The short version: this is an educational estimate, it can be wrong about you, and it is not a substitute for a doctor. The longer version follows.
Last updated: 9/10/2026
This site is operated by Melton Studios ("we", "us"). We built it for our own use — we wanted a calorie calculator that showed its working instead of handing over a number from nowhere — and decided to publish it in case anyone else found it useful. It is offered free of charge, as-is, with no expectation or requirement that anyone rely on it.
It is a free educational calculator. It applies published formulas to numbers you type in and shows you the result. It is general information, not medical, nutritional or health advice, and using it does not create a clinical, professional or advisory relationship of any kind between you and us.
We are not a medical practice and hold ourselves out as no kind of health authority. Nothing on this site has been written, reviewed or approved by a physician, registered dietitian or other qualified health professional. The research we cite is listed so you can check our working, not because we claim any expertise in interpreting it.
We do not undertake to keep this site accurate, current or available. We may change it, break it or withdraw it at any time, without notice.
The formulas used here were derived from population averages. Individual energy needs vary with genetics, body composition, hormones, medication, sleep, illness, past dieting and factors that are not yet well understood. Published comparisons find that even the better equations fall outside 10% of a person's measured resting rate a substantial share of the time, and errors compound once activity is layered on top.
We make no representation or warranty that any figure shown is accurate, complete or suitable for you. Projections of future weight change are illustrative arithmetic, not predictions, and are known to overstate what happens over longer periods.
Always seek the advice of a physician, registered dietitian or other qualified health provider with any question about your health, diet or a medical condition. Never disregard professional advice, or delay seeking it, because of something you read here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, contact your doctor or emergency services immediately.
This calculator is intended for healthy adults aged 18 and over. Do not rely on it if you are:
In every one of these situations your needs sit outside what a general formula can see, and a qualified professional should set your targets.
You use this site at your own risk and are solely responsible for any decisions you make about food, exercise or your health. Changing your diet or activity carries risk. Before you do, get clearance from a qualified professional.
This site is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of defects.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or punitive damages — including personal injury, illness, loss of health, or economic loss — arising out of or connected with your use of, or inability to use, this site or anything you do in reliance on it. Where liability cannot lawfully be excluded, it is limited to the amount you paid to use this site, which is nothing.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be excluded.
The research listed on the How it works page is there so you can check our working. Citing it does not mean its authors, journals or institutions endorse, reviewed or are associated with this site.
Everything you enter stays in your browser. There is no account, no server, no database, no analytics and no cookies, and none of your details are transmitted, stored or shared. Close the tab and the numbers are gone. We collect no personal data from you at all.
The share button sends only a plain link to this site — never your height, weight or results. If you use "Copy my result", the summary goes to your own clipboard and nowhere else; where you paste it is up to you. A PDF you save is a local file on your own device.
We'd genuinely like to hear about anything that looks wrong — a formula, a citation, a number that doesn't add up, a sentence that misleads. Write to [email protected].
That said, we can't promise to reply, to act on what you send, or to correct anything. Anything you send us is non-confidential and non-proprietary, and we may use it for any purpose, without restriction, attribution or payment. Please don't send us confidential information, personal health details, or anything you'd want back.
We may update this site and these terms at any time. Continuing to use it means you accept the version then published.
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of South Carolina, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising out of or relating to them, or to your use of this site, will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in South Carolina, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
Tracking calories helps some people and harms others. If you find yourself checking the number repeatedly, driving it lower, or feeling worse after using it, that's worth taking seriously — and it's more important than getting the arithmetic right.
In the US, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders runs a helpline staffed by licensed clinicians on 1-866-662-1235, and lists free support groups and referrals at allianceforeatingdisorders.com. Elsewhere, your GP or family doctor is a good first call.