TDEE Calculator

🧭Start here: what this calculator actually gives you

I built this page to do one job above all: find the calorie level where your weight stays exactly where it is. That makes it, in plain terms, a maintenance calorie calculator — enter your stats and the big number it shows is your maintenance calories, the amount you can eat day after day without gaining or losing. It is also a total daily energy expenditure calculator and a daily calorie calculator in the everyday sense: one honest number for how much energy your body actually uses in 24 hours.

The tdee meaning is right there in the name — TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure, every calorie you burn in a day, from keeping your heart beating to your hardest workout. And this is a tdee calculator free of sign-ups and stored profiles: everything is computed in your browser and nothing you type is saved.

Below, I explain exactly how I calculate it — the BMR equation underneath, the activity multiplier on top, and how I sanity-check the result against real-world weight trends. If you take only one thing from this page, take this: treat the first number as a starting estimate, then let two to three weeks of your own scale data confirm it.

🔥What TDEE actually measures

Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in 24 hours — the answer to “how many calories should I eat per day?” It has four components: BMR (basal metabolic rate — what you’d burn lying still all day, roughly 60–70% of the total), NEAT (non-exercise activity like walking, fidgeting, chores), EAT (planned exercise), and TEF (the thermic effect of food — digesting what you eat, about 10% of intake, higher for protein).

A TDEE calculator estimates this in two steps: first it computes BMR from your age, gender, height and weight, then it multiplies by an activity factor. This page doubles as a BMR calculator — the BMR figure is shown separately alongside your TDEE. Worked example: a 30-year-old man, 180 cm, 80 kg, moderately active (×1.55). BMR = 10×80 + 6.25×180 − 5×30 + 5 = 1,780 cal/day. TDEE = 1,780 × 1.55 = 2,759 cal/day to maintain weight. Cut target (−20%) = 2,207 cal/day; bulk target (+10%) = 3,035 cal/day.

The energy-balance rule behind every diet: eat below TDEE and you lose weight; eat above and you gain. A daily deficit of about 550 cal (like the 2,207 cut target above) predicts roughly 0.50 kg of fat loss per week (550 × 7 ÷ 7,700).

Why the components matter: BMR is largely fixed by your size, age and sex — you can’t change it much. But NEAT is surprisingly trainable: studies show daily NEAT varies by up to 800 cal between similar people, mostly from walking, standing, fidgeting and manual chores. TEF is the smallest lever — protein costs ~20–30% of its calories to digest (vs ~5–10% for carbs and ~0–3% for fat), which is one more reason high-protein diets work. EAT (planned exercise) is what most people focus on, yet a hard hour in the gym (~400–600 cal) is often smaller than the NEAT difference between an active and a sedentary day. Translation: your daily step count and general movement matter at least as much as your workouts.

🧮The three BMR formulas, compared

Three equations dominate fitness calculators. This calculator offers all three — here’s how they differ:

The equations: Mifflin-St Jeor — male: 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5; female: 10w + 6.25h − 5a − 161. Revised Harris-Benedict — male: 88.362 + 13.397w + 4.799h − 5.677a; female: 447.593 + 9.247w + 3.098h − 4.330a. Katch-McArdle — 370 + 21.6 × lean mass in kg (lean mass = weight × (1 − body fat %)).

For most people the three agree within ~5% — the choice matters less than honest activity selection. Katch-McArdle shines for athletes: two 80 kg men can have very different BMRs if one is 10% body fat (72 kg lean → 1,925 cal/day) and the other is 25% (60 kg lean → 1,666 cal/day). If you know your body fat %, use Katch-McArdle; otherwise Mifflin-St Jeor is the right default.

A note on the original Harris-Benedict (1919): you’ll still see the century-old version quoted in some apps. The revised 1984 version used here corrects its tendency to overestimate. If an app doesn’t say “revised,” assume the old one — and expect numbers ~5% higher than this calculator. When comparing calculators, always check which equation each uses; most “disagreements” between tools are just different formulas, not errors.

Estimating body fat %: Katch-McArdle needs it, but most people don’t know theirs. Rough visual guides: visible abs ~10–12% (men) / ~18–20% (women); some definition ~15% / ~22%; soft midsection ~20–25% / ~28–32%. Calipers, DEXA and smart scales refine this. A ±3% error in body fat shifts Katch-McArdle by only ~50 cal/day at 80 kg — so even a rough estimate beats ignoring it if you’re clearly lean or clearly not.

⚖️BMR vs TDEE: one is part of the other

I see the same confusion every week: people compare BMR vs TDEE as if they were two rival numbers. They are not — TDEE vs BMR is a part-versus-whole relationship. Your BMR is the floor: the calories your body burns at complete rest, before a single step. Your TDEE is that floor plus everything you actually do — walking, working, training, even digesting food. Every TDEE starts life as a BMR; the activity multiplier is what turns the one into the other.

