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TDEE calculator

Find out how many calories you burn per day, and how much to eat to lose, keep or gain weight. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.

This is not medical advice

Estimate only. Not medical advice. Check with a doctor or pharmacist before acting on it. Read the full note

These calculators use published population formulas. They do not know your medical history and cannot diagnose, treat or replace a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian. Do not change medication, dosing, eating or drinking decisions on the basis of a number here. If you are pregnant, under 18, over 65, have a health condition or take medication, ask a clinician first. In an emergency call your local emergency number.

Units
Sex
years
kg
cm

exercise 1–3 days a week

Goal

Calories per day to lose or gain weight

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GoalPaceCalories/dayOf maintenanceTime to target

Maintenance calories by activity level

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Activity levelCalories/day

Your current level is highlighted. Most people overestimate: pick the lower level when in doubt.

Your body metrics

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BMI does not account for muscle mass. Athletes often score “overweight” with low body fat.

Ideal weight by formula

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Height-based estimates from four classic formulas. They ignore muscle mass, so treat them as a rough range.

TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure: the number of calories your body uses in a day, including exercise. It is the starting point for any weight goal. Eat about your TDEE to stay the same, less to lose weight, more to gain.

How it is calculated

The calculator first finds your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by an activity factor.

  • Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
  • Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161
ActivityFactor
Sedentary1.2
Lightly active1.375
Moderately active1.55
Very active1.725
Extra active1.9

Example

A 30-year-old man, 178 cm and 75 kg, who trains 1–3 times a week: BMR = 10 × 75 + 6.25 × 178 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,718 kcal. TDEE = 1,718 × 1.375 ≈ 2,362 kcal a day.

Why Mifflin-St Jeor

Studies comparing common equations found Mifflin-St Jeor the most accurate for healthy adults, which is why the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends it over the older Harris-Benedict formula. Real needs still vary by about 10% from person to person, so treat the result as a starting point and adjust after two or three weeks of tracking.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?

Within roughly 10% for most healthy adults. Muscle mass, genetics and daily movement outside exercise all shift the real number. Track your weight for two to three weeks and adjust calories by 100–200 if it moves the wrong way.

Should I eat my TDEE to lose weight?

No. Eating at your TDEE keeps your weight stable. A deficit of about 500 kcal a day leads to roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of loss per week. Larger deficits are harder to keep up and cost more muscle.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is what your body burns at complete rest, just to stay alive. TDEE adds everything else: moving, digesting food and exercise. TDEE is always higher than BMR.

Which activity level should I pick?

Most people overestimate. If you have a desk job and train three times a week, "lightly active" is usually right. Pick "moderately active" only if you also walk a lot or do physical work.

Does TDEE change as I lose weight?

Yes. A lighter body burns fewer calories, so recalculate every 5 kg or so, or whenever weight loss stalls for more than two weeks.

Sources

  1. Mifflin MD et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 1990
  2. Frankenfield D et al. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate. J Am Diet Assoc, 2005

By Calcelate Team. Formula from the sources above.

  1. 2026-09-13 · Formula and texts checked