TDEE Calculator
Estimate your daily calorie needs (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
Your TDEE is roughly the calories you burn in a day, including activity — the number to eat at to maintain weight. Enter your details to estimate it, plus targets for losing or gaining. Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation; treat it as an estimate, not medical advice.
Formula / method
Examples
≈ 2,650 kcal
≈ 1,930 kcal
BMR, TDEE and the difference
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the energy your body uses at complete rest just to stay alive. Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is that figure scaled up by an activity factor to include moving, working and exercising. TDEE is the number that actually reflects how many calories you burn on a typical day.
Using TDEE to hit a goal
Eating around your TDEE tends to keep weight stable. A moderate deficit of roughly 500 calories a day is a common target for gradual weight loss, while a similar surplus supports gradual gain. This tool estimates your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, applies your activity level, then shows maintenance plus loss and gain targets.
Treat the numbers as a well-reasoned starting estimate — real needs vary with body composition, genetics and how accurately you judge your activity, so adjust based on results over a few weeks.
Where it's used
- Setting a daily calorie target for gradual weight loss
- Planning a calorie surplus for muscle gain
- Finding a maintenance calorie baseline before starting a diet
- Informing a meal plan or macro split
- Re-estimating energy needs after changing activity levels
Real-world examples
- A 30-year-old man, 75 kg, 178 cm, moderately active — about 2,650 kcal to maintain
- The same man targeting loss would eat about 2,150 kcal (a 500-calorie deficit)
- A 30-year-old woman, 60 kg, 165 cm, lightly active — about 1,930 kcal to maintain
- Bumping activity from sedentary to moderate raises the estimate by several hundred calories
A bit of history
The tool uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published by M.D. Mifflin and S.T. St Jeor in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1990 and derived from measurements of 498 healthy adults aged 19 to 78.
FAQ
What’s the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what you burn at complete rest; TDEE adds your daily activity on top. To maintain weight you eat around your TDEE — eat below it to lose, above it to gain.