Daily calorie burn from the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR times your activity level, with cut and bulk targets, weekly maintenance, and the substituted formula shown.
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FORMULA USEDTDEE Calculator
What TDEE actually is
Total daily energy expenditure is everything you burn in 24 hours: your basal metabolic rate (the cost of staying alive at rest), the thermic effect of food (digestion, roughly 10% of the total), exercise activity (workouts), and NEAT — the fidgeting, walking, and chores that quietly add up. A calculator can only estimate the first piece precisely; the rest ride on the activity multiplier you choose.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation
This tool defaults to Mifflin-St Jeor, the equation modern reviews found closest to lab-measured resting metabolism for typical adults: BMR = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5 for men and − 161 for women. TDEE = BMR × an activity factor: 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 very active, 1.9 for a physical job plus training. People who know their body-fat percentage can get a sharper estimate from Katch-McArdle (370 + 21.6 × lean kg).
From TDEE to a target
To lose weight, subtract 250–750 kcal from TDEE (a 500-kcal deficit is the classic ≈1 lb/week pace); to gain lean mass, add 250–500. Loss targets here never dip below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 for men. As your weight changes, your TDEE changes with it — recalculate every 4–5 kg (10 lb) or whenever your routine shifts.
Worked example
A 30-year-old man, 70 kg, 175 cm, training 1–3 days a week.
A standard −500 cut lands at about 1,767 kcal/day.
How to use it
Pick metric or imperial (imperial height is total inches — 5 ft 9 in = 69).
Enter sex, age, weight, and height.
Choose the activity level that matches a typical week, not your best week.
Read TDEE, then the cut and bulk targets built from it.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE and how is it calculated?
TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure — BMR plus digestion, exercise, and everyday movement. This tool estimates BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and multiplies it by your activity factor to get the daily total.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the energy you burn at complete rest just running your organs; TDEE is BMR plus everything else in the day. Eating below BMR for long stretches is generally discouraged because it sacrifices lean mass and adherence.
Which BMR formula is the most accurate?
For most adults, Mifflin-St Jeor tracks measured resting metabolism closer than the older Harris-Benedict equations, which is why it is the default here. If you know your body-fat percentage, Katch-McArdle (based on lean mass) is usually sharper still.
How should I adjust my TDEE to lose or gain weight?
Subtract 250–750 kcal/day to lose (500 is the classic 1 lb/week pace) or add 250–500 to gain. Keep loss intakes above 1,200 kcal for women and 1,500 for men, and remember the estimate needs recalibrating as your weight moves.
How accurate is the number, really?
Expect roughly ±10% error versus lab measurement, and more if the activity multiplier is off. The practical fix is simple: eat at the estimate for two to three weeks, watch the weight trend, and adjust by 100–200 kcal.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
Every 4–5 kg (about 10 lb) of weight change, after any major shift in training or job activity, or whenever results stall for three-plus weeks. Smaller bodies burn less, so yesterday’s deficit quietly becomes today’s maintenance.