Here is the exact chain for a 30-year-old man, 172 cm, 62 kg. Step 1 — BMR by Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × 62 + 6.25 × 172 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 620 + 1,075 − 150 + 5 = 1,550 cal/day. Step 2 — activity: at a moderate ×1.55, TDEE = 1,550 × 1.55 = 2,403 cal/day — about 2,400. Same man, same BMR, only the multiplier moves: sedentary ×1.2 gives 1,860, light ×1.375 gives 2,131, active ×1.725 gives 2,674, extra active ×1.9 gives 2,945. That 1,085-calorie spread, from one dropdown, is why I say the multiplier choice matters more than the formula choice.

Notice what TDEE means for him: eat 2,403 calories a day and his weight holds steady. That is why so many people use this page as a maintenance calories calculator rather than a cutting tool — TDEE and maintenance calories are the same number seen from two sides. (The matching calorie maintenance calculator question — “what do I eat to stay exactly here?” — is answered by that same figure.) If you know your body fat %, the formula dropdown above also offers Katch-McArdle, which builds BMR from lean mass instead of total weight; the formulas section above explains when that wins.

🏃Activity multipliers — the table

The activity multiplier is the single biggest lever in your TDEE — and the easiest to get wrong. Here is exactly what each level means:

Reading this table as a burn chart: when people ask me how many calories should I burn a day, this table is my answer — your daily burn is your BMR multiplied by one of these five numbers, nothing more mysterious than that. It is also why this page doubles as a calories burned calculator and a simple calorie burn calculator: pick the row that honestly matches your week and you have your burn before any wearable weighs in. One benchmark I use: 10,000 steps is worth roughly 300–500 cal for most adults, depending on body weight and pace — enough, by itself, to carry a desk worker most of the way from the sedentary row to the light one. These are estimates, labelled as such — the calibration loop below is how you turn them into your number.

The jump from sedentary to moderate is enormous: our 1,780-BMR example goes from 2,136 to 2,759 cal/day — a 623-calorie swing from one dropdown choice. When in doubt, pick the lower level: most people overestimate their activity. And don’t “eat back” exercise calories on top of an already-active multiplier — that double-counts the same workouts.

How to pick honestly: count your real training sessions per week, then look at the other 23 hours. A desk worker who lifts 4×/week is “moderate” (×1.55), not “active” — the 4 gym hours don’t cancel 60 sedentary ones. A nurse or delivery driver on their feet all day with 3 gym sessions is genuinely “active.” Retirees, students and remote workers default to sedentary or light unless training volume says otherwise. If your job is physical and you train hard daily, ×1.9 is real — but it’s rarer than people think.

Can you raise your multiplier? Yes — and it’s the healthiest way to eat more while staying lean. Adding 3,000–5,000 daily steps typically lifts true expenditure by 150–250 cal/day, effectively moving you half a level up. Strength training adds less directly (a session burns 200–400 cal) but preserves the muscle that keeps BMR higher during cuts.

✍️How to calculate TDEE by hand

You do not need this page to calculate TDEE — the tdee formula fits on an index card, and I will walk you through it exactly as the calculator runs it. (Coaches and forum posts often shorten the name to a tdee calc; it is the same two-step arithmetic.) The tdee meaning has to be clear first: you are estimating everything you burn in a day, so the formula starts from rest and builds up.

Step 1 — BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor)  ·  Men: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5  ·  Women: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age − 161

Step 2 — TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 sedentary · 1.375 light · 1.55 moderate · 1.725 active · 1.9 extra active)

1. Get your metric numbers. If you think in pounds and inches, convert first: pounds ÷ 2.205 = kilograms, inches × 2.54 = centimetres.
2. Run the Mifflin-St Jeor line for your sex. The result is your BMR — your at-rest burn, before any activity.
3. Multiply by the activity factor that honestly matches your week (the table above). The result is your TDEE — which is also your maintenance calorie target.

Worked example, start to finish: a 32-year-old woman, 160 cm, 58 kg, lightly active. BMR = 10 × 58 + 6.25 × 160 − 5 × 32 − 161 = 580 + 1,000 − 160 − 161 = 1,259 cal/day. TDEE = 1,259 × 1.375 = 1,731 cal/day. When I calculate TDEE for someone smaller with a desk job, this is the shape of answer I expect — most lightly active smaller adults land between 1,600 and 1,900.

Two honest caveats. The formula cannot see your muscle mass — that is what the Katch-McArdle option in the calculator is for, if you know your body fat %. And the activity factor is a band, not a measurement. The fix for both is the calibration loop in the accuracy section below.

