TDEE Calculator 2026
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and BMR instantly. Find your exact maintenance, weight loss, and weight gain calorie targets — supports metric & imperial units, works worldwide.
Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), and daily calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain. Based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the gold standard used by dietitians worldwide.
| Goal | Calories/Day | Weekly Change | Description |
|---|
| Macro | % of Calories | Grams/Day | Calories |
|---|
* Estimates are based on standard equations and are for informational purposes only. Individual metabolism varies. Consult a registered dietitian or healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have a medical condition.
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What Is a TDEE Calculator?
A TDEE calculator (Total Daily Energy Expenditure calculator) is a free online tool that estimates how many calories your body burns in a 24-hour period — including resting metabolism, exercise, daily movement, and digestion. Knowing your TDEE is the single most important number for any fitness, weight loss, or muscle gain goal because it tells you exactly how many calories you should eat each day.
Our free TDEE calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as the most accurate BMR formula for the general adult population — and combines it with your activity level to give you personalized calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain. It works worldwide and supports both metric (kg/cm) and imperial (lb/ft) units.
TDEE vs. BMR: What's the Difference?
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest just to keep you alive — breathing, pumping blood, regulating temperature, and maintaining cells. If you stayed in bed for 24 hours straight, this is roughly what you'd burn.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) includes your BMR plus every calorie you burn through movement: walking, exercise, fidgeting, working, even digesting food. TDEE is always higher than BMR — typically 20% to 90% higher depending on how active you are.
Bottom line: BMR tells you your baseline; TDEE tells you what to actually eat. Always use TDEE when setting calorie goals.
How to Use This TDEE Calculator
- Choose your unit system — metric (kg/cm) or imperial (lb/ft).
- Enter your gender, age, height, and weight — these are the four variables every BMR formula needs.
- Select your activity level — be honest. Most people overestimate this; when in doubt, pick one level lower.
- (Optional) Choose a different formula — Mifflin-St Jeor is recommended, but you can switch to Harris-Benedict or Katch-McArdle (if you know your body fat %).
- Click Calculate TDEE — you'll instantly see your BMR, maintenance calories, weight loss targets, and weight gain targets.
The TDEE Formula Explained
TDEE is calculated in two steps. First, we calculate your BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
For women:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161
Then TDEE is:
TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier
The activity multiplier ranges from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extra active). For example, a 30-year-old man weighing 80 kg at 180 cm with a moderately active lifestyle would have a BMR of about 1,780 calories and a TDEE of about 2,760 calories.
Activity Multipliers Explained
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Who This Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk job, no structured exercise, drives everywhere |
| Lightly Active | 1.375 | Light exercise 1–3 days/week (walking, yoga) |
| Moderately Active | 1.55 | Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week (gym, running) |
| Very Active | 1.725 | Hard exercise 6–7 days/week (intense training) |
| Extra Active | 1.9 | Physical job + hard daily training (athletes, laborers) |
Honest tip: Most people overestimate their activity level. If you sit at a desk all day but go to the gym 4 times a week, you're "lightly active" — not "very active." Choose conservatively for more accurate results.
How to Use Your TDEE for Weight Loss
To lose weight, eat fewer calories than your TDEE. The standard guidelines are:
- Mild weight loss: Eat 10% below TDEE → loses about 0.25 kg (0.5 lb) per week
- Moderate weight loss: Eat 20% below TDEE → loses about 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week
- Aggressive weight loss: Eat 25% below TDEE → loses about 0.75 kg (1.5 lb) per week (not recommended long-term)
One pound of body fat equals roughly 3,500 calories. So a daily deficit of 500 calories produces about 1 pound of fat loss per week. Avoid going below 1,200 calories/day for women or 1,500 calories/day for men without medical supervision — this can slow your metabolism and cause muscle loss.
How to Use Your TDEE for Muscle Gain
To build muscle, eat more calories than your TDEE, ideally in a small surplus:
- Lean bulk: Eat 10–15% above TDEE → gains about 0.25 kg (0.5 lb) per week of mostly muscle
- Standard bulk: Eat 15–20% above TDEE → gains about 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week (mix of muscle + some fat)
Pair the surplus with progressive resistance training (lifting weights) and adequate protein (1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight). Eating above TDEE without lifting won't build muscle — it will mostly build fat.
Which BMR Formula Is Most Accurate?
Our calculator supports three formulas:
- Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) — Recommended. Most accurate for the general population and the formula endorsed by the American Dietetic Association. This is our default.
- Harris-Benedict (Revised 1984). The classic formula, slightly less accurate than Mifflin for modern populations but still widely used.
- Katch-McArdle. Most accurate if you know your body fat percentage, because it factors in lean body mass. Best for lean athletes and bodybuilders. Requires a body fat measurement.
For most users, Mifflin-St Jeor is the right choice. Use Katch-McArdle only if you have a reasonably accurate body fat measurement from DEXA, BodPod, or skinfold calipers.
Tips to Get More Accurate TDEE Results
- Be honest about activity level. Sitting at a desk + 4 gym sessions = lightly active, not very active.
- Use accurate body weight. Weigh yourself in the morning after using the bathroom, before eating or drinking.
- Recalculate every 4-6 weeks. As your weight changes, your TDEE changes too.
- Track for 2 weeks before adjusting. Your calculated TDEE is an estimate — use it as a starting point, then adjust based on real-world results.
- Don't crash diet. Aggressive deficits slow metabolism and cause muscle loss. A moderate 20% deficit gives the best long-term results.