TDEE Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and BMR. Get calorie targets for weight loss or gain.
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The TDEE calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the number of calories your body burns in a day including activity. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and exercise frequency to get your maintenance calories plus targets for weight loss and muscle gain. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the gold standard used by dietitians worldwide. TDEE is the most useful number in nutrition planning because it is the reference point for everything else. Eat below it and you lose weight. Eat above it and you gain. Eat at it and you maintain. Without knowing your TDEE, calorie targets are guesswork — you might be cutting too aggressively, stalling muscle growth, or unknowingly eating at a surplus. This calculator is a reliable starting point, not a precise metabolic measurement. Individual variation means your actual TDEE could be 10–15% higher or lower than the estimate. Treat the result as a starting number, track your actual weight over two weeks at that intake, and adjust. Consult a dietitian or healthcare professional for personalised nutrition guidance.
How to Use the TDEE Calculator
The TDEE Calculator is designed to give you an accurate answer in seconds. Follow these steps:
- Step 1: Enter your age in years, select your sex (male or female), and enter your height in centimetres or feet/inches.
- Step 2: Enter your current body weight in kilograms or pounds.
- Step 3: Select your activity level from the dropdown. Choose "Sedentary" for desk jobs with little exercise, up to "Extremely active" for physical jobs combined with daily training. Be honest — most people overestimate their activity level.
- Step 4: Click Calculate. Your BMR (calories at complete rest), TDEE (maintenance calories), and suggested targets for weight loss (−500 kcal) and muscle gain (+300 kcal) appear immediately.
No account or sign-up required. All calculations run locally in your browser — nothing is stored or transmitted to any server.
How It Works
BMR (men) = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) + 5 | TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (published 1990) calculates Basal Metabolic Rate — the calories burned at complete rest: For men: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5 For women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161 BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor to produce TDEE: - Sedentary (desk job, little exercise): BMR × 1.2 - Lightly active (1–3 days exercise/week): BMR × 1.375 - Moderately active (3–5 days/week): BMR × 1.55 - Very active (6–7 days/week): BMR × 1.725 - Extremely active (physical job + daily training): BMR × 1.9 Example: 30-year-old male, 80 kg, 180 cm, moderately active. BMR = (800) + (1,125) − (150) + 5 = 1,780 kcal TDEE = 1,780 × 1.55 = 2,759 kcal For weight loss, a deficit of 500 kcal/day below TDEE produces roughly 0.5 kg of fat loss per week. For muscle gain, a surplus of 200–300 kcal above TDEE supports growth without excessive fat accumulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE and why does it matter?
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total calories your body burns in a day, including activity. It is the baseline for any nutrition goal — eat below it to lose weight, above it to gain, at it to maintain. It matters because generic calorie targets (like "eat 2,000 calories") ignore individual differences in body size, age, and activity level.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
Subtract 300–500 calories from your TDEE for steady fat loss. A 500 kcal daily deficit produces approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. Larger deficits (750–1,000 kcal) speed results but increase muscle loss, hunger, and metabolic adaptation. Most nutrition research supports a moderate deficit as the most sustainable approach for preserving muscle while losing fat.
What is BMR and how is it different from TDEE?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest — essentially the energy required to keep your organs running if you did nothing all day. TDEE adds the calories burned through all physical activity on top of BMR. TDEE is the number relevant for planning food intake; BMR alone underestimates real energy needs for almost everyone.
Which calorie formula is most accurate — Mifflin or Harris-Benedict?
Research consistently shows Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) is more accurate than the original Harris-Benedict equations (1918, revised 1984) for most adults. A 2005 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found Mifflin predicted RMR within 10% for 82% of participants, compared to 68% for Harris-Benedict. This calculator uses Mifflin-St Jeor for that reason.
Is the TDEE calculator free?
Yes — free with no sign-up required. All calculations run in your browser and no personal data is stored. For personalised nutrition planning beyond this estimate, consider working with a registered dietitian who can factor in your individual metabolic response and health history.