About Calorie Professor

We believe accurate calorie calculation should be simple, fast, and accessible to everyone. Our goal is a BMR and TDEE calculator that shows its work and keeps your inputs on your own device.

Why We Built Calorie Professor

The Problem with Existing Calculators

Most online calorie calculators are cluttered, slow, and filled with ads. They often use outdated formulas or don't give you enough detail to understand your results. We wanted to fix that.

Our Solution

Calorie Professor combines accuracy, speed, and design. We use the most current scientific formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor as the default), show all calculations transparently, and make it beautiful to use.

Privacy First

Your calculator inputs never leave your device — all calculations run in your browser. We don't sell your data or show you ads, and the only analytics we run is aggregate Google Analytics traffic measurement.

How We're Different

✓ Multiple Formulas

Compare Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle. See which formula works best for you.

✓ Macro Breakdown

Go beyond calories. Get daily protein, carb, and fat targets for cutting, maintaining, or building muscle, with protein scaled up in a deficit to protect lean mass.

✓ Zigzag Dieting

Get a 14-day zigzag diet schedule to help prevent metabolic adaptation and keep results consistent.

✓ Clean Design

Built with Vercel's Geist design system. Fast, minimal, and beautiful. No clutter, no ads.

✓ Lightning Fast

Optimized for performance. All calculations happen instantly in your browser with zero lag.

✓ Open & Transparent

See exactly how your results are calculated. No black boxes, no proprietary algorithms.

✓ Personalized Meal Plans

Optional 7-day meal plans tailored to your gender, diet type, and allergen restrictions.

✓ Available in 13 Languages

Use the calculator in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Korean, Italian, or Dutch.

✓ Dark Mode Support

Switch between light and dark themes for comfortable viewing day or night. Your preference is saved automatically.

The Science Behind Our Calculator

Mifflin-St Jeor Formula (Default)

Developed in 1990 and validated in numerous studies, Mifflin-St Jeor is considered the most accurate formula for calculating BMR in people with normal body composition.

For men: (10 × weight_kg) + (6.25 × height_cm) - (5 × age) + 5

For women: (10 × weight_kg) + (6.25 × height_cm) - (5 × age) - 161

This formula accounts for age, gender, weight, and height, making it reliable for most populations.

Activity Multipliers

TDEE is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor that ranges from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.975 (extra active). We use the widely-accepted Harris-Benedict activity multipliers.

Sedentary: 1.2

Lightly active: 1.375

Moderately active: 1.55

Very active: 1.725

Intensely active: 1.9

Extra active: 1.975

Sources, Accessibility & Maintenance

Sources & Further Reading

Every formula on this site is named and displayed as an equation, so you can check the arithmetic yourself. The primary references behind the calculator are:

  • Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al. "A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals." Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247.
  • Harris JA, Benedict FG. A Biometric Study of Basal Metabolism in Man. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1919 (revised by Roza AM, Shizgal HM. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984;40(1):168-182).
  • Katch FI, McArdle WD. Nutrition, Weight Control, and Exercise. Lea & Febiger, 1983.
  • Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. "Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review." J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775-789.
  • Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. "Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation." J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:20.

Activity multipliers follow the widely used Harris-Benedict classifications. Protein targets during a deficit are set high enough to help protect lean mass, in line with recommendations for athletes in an energy deficit (Helms et al., above).

Built on Modern, Accessible Technology

Calorie Professor is built with Astro for performance, TypeScript for reliability, and Vercel's Geist design system for its visual language. We aim to follow WCAG 2.1 AA guidance: a single logical heading order, labelled form controls, keyboard-operable menus, visible focus states, and sufficient color contrast in both light and dark themes.

The interface is available in 13 languages, including right-to-left layout for Arabic. Language and theme preferences are stored locally in your browser and persist across visits.

Maintenance & Feedback

The calculator is maintained and updated as feedback and new research come in. Additions so far include the Katch-McArdle option, the calorie-cycling schedule, dark mode, expanded language coverage, and the optional meal plan generator.

If you spot an error, have a suggestion, or want to help improve a translation,get in touch.

Ready to Calculate?

Start using Calorie Professor today and discover your daily calorie needs with precision.

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