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TDEE Calculator

Maintenance calories, deficit targets, and macros

About the Calculator

This TDEE calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure using validated BMR formulas and realistic activity multipliers. It gives you your maintenance calories, then helps you apply that number for fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain. You can compare Mifflin St-Jeor, Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle side by side, view formula steps with your own values substituted, and get macro targets in grams and calories. Use the TDEE Calculator to get a clear result you can act on right away. This calculator is designed to be practical, fast, and easy to use on any device. If you are comparing options, run a few scenarios to see how small changes affect the outcome.

Disclosures & safety notes

  • Results are estimates from population-level equations and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian.
  • If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not use this calculator for planning intake. Calorie needs during these stages require individualized clinical guidance.
  • For users under 18, TDEE equations are less reliable because energy needs vary significantly during growth.
  • Very low-calorie targets are flagged; values under 1,000 kcal/day are blocked for safety messaging.

3 to 5 moderate workouts per week or active job (e.g. nurse, retail worker).

Katch-McArdle needs body fat % and is often useful for lean individuals.

Needed for Katch-McArdle only.

Goal

Macro Breakdown

Protein/carbs = 4 kcal/g, fat = 9 kcal/g.

Your TDEE (maintenance calories)

1,610 kcal/day

Goal target: 1,610 kcal/day

Formula comparison

Mifflin: 1,610 kcal/day · Harris: 1,742 kcal/day · Katch: N/A (enter body fat %)

Step-by-step working

  1. Selected formula BMR = 1,038 kcal/day.
  2. TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier = 1,038 × 1.55 = 1,610 kcal/day.
  3. Goal calories = TDEE + 0 = 1,610 kcal/day.

Estimated TDEE composition

BMR: 1,038 kcal/day

Activity + NEAT: 410 kcal/day

TEF (est.): 161 kcal/day

Macro targets

Protein: 121 g/day

Carbs: 161 g/day

Fat: 54 g/day

Per meal: Protein 30 g · Carbs 40 g · Fat 13 g

How to calculate TDEE - step by step

  1. Calculate BMR using your selected formula.
  2. Multiply BMR by your activity factor.
  3. Treat the result as maintenance calories.
  4. Adjust calories based on goal: cut, maintain, or bulk.

Example (female, 30, 165 cm, 70 kg, moderate activity): Mifflin BMR = 1,420 kcal/day, then TDEE = 1,420 × 1.55 = 2,201 kcal/day.

BMR vs TDEE - what is the difference?

BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest. TDEE is BMR plus movement, exercise, and food digestion. TDEE is your maintenance calorie estimate for day-to-day planning.

Formula shorthand: TDEE = BMR × activity factor. The activity multiplier is typically the largest source of estimation error, so choose your level carefully and adjust after 2 to 4 weeks of real-world scale trends.

TDEE for women - what is different?

The BMR equations include female-specific constants, but real-world energy expenditure can still vary across the menstrual cycle, menopause transition, and hormonal changes.

Treat this as an estimate and calibrate using actual trends: if bodyweight moves faster or slower than expected for 2 to 4 weeks, adjust calories by 100 to 200 per day.

TDEE formulas (full reference)

Mifflin-St Jeor (default)
Men: (10 × Wkg) + (6.25 × Hcm) - (5 × Age) + 5
Women: (10 × Wkg) + (6.25 × Hcm) - (5 × Age) - 161

Harris-Benedict (revised)
Men: 88.36 + (13.4 × Wkg) + (4.8 × Hcm) - (5.7 × Age)
Women: 447.6 + (9.25 × Wkg) + (3.1 × Hcm) - (4.3 × Age)

Katch-McArdle
BMR = 370 + (21.6 × LBM), where LBM = Wkg × (1 - body fat % / 100)

FAQ

What is TDEE?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total calories your body burns in a day, including resting metabolism, movement, exercise, and food digestion.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is calories used at complete rest for essential body functions. TDEE is BMR adjusted by activity, so TDEE is your practical maintenance-calorie estimate.

Which formula is most accurate?

Mifflin St-Jeor is usually the best default for the general population. Katch-McArdle can be more accurate when body fat percentage is known.

What calorie deficit should I use?

Most people do best with a 250 to 500 kcal/day deficit for sustainable fat loss. Larger deficits increase fatigue and muscle-loss risk.

Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?

Yes. In practice, TDEE is your estimated maintenance-calorie level.

Is this accurate for women?

It is a useful estimate, but menstrual cycle changes, menopause, pregnancy, and lactation can shift real-world needs. Track outcomes and adjust.

How do I calculate my TDEE manually?

Choose a BMR formula, calculate BMR from your age/sex/height/weight, then multiply by your activity factor. That result is your maintenance calories.

Why is my TDEE different from another calculator?

Different calculators use different BMR formulas and activity assumptions. Even with the same formula, your real-world maintenance can vary, so calibrate with 2 to 4 weeks of scale and intake data.

Does TDEE change over time?

Yes. TDEE changes with bodyweight, activity level, age, and training volume. Recalculate every 4 to 6 weeks during a cut or bulk.

What are macros and how do they relate to TDEE?

TDEE sets total calories. Macros (protein, carbs, fat) decide how those calories are distributed. Protein and carbs are 4 kcal/g, fat is 9 kcal/g.

🎉 Fun Facts

  • •Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) was published to improve on older equations that often overestimated modern energy needs.
  • •NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) can differ dramatically between people and is a major reason two similar-size adults can have very different TDEE values.
  • •Activity multipliers are population averages - real maintenance can still vary by roughly +/- 200 kcal/day, which is why 2 to 4 weeks of trend data matters.
  • •Doubly labeled water studies are considered the gold standard for free-living total energy expenditure measurement and are used to validate equation-based estimates.

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