TDEE & Calorie Calculator.
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, set a paced goal, and get a complete macro breakdown — using Mifflin-St Jeor or Katch-McArdle.
How We Calculate Your TDEE
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is calculated in two steps: first we find your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body burns at complete rest — then multiply it by an activity factor that accounts for how much you move.
The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation
The most widely validated formula for estimating BMR in general populations. Published in 1990, it accounts for weight, height, age, and biological sex:
Men: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) − 161
The Katch-McArdle Formula
For athletes or anyone with a known body fat percentage, Katch-McArdle is more accurate because it calculates BMR from lean body mass — ignoring fat tissue, which is metabolically inert:
LBM = weight(kg) × (1 − body fat% ÷ 100)
BMR = 370 + (21.6 × LBM)
A 90kg person at 20% body fat has 72kg of lean mass. Katch-McArdle will give a lower, more accurate BMR than Mifflin-St Jeor would — important when strength athletes are misclassified as overweight by weight-only formulas.
What Affects Your Metabolic Rate
Muscle Mass
Skeletal muscle is the largest driver of metabolic rate after organ function. Each kilogram of muscle burns approximately 13 kcal/day at rest — roughly 3× more than fat tissue (~4.5 kcal/kg/day). This is why two people with identical weight and height can have TDEE values that differ by 300+ kcal/day.
Age and Hormones
BMR declines roughly 1–2% per decade after age 30, driven by loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) and hormonal changes. Testosterone and thyroid hormones are strong upregulators of metabolic rate. Resistance training is the primary tool for slowing this decline.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
NEAT — fidgeting, walking, standing — can vary by up to 2,000 kcal/day between individuals. This is why two people with the same exercise routine and diet can have dramatically different body composition outcomes. NEAT is the most underestimated component of TDEE.
How to Use Your TDEE
Your TDEE is the starting point — not the final word. Treat it as an experiment to run against your scale, then adjust.
- 01
Hit your target for 2–3 weeks straight.
Daily weigh-ins fluctuate by 1–2 kg from water alone. You need a multi-week average to see the real trend.
- 02
Compare actual change to your projection.
If you targeted 1 lb/week loss but lost 0.5 lb/week, your real TDEE is ~250 kcal/day lower than the formula suggests.
- 03
Adjust by ±100–150 kcal/day, not more.
Bigger swings invite hunger crashes and metabolic adaptation. Small increments are sustainable.
- 04
Recalculate every 5 kg of body weight change.
BMR scales with body mass — a 10 kg lighter you burns noticeably less. Re-run the calculator to set a new baseline.
- 05
Cycle around hard training weeks.
Add 200–300 kcal on heavy training days from carbs; subtract similar on rest days. The on-page calorie-cycling tool does this automatically.
Understanding Macros
Macronutrients provide the caloric energy in food. The three macros — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — have different energy densities:
Muscle repair, satiety, thermic effect (~25–30% of calories burned during digestion).
Primary fuel for high-intensity exercise and brain function.
Hormonal health, fat-soluble vitamins, and long-duration energy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TDEE?+
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, accounting for your basal metabolic rate and physical activity level.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?+
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to estimate total calories burned throughout the day.
Which formula is more accurate, Mifflin-St Jeor or Katch-McArdle?+
Katch-McArdle is more accurate for people who know their body fat percentage, as it uses lean body mass rather than total body weight, making it superior for athletes and muscular individuals.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?+
A deficit of 500 kcal/day below your TDEE leads to approximately 1 lb (0.45 kg) of fat loss per week. A maximum safe deficit is 1000 kcal/day (2 lbs/week).
Which macro split is best for fat loss?+
A Balanced split (25% fat) works for most people. Low Carb (40% fat) improves satiety and is helpful if you have insulin resistance. Keto (carbs capped at 25g) suppresses appetite further but is restrictive. The split matters far less than hitting your protein target and overall calorie deficit.
