You’ve been “eating healthy” for months.

Salads. Grilled chicken. Avoiding bread. Feeling virtuous.

The scale hasn’t moved.

Here’s the problem: you have no idea how much you’re actually eating.

The math is simple. The execution isn’t.

Weight loss is thermodynamics. Eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. Eat more, you gain.

Simple in theory. Hard in practice.

Because most people have no clue:

  • How many calories they burn (their TDEE)
  • How many calories they eat
  • What deficit actually produces results

They’re playing a game without knowing the score.

Why “eating healthy” fails

Healthy food isn’t automatically low-calorie.

  • Avocado: healthy. Also 320 calories per fruit.
  • Olive oil: healthy. Also 120 calories per tablespoon.
  • Nuts: healthy. Also 800+ calories per cup.

You can gain weight eating nothing but “healthy” food.

Quantity matters. Calories matter. You can’t out-healthy the math.

Know your numbers

Step 1: Calculate your TDEE

Total Daily Energy Expenditure. How many calories you burn existing and moving.

This varies based on age, weight, height, and activity level. A 25-year-old athlete and a 45-year-old desk worker burn very different amounts.

Step 2: Set your target

To lose weight: eat below your TDEE (usually 300-500 calories under). To gain weight: eat above your TDEE (usually 200-300 calories over). To maintain: eat at your TDEE.

Step 3: Track (at least initially)

You don’t have to count calories forever. But counting for a few weeks teaches you what portions actually look like.

Most people are shocked. That “small” bowl of pasta? 700 calories.

Why I built Calorie Calculator

Most TDEE calculators are buried in ads and spam. Or they try to sell you a meal plan.

Calorie Calculator is just the tool:

  • Accurate TDEE and BMR calculations
  • Targets for cutting, bulking, or maintenance
  • Simple daily tracking
  • Progress insights over time

No meal plans. No subscriptions. Just the numbers.

You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Know your numbers. Then eat accordingly.

— Dolce