorie calculator helps you in the journey. How? Well, it gives a basic idea of the calories you need in a day to sustain your health. Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your current physique, a calorie counter would guide you in the right direction.

In this blog, I shall introduce two effective daily calorie intake calculators. You will understand the science behind it, its formula, and calculate it right here! So, let’s get going and understand the world of best calorie calculators.

What is a Calorie Calculator?

In a very simple language, a calorie calculator gives you a number of calories that you should consume in a day to sustain bodily functions. It takes into account your age, gender, weight, height, and daily activity level.

How does this help? Well, you get a rough idea on the number of calories that you should consume to either maintain or lose/gain weight. With this daily calorie calculator, you can plan your diet and nutrition more effectively.

Now, here are a few terms that are interrelated and help define your daily caloric intake.

1. BMR: BMR or a Basal Metabolic Rate is the amount of calories that you need to consume even at rest. This is the number of calories that will be used for functions like breathing, pumping of blood, etc.
2. TDEE: Now, a TDEE calculator or a Total Daily Energy Expenditure calculator is a step further to BMR calculator. TDEE calculator takes into account your BMR plus your daily activity levels. Thus, this is an overall idea of calories you use each day.
3. Calorie Deficit/Surplus Calculator: a maintenance calorie calculator or a calorie deficit calculator or even calorie surplus calculator is another step ahead of BMR calculator and TDEE. Based on your total daily energy expenditure, you either increase or decrease the number of calories to know your deficit or surplus number of calories.

Isn’t it pretty easy. Now, let us dive into these concepts in detail for a better understanding.

For Everything About BMR, Check This Blog

TDEE Calculator to Lose Weight or Gain/Maintain

What is TDEE Calorie Calculator?

TDEE, also known as Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the total number of calories used by your system through the day. It includes calories burnt at rest and even calories burnt during activity. Thus, it is a complete number and acts as a cornerstone in understanding your daily caloric intake.

How TDEE is Calculated

TDEE is directly related to the Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator. BMR is the number of calories your system needs for basic functions like digestion and breathing. Various online calorie calculators use different formulas for BMR. However, there is no difference in the results.

Here is a BMR formula using the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation.

BMR Formula (Mifflin-St Jeor Equation):

• For men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) - 5 × age (years) + 5
• For women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) - 5 × age (years) - 161

Once you get an answer to your BMR, you just need to multiply it with a fixed number based on your daily activity level. This will give you your TDEE.

• Sedentary (little or no exercise): TDEE = BMR × 1.2
• Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days a week): TDEE = BMR × 1.375
• Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days a week): TDEE = BMR × 1.55
• Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): TDEE = BMR × 1.725
• Extra Active (very hard exercise/physical job): TDEE = BMR × 1.9

Using a TDEE Calculator

Using ARForms Math Logic and Conditional Logic, one can easily create multiple online calculators. You just need to input your data here. This will act as a free calorie calculator app on page. Try it for yourself.

Total Calorie Intake Calculator (For Weight Loss/Gain/Maintain)

Okay, so first of all, how do you determine calories per day to lose weight or gain weight? Should you use a different calorie calculator to gain weight? Or should you focus on using a free calorie deficit calculator?

What if I say you don’t need any, yes, actually! You can easily determine your calorie deficit or calorie surplus on your own. Let’s understand the concept here.

What is a Calorie Deficit?

Your TDEE calories are the number of calories that you spend each day, right. So, you can take that amount of calories daily and maintain your weight and daily functions.

Now, a calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your TDEE. Now, you consuming less calories won’t change the amount of calories needed by you daily, right? So, in such a deficit condition, your system would use stored fat for energy. Thus, leading you to weight loss or fat loss. Simple.

It's like having an opportunity to balance your spending and earnings. When you spend more, you will have to depend on your savings. Here, your earning is calories in and total expenditure is the TDEE. Thus, your system would then depend on your savings, that is the stored fat. Eventually helping you lose weight. 

What is a Calorie Surplus? 

Once you understand what a calorie deficit is, it becomes super easy to understand calorie surplus. They are exact opposites.

So, if you earn more than your expenditure, you are going to save up more thus increasing your investments. Here, your earnings are calories in and expenditure is calories out. You save up more to increase your investments aka your fat and overall weight.

Isn’t it pretty simple?

To Lose Weight: Eat lesser than your TDEE
To Gain Weight: Eat more than your TDEE
To Maintain: Eat Equal to your TDEE

Now, how much to reduce or increase? This totally depends on your goals. In how much time do you plan to gain or lose weight? Based on that you can add or subtract 300-500 calories. Just make sure you do not overeat or starve yourself to reach your goals quickly.

Using a Calorie Deficit Calculator

Using a free calorie calculator app, you can determine your maintenance calories or surplus/deficit calories. BMR, TDEE, and Calorie Deficit/Surplus are interrelated and thus, must be understood together.

A Real Time Example of Calorie Calculator Results and its Implementation 

Okay, so here, we are taking an example of a 28 year old woman who weighs 68 KG and is 165 CMs tall. She exercises moderately 5 times a week.

So, based on the formulas given above,

Calculating BMR, 

• BMR = (10 x 68 + 6.25 x 165 - 5 x 28) - 161
• BMR = 680 + 1031.25 - 140 - 161 = 1410.25

Determining TDEE

• TDEE = BMR x 1.55 (Moderately Active)
• TDEE = 1410.25 x 1.55 = 2185.89 calories/day

For Calorie Deficit,
To achieve Weight Loss at a Moderate Pace: 2185 - 400 = 1785

Thus, to achieve gradual weight loss, the lady should target 1700-1800 calories per day.

For Calorie Surplus, 
To gain weight at a moderate pace: 2185 + 400 = 2585

Thus, to achieve a gradual weight gain, the lady should target 2400-2500 calories per day.

And to maintain weight, 2100-2200 calories per day is sufficient.

Things to Consider While Using a Calorie Calculator App 

• Ensure that your age, weight, and height are accurately used.
• Do not reduce your calorie intake drastically for faster weight loss. Staying above your BMR calories is essential to keep your system healthy and avoid falling sick. This will be a sustainable approach towards weight loss.
• Similarly, do not consume just anything to gain weight. To gain healthy weight, you must focus on eating whole foods in a good quantity rather than eating junk.
• Based on the changes in your weight, age, or daily activities, keep tweaking your calorie intake. You might be super active on some day and very lightly active on another. Consider these personalized factors while managing your diet.
• Make sure you include all kinds of food groups in your diet. It is not just about total calories but also calories in what form. Understand your macros and plan accordingly.
• Your calorie intake should consist of protein, fibre, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins/minerals.

Wrapping Up

Calorie calculators are a boon when it comes to nutrition planning. If you know your BMR, TDEE, calorie deficit, surplus, and maintenance, you can tweak your diet yourself. These num-bers make you smart. And you’re the best coach and nutritionist for yourself. Knowing these numbers would give you more power over designing your healthy lifestyle.

Ready to transform your fitness journey? Check out the calorie calculator on this blog or use the formula for a manual calculation.