TDEE Calculator

The calculator first finds your BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula (10 x weight in kg + 6.25 x height in cm - 5 x age, then +5 for men or -161 for women). That BMR is multiplied by your activity factor, 1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for very active, to give your total daily energy expenditure.

For most adults, Mifflin-St Jeor lands within 10-15% of measured expenditure. Accuracy drops if you have unusually high or low muscle mass, or if your activity patterns are irregular. Use the result as a starting point and adjust by 100-200 calories after tracking your weight for 2-4 weeks.

Choose based on how many days per week you deliberately exercise: sedentary (little or no exercise), light (1-3 days/week), moderate (3-5 days/week), active (6-7 days/week), or very active (physical job plus daily training). Most desk workers who hit the gym 3-5 times a week fall under moderate. When in doubt, go one level lower, since it is easier to eat more than to realize you have been overestimating.

The calculator shows four preset targets: -250 calories (mild loss, about 0.5 lb/week), -500 calories (loss, about 1 lb/week), +250 calories (mild gain, about 0.5 lb/week), and +500 calories (gain, about 1 lb/week). A 500-calorie deficit is a practical ceiling for fat loss; deeper cuts risk muscle loss and poor adherence. These are estimates, not medical advice.

No. BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest, the minimum needed to keep organs functioning. TDEE adds everything on top: physical activity, structured exercise, and the thermic effect of food (digesting and absorbing what you eat). TDEE is always higher than BMR, typically by 20-90% depending on how active you are.