Should I cycle calories on workout days?+
Yes — if you train 2-5 days per week, eating more on workout days and less on rest days improves training performance and recovery while keeping your weekly calorie total intact. A common pattern is a 20% surplus on workout days, offset by a matching deficit across rest days.
How do I pick the right number of workout days?+
For most people, 3-5 resistance-training sessions per week is the sweet spot. Fewer than 2 limits muscle stimulus; more than 6 leaves little room for recovery unless training intensity is moderate. The TDEE calculator auto-suggests workout days based on your activity level, but you can override.
What is the TDEE formula?+
TDEE = BMR × activity factor. The default BMR comes from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: for men, BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5; for women, the same but − 161 instead of + 5. That BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor (about 1.2 sedentary up to ~1.9 very active) to give total daily energy expenditure. If you know your body-fat percentage, the Katch-McArdle formula (BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean body mass kg) is more accurate.
Limitations of TDEE Formulas
All TDEE formulas are population-level estimates with inherent limitations. They should be treated as a starting point, not a precise prescription:
- 01Adaptive thermogenesis: when you eat less, your body reduces TDEE by 100–300 kcal/day. Static formulas cannot account for this.
- 02Highly muscular individuals will see their TDEE underestimated by Mifflin-St Jeor. Use Katch-McArdle with an accurate body fat reading instead.
- 03Activity multipliers are averages — a 1.55 multiplier for "moderately active" covers a wide range of actual caloric expenditure.
- 04Track your weight weekly for 2–3 weeks after hitting a calorie target. If weight is not changing as expected, adjust by ±100–150 kcal and reassess.
What TDEE actually measures.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the sum of four components: basal metabolic rate (about 60–70% of the total), the thermic effect of food (about 10%), exercise activity, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis — NEAT. This calculator uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation for BMR, then applies an activity multiplier from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active) to produce TDEE.
Mifflin–St Jeor is the standard estimator validated against indirect calorimetry. It typically lands within ±10% of measured BMR for most adults of normal body composition. People with significantly above- or below-average muscle mass should expect the estimate to drift further from reality.
How to interpret your result.
Maintenance is your TDEE. To lose fat, run a 10–20% deficit (a 2,500 kcal TDEE means a 2,000–2,250 kcal target). To gain lean mass, run a 5–10% surplus (2,625–2,750 kcal). Aggressive cuts (>25% deficit) accelerate muscle loss, reduce training quality, and create rebound risk.
The activity multiplier is the noisiest input. Most office workers who train 3–4x per week sit between "lightly active" and "moderately active," not "active." Honest selection here matters more than precision in the BMR equation.
How to use this with your scale.
Treat TDEE as a starting point, not a ground truth. Track body weight daily for 10–14 days at your calculated maintenance number, take the 7-day moving average, and adjust intake by 100–150 kcal/day if weight trends in the wrong direction. Two weeks of stable weight at a given intake is your real maintenance.
Your TDEE is not static. Cutting calories reduces NEAT (subconscious fidgeting, walking, posture) by 100–300 kcal/day within weeks — this is metabolic adaptation, not broken metabolism. Refeed periods and walking 7,000+ steps/day blunt the drop.
When the estimate breaks down.
Mifflin–St Jeor undershoots BMR in highly muscular adults (where Katch–McArdle, which uses lean body mass, is more accurate). It overshoots in adults with significantly elevated body fat. If your body fat is above 25% (men) or 32% (women), estimate using a goal weight rather than current weight, or use a lean-mass-based formula.
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr, 51(2), 241–247.
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. (2005). Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc, 105(5), 775–789.
- Levine JA. (2004). Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab, 16(4), 679–702.
Your TDEE sets the calorie target. This journal keeps weight, waist, and weekly delta against it where you can't ignore them.
Get the guide →For education, not medical advice. Results are estimates, not a diagnosis — discuss any abnormal value or health concern with a qualified clinician.
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