Sources: Mifflin et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990 (the BMR equation); FAO/WHO/UNU, Human Energy Requirements, 2004 (the PAL ranges behind the activity multipliers); Frankenfield et al., Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005 (validation against measured metabolism).

📉Setting cut and bulk targets

To lose weight (cut): eat 10–25% below TDEE. If you’re asking how many calories to lose weight you need, the default −20% is the sweet spot for most: aggressive enough to see progress (~0.5 kg/week at our example), mild enough to sustain. If losing weight is the goal, our calorie deficit calculator takes this same TDEE and turns it into a full plan — weekly loss projections and a target that adjusts as you get lighter. A −10% “mild” cut (~0.25 kg/week) suits those near their goal; past −25%, hunger, muscle loss and burnout rise sharply.

To gain muscle (bulk): eat 5–15% above TDEE. The default +10% adds roughly 0.25 kg/week — mostly muscle if you’re training hard and eating enough protein. Bigger surpluses mostly add fat; “lean bulking” at +5% is slower but cleaner.

The 7,700 rule: a kilogram of body fat stores about 7,700 kcal. Weekly fat change ≈ daily deficit × 7 ÷ 7,700. Our −20% cut creates a 552 cal/day deficit → 552 × 7 ÷ 7,700 ≈ 0.50 kg/week. Use the custom % fields in the calculator to tune your own rate — the weekly projection updates live.

Expect the scale to lie for the first 1–2 weeks (water, glycogen, gut contents). Judge a target by the 3–4 week trend, not day-to-day noise.

Diet breaks and refeeds: after 8–12 weeks of continuous cutting, a 1–2 week break at maintenance helps adherence and partially reverses metabolic adaptation. Planned higher-calorie days (“refeeds”) serve a similar psychological purpose within a week. Neither is magic — they work by making the overall deficit sustainable, not by hacking metabolism.

What about “starvation mode”? Metabolic adaptation is real but modest — prolonged deficits trim TDEE by roughly 5–15% beyond what weight loss alone predicts, mostly via reduced NEAT (you subconsciously move less) and hormonal shifts. It reverses with refeeding. The practical fix is the same: recalculate periodically and keep the deficit moderate.

🍗Macros: protein, carbs and fat

Calories set the direction; macros set the composition. The calculator splits your TDEE target into daily grams:

• Protein: 2.0 g per kg of body weight. The most important macro for body composition — preserves muscle in a cut, builds it in a bulk. Our 80 kg example: 160 g/day (640 cal).
• Fat: 25% of calories ÷ 9. Fats carry 9 cal/g and support hormones. At the 3,035-cal bulk target: 0.25 × 3,035 ÷ 9 ≈ 84 g/day.
• Carbs: the remainder ÷ 4. Carbs carry 4 cal/g and fuel training. (3,035 − 640 − 758) ÷ 4 ≈ 409 g/day at the example bulk target.

In a cut, keep protein at 2.0 g/kg (or even 2.2) — it’s your muscle insurance. In a bulk, the same protein target plus the extra carbs powers harder sessions. Fat rarely needs to go below 0.5 g/kg; hormones suffer first.

These are starting estimates, not prescriptions. If you train fasted, prefer higher fat, or have a medical condition, adjust — or better, take these numbers to a dietitian.

Putting it on the plate: 160 g of protein is roughly 500 g of chicken breast, or a mix of eggs, Greek yogurt, meat and legumes across 3–4 meals (aim for 30–50 g per meal — muscle protein synthesis maxes out per meal, so spreading matters). 409 g of carbs sounds like a lot until you realize it’s the fuel for 5 hard training sessions a week; on rest days you can shift some carbs to fats. And 84 g of fat covers cooking oils, nuts, eggs and fatty fish with room to spare. Track for two weeks with any food scale + app, then you can eyeball with reasonable accuracy.

👥TDEE in real life — three scenarios

Numbers make the abstract concrete. Here are three different people, all computed with Mifflin-St Jeor:

• Sedentary office worker: 30-year-old woman, 165 cm, 60 kg, ×1.2. BMR 1,320 cal/day → TDEE 1,584 cal/day. A −20% cut lands at 1,267 cal/day — quite low, which is why small, light individuals often do better with a milder −10–15% deficit plus added walking (raising NEAT is “free” calories).
• Regular gym-goer: 30-year-old man, 180 cm, 80 kg, ×1.55. BMR 1,780 → TDEE 2,759 cal/day, cut 2,207, bulk 3,035 (our running example).
• Very active lifter: 25-year-old man, 185 cm, 90 kg, ×1.725. BMR 1,936 → TDEE 3,340 cal/day, bulk +10% = 3,674 cal/day. At this size, even a cut (−20% = 2,672) is more food than the sedentary woman’s maintenance — a reminder that calorie targets are deeply personal.

