TDEE Calculator
Estimate how many calories your body burns each day, then get your cutting, maintenance and bulking targets with a full macro breakdown. Free, instant, and no sign-up – everything runs in your browser.
Fill in your details and your results appear here instantly.
Your daily calories
Calories and macros by goal
Protein is set at 1 g per pound of body weight, fat at 25% of calories, carbs fill the rest.
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure – the total number of calories you burn in a day once you add movement on top of your resting metabolism. It is the single most useful number in nutrition: eat at your TDEE and your weight stays put, eat below it and you lose fat, eat above it and you gain.
How this calculator works
We first estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics rates as the most accurate for healthy adults:
Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for extra active) to get your TDEE. Cutting calories are set 500 kcal below maintenance (about 1 lb / 0.45 kg of fat loss per week) and bulking calories 300 kcal above, for lean gains with minimal fat.
How accurate is it?
Any formula gives a starting estimate, not a lab measurement – real-world accuracy is usually within 10%. Treat the result as week one of an experiment: eat at the target for two weeks, track your morning weight, and adjust by 100-200 kcal if the scale does not move the way you expect.
Why knowing your TDEE matters
Knowing your TDEE turns eating into a planning problem. Instead of guessing whether a day went well or badly, you can compare it with the number that keeps your weight stable and adjust from there.
It also sets realistic expectations. The further below your TDEE you eat, the harder a plan is to sustain, so a modest gap held consistently for months usually gets you further than an aggressive one that lasts a fortnight.
Choosing your activity level
The activity multiplier is the biggest lever in the estimate, so it is worth a careful choice. Read the rows as descriptions of a typical week and pick the closest match. If two rows both sound like you, start with the lower factor and let two or three weeks of weigh-ins settle the question.
| Level | Factor | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk work and little planned exercise |
| Lightly active | 1.375 | Easy exercise 1 to 3 days a week |
| Moderately active | 1.55 | Regular training 3 to 5 days a week |
| Very active | 1.725 | Hard training 6 to 7 days a week, or a physical job |
| Extra active | 1.9 | A physical job plus training, or two sessions a day |
These are the multipliers this calculator applies to your BMR to estimate maintenance calories.
How many calories should I eat a day?
Treat the result as a well-informed estimate rather than a measurement. Eat at the maintenance target for two to three weeks, weigh yourself several mornings a week under similar conditions, and compare weekly averages rather than individual days.
If your weight is stable, the estimate is doing its job. If it drifts, move the target by 100 to 200 calories and repeat. After a round or two you end up with a figure measured against your own body rather than a population average.
Macros: how to split your daily calories
Calories decide whether your weight moves. Macros shape what you gain or lose, and how manageable the process feels. Protein and carbohydrate provide 4 calories per gram, fat provides 9, and alcohol 7.
Protein is the priority. A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 studies found that muscle gains improved as protein intake rose toward about 1.6 g per kilo of body weight per day, with an upper confidence-interval estimate of 2.2 g/kg. This calculator uses 1 g per pound (2.2 g/kg) as its default protein target, alongside 25% of calories from fat with carbohydrates filling the rest. Individual needs vary, so treat any of these numbers as a starting point rather than a prescription.
The macro calculator estimates the grams for your calorie target, and you can shift carbohydrates and fat between themselves to suit your own preferences.
Calories for cutting and bulking
Cutting means eating below your TDEE; bulking means eating above it. The size of the gap controls the pace, and bigger gaps come with bigger trade-offs:
- Standard cut, about 500 under: often quoted as roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week, although the classic rule of thumb behind that figure tends to overestimate real results, which vary from week to week. The NHS suggests 0.5 to 1 kg per week as a steady, sustainable rate.
- Gentler cut, 200 to 300 under: slower progress that many people find easier to sustain alongside training and a working week.
- Lean bulk, 200 to 300 over: slower weight gain, which generally means a smaller share of it is fat.
- Faster bulk, 500 over: quicker gains, accepting that more of the extra weight is likely to be fat.
Whatever gap you choose, give it three to four weeks before judging it, and recalculate once your weight has changed by about 5 kg, because energy needs move with body weight. Anyone considering a much larger deficit should speak to a doctor or registered dietitian first, particularly with a health condition in the picture. The calorie deficit calculator plans the cutting side of this for you.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
Every time your weight changes by about 10 lb (4-5 kg), or when your activity level changes. A smaller body burns fewer calories, so targets drift as you lose or gain.
Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising?
If you already counted your workouts in the activity level, no – that would double-count them. Pick the activity level that includes your training and eat the number the calculator gives you.
Why is my TDEE lower than my fitness watch says?
Wearables often overestimate active calorie burn by 20-50%. Trust the scale trend over two to three weeks more than any single number from a watch or a formula.
What is the minimum calorie intake I should not go below?
There is no single minimum that suits everyone, because needs depend on size, age, sex and activity. Very low calorie diets (around 800 kcal a day or less) are clinical programmes that should only be followed with medical supervision. A deficit you can sustain comfortably beats a severe one you cannot.
Is Mifflin-St Jeor better than Harris-Benedict?
For modern populations, yes – studies show Mifflin-St Jeor predicts resting metabolism within about 10% for most people, and it is the equation recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) estimates the calories your body uses at complete rest, before any movement or digestion. Your TDEE adds the rest of your day on top of that: work, walking, training and everything in between. For planning what to eat, TDEE is the number that counts.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A common starting point is 500 to 600 kcal below your TDEE each day, in line with the steady rate of 0.5 to 1 kg per week suggested by the NHS. Individual results vary, so if two or three weeks of weigh-ins show no movement, adjust by 100 to 200 kcal. For anything more aggressive, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first.
Does this calculator use metric or imperial units?
Both. Use the Units toggle at the top of the calculator to switch between imperial (feet/inches and pounds) and metric (centimetres and kilograms). The results are shown in calories either way.
Disclaimer
This calculator gives estimates for general information only. It is not medical advice, and no formula can account for your individual health history. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making a big change to how you eat, especially if you are pregnant, managing a condition such as diabetes, or under 18.