TDEE Calculator
Your maintenance calories and daily targets
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Activity level
TDEE Calculator
Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is how many calories you burn in a day — the number you eat to maintain weight. This calculator finds your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, multiplies it by an activity factor for your training volume, and then shows calorie targets for fat loss (a moderate deficit) and lean muscle gain (a small surplus). It is the starting point for almost any diet or body-composition plan.
How to use this TDEE calculator
Select your gender, then enter your age, weight and height — you can switch between metric (kg·cm) and imperial (lb·in) units at any time. Next, pick the activity level that best matches a typical week, from sedentary desk work to very hard daily training. Press calculate and your result appears instantly, with no sign-up required.
How to read your result
Your TDEE is the number of calories you burn per day, so eating roughly that amount keeps your weight stable. Below it you also get your BMR plus two ready-made targets: a cutting figure about 500 kcal under TDEE for steady fat loss, and a bulking figure about 300 kcal over for lean muscle gain. Recalculate every few weeks, because TDEE drops as you lose weight and rises as you gain.
The formula and the science behind it
This calculator first computes your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (10×weight + 6.25×height − 5×age, +5 for men or −161 for women), published in 1990 and rated the most accurate everyday BMR formula by the American Dietetic Association. That BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor between 1.2 (sedentary) and 1.9 (very active). These multipliers stem from decades of energy-expenditure research and are the standard used by nutrition professionals worldwide.
Limits and practical tips
The biggest source of error is the activity level itself — most people overestimate how much they move, so when in doubt pick the lower option. The formula is also less precise for very muscular, older or pregnant individuals. Treat TDEE as a starting estimate: pair it with our calorie-deficit, macro and protein calculators, log your meals in the CaloNote app, and adjust by 100–200 kcal based on how your weight actually trends over two to three weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is TDEE and what does this calculator show?
- TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the number of calories your body burns in a full day, including activity. It represents your maintenance calories. This tool estimates TDEE and your resting BMR from age, sex, weight, height and activity level.
- How do I use my TDEE to lose or gain weight?
- Eat below your TDEE to lose weight and above it to gain. A deficit of about 500 calories a day targets roughly 0.5 kg of fat loss per week. The calculator suggests fat-loss and lean-gain calorie targets based on your maintenance figure.
- Is a TDEE calculator accurate?
- TDEE estimates use validated equations and are a strong starting point, but they're predictions, not measurements, and can be off by 5–15%. Use the number as a baseline, track your weight for two to three weeks, and adjust your intake based on real results.