The pattern: TDEE scales with size and activity, roughly equally. A small sedentary person and a large active person can differ by 2,000+ cal/day. Never borrow someone else’s target — run your own numbers.

Notice something else: the sedentary woman’s entire TDEE (1,584) is barely above the active lifter’s BMR (1,936). This is why “just eat less” hits smaller people harder — their absolute calorie budgets leave little room for error, and food quality matters even more when quantity is constrained. If your TDEE is under ~1,800, prioritize protein and fiber at every meal; they deliver the most fullness per calorie.

⚠️Common TDEE mistakes

• Choosing “active” when you’re “light”. The #1 error. Unless you train most days and move a lot outside the gym, you’re probably one level lower than you think. When in doubt, round down.
• Eating back exercise calories. Your multiplier already includes workouts. Adding a “600 cal run” on top double-counts it — the most common reason cuts stall.
• Ignoring NEAT. Two people with identical gym routines can differ by 300–500 cal/day in daily movement. A standing desk, walking calls, and 8k steps quietly raise your true TDEE.
• Cutting too hard, too long. Deficits beyond −25% or below BMR trigger disproportionate hunger, muscle loss and metabolic adaptation. The calculator’s defaults (−20%/+10%) exist for a reason.
• Never recalculating. A 5 kg loss shrinks your TDEE by ~100–150 cal/day. If the scale stalls for 3+ weeks, recalculate — don’t just suffer.
• Majoring in the minors. Debating MSJ vs Harris-Benedict (±70 cal) while misjudging activity (±600 cal) is backwards. Get the big lever right first.

📋Using your numbers day to day

A TDEE figure only helps if it changes behavior. The practical system:

• Pick one target and commit for 3 weeks. Cut, maintain, or bulk — not “kind of cutting.” The calculator’s comparison bar shows all four; choose the one matching your current goal and ignore the rest for now.
• Track intake, not just the target. A food scale and any tracking app for 2–3 weeks teaches you what 2,200 cal actually looks like. Most people underestimate intake by 20–30% before tracking — which is exactly why “eating clean but not losing” happens.
• Weigh daily, judge weekly. Morning weigh-ins after the bathroom, then compare 7-day averages. Daily weight swings 1–2 kg from water, glycogen and gut contents; the average is the signal.
• Adjust by 100–150 cal at a time. Stalled 3 weeks on a cut? Drop 150 cal or add 2,000 steps — not 500 cal. Overshooting creates the crash-and-rebound cycle.
• Keep protein and training fixed while adjusting. When you change the calorie target, hold protein at 2.0 g/kg and keep lifting — only the carbs/fats move. This isolates the variable you’re testing.

After a month of this loop — target, track, weigh, adjust — you’ll know your true TDEE better than any formula. The calculator got you started; your own data finishes the job.

🎯Accuracy limits and when to recalculate

Every TDEE calculator is an estimate — expect ±10% vs your true expenditure. Formulas describe populations, not individuals: NEAT varies wildly (fidgeters can burn 300+ cal/day more than still sitters at the same stats), and metabolic adaptation trims expenditure during long cuts.

What the validation studies say: in the Frankenfield et al. review (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005), Mifflin-St Jeor was the best-performing equation tested, landing within 10% of measured resting metabolism in about 82% of non-obese adults — which is why the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends it, and why it is the default here. So the most accurate TDEE calculator is not the one with the fanciest formula; it is this same equation, calibrated against your own two-to-three-week weight trend. If a tool promises you a lab-grade number from five inputs, it is selling confidence, not accuracy.

Calibrate with reality: eat at your calculated target for 2–3 weeks and watch the trend. Losing faster than predicted? Your true TDEE is higher — nudge the target up. Stalled for 3+ weeks? Drop 100–150 cal or add a little activity. The calculator gives you the starting line; the scale gives you the course corrections.

Recalculate every 4–5 kg of weight change (or monthly): a lighter body burns less, so last month’s cut target becomes this month’s maintenance. Also recalculate when your training, job, or daily routine changes meaningfully.

Special cases the formulas miss: pregnancy and breastfeeding add ~300–500 cal/day (use a professional, not this calculator). Very high muscle mass breaks weight-based formulas — that’s what Katch-McArdle is for. Certain medications (some antidepressants, antipsychotics, steroids) shift appetite and expenditure. And after major weight loss, “metabolic memory” can keep TDEE slightly below predicted for months — another reason to calibrate against the scale rather than worship the formula.

⚠️ Not medical advice. These are estimates for healthy adults. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition or eating disorder history, or an athlete with extreme demands, work with a doctor or registered dietitian instead of a calculator.