TDEE Calculator | Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Quick Start Guide

  1. Enter Personal Stats: Input your age, gender, height, and current weight.
  2. Select Activity Level: Choose your daily activity level from sedentary to very active.
  3. Set Your Goal: Choose maintenance, weight loss, or weight gain.
  4. Optionally Add Body Fat: Enter body fat percentage for more accurate calculation using Katch-McArdle.
  5. Choose a BMR Formula (Optional): Compare Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict (revised), or Katch-McArdle in Advanced Formula Options.
  6. View Results: See your BMR, TDEE, goal calories, and planning bands.

Understanding TDEE

Cutting, maintaining and bulking from the same number

TDEE is the calories you burn in a day, and every diet target is that number plus or minus an offset. A 30-year-old man at 175 cm and 70 kg training moderately has a BMR of 1,649 and a TDEE of 2,556 — so 2,556 maintains, roughly 2,056 is a cutting target, and about 3,056 is a bulking one. The calculator reports all three, plus what your TDEE would be at each activity level from sedentary to very active, which is usually more revealing than the single figure: the same body burns 1,979 sitting still and 3,133 training hard, and that 1,154-calorie spread is larger than most deficits people attempt.

What BMR measures

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the energy your body uses at complete rest just to keep organs running. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) multiplies BMR by an activity factor to estimate the total calories you burn per day.

Choosing a BMR formula

Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate formula for the general population. Harris-Benedict (revised) is an older alternative with similar accuracy. Katch-McArdle uses lean body mass instead of total weight, which can be more accurate if you know your body fat percentage — useful for athletic or very lean individuals.

Activity level matters most

Most people overestimate their activity level. If your weight has been stable at your reported calorie intake, your activity level is well-calibrated; if not, try a lower activity setting or use the custom activity multiplier in Advanced Formula Options.

Planning bands

The planning bands show conservative, moderate, and aggressive calorie targets around your goal, so you can pick a pace that fits your lifestyle rather than committing to a single fixed number.

Features

Multiple BMR Formulas: Choose from Mifflin-St Jeor (recommended), Harris-Benedict (revised), or Katch-McArdle formulas. Katch-McArdle requires body fat percentage for maximum accuracy.

Activity Level Breakdown: See your calorie needs across all 5 activity levels, from sedentary to very active.

Goal-Based Calories: Calculate calories for weight maintenance, weight loss, or weight gain, plus conservative/moderate/aggressive planning bands.

Custom Activity Multiplier: Use a custom activity multiplier if your activity level doesn't match the preset options.

Export Data: Export your TDEE calculations to JSON, CSV, or PDF format for record-keeping or sharing with fitness professionals.

Common Use Cases

Accurate Calorie Needs: use multiple BMR formulas for accuracy comparison, see TDEE across all activity levels, and use the Katch-McArdle formula if you know body fat percentage.

Fitness Goal Planning: see maintenance calories (TDEE) for your current activity level, and set a weight loss or gain goal to see planning bands for calorie targets.

Body Composition Tracking: enter body fat percentage for the Katch-McArdle formula and track changes as body composition improves.

Activity Level Comparison: see TDEE for all activity levels at once and plan nutrition for changing activity levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start from your TDEE and offset it. The calculator shows a cutting target roughly 500 calories below maintenance and a bulking target about 500 above — for a TDEE of 2,556 that is 2,056 and 3,056. A 500-calorie deficit is the conventional starting point because it maps to roughly a pound a week, but it is a starting point rather than a rule; the activity-level table matters more, since misjudging your activity moves the baseline further than the offset does.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest, just to keep vital functions running. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR multiplied by your activity level - it's the total calories you burn in a day including exercise and daily activities. TDEE is what you should eat to maintain your current weight.
TDEE calculators are estimates — individual metabolism varies by up to 15-20%. Use your result as a starting point and adjust your calorie intake up or down based on actual weight progress over 2-4 weeks.
Sedentary (desk job, minimal exercise): ×1.2. Lightly active (1-3 days/week): ×1.375. Moderately active (3-5 days/week): ×1.55. Very active (6-7 days/week): ×1.725. Extra active (physical job + hard training): ×1.9. When in doubt, choose one level lower — most people overestimate activity.
Mifflin-St Jeor uses age, height, and weight to estimate BMR — it is the most accurate for general populations. Katch-McArdle uses lean body mass (body weight minus fat), making it more accurate for lean/athletic individuals who know their body fat percentage. This calculator supports both formulas.
Mifflin-St Jeor is generally the most accurate for most people and is recommended. Harris-Benedict is the original formula but less accurate. Katch-McArdle is most accurate if you know your body fat percentage, as it calculates based on lean body mass. Our calculator lets you compare all three formulas.
If you know your body fat percentage, use the Katch-McArdle formula for maximum accuracy. This formula calculates BMR based on lean body mass, which is more accurate than formulas that only use height and weight. Enter your body fat percentage to see the difference in results.
Use goal mode to see calories for different goals. For weight loss, subtract 500-750 calories from TDEE (1-1.5 lbs/week loss). For weight gain, add 300-500 calories to TDEE (lean muscle gain). The calculator shows goal-based calories automatically when you select maintenance, loss, or gain mode.

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