TDEE & Daily Calorie Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the calories your body burns each day — using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation adjusted for your activity level. Essential for setting an accurate calorie target for fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance.
About this calculator
TDEE combines your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories burned at rest — with an activity multiplier to estimate total daily energy expenditure. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, widely considered the most accurate for general populations. For males: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × weight kg) + (4.799 × height cm) − (5.677 × age). For females: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × weight kg) + (3.098 × height cm) − (4.330 × age). TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier, where multipliers range from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active). To lose fat, consume 300–500 kcal below TDEE; to gain muscle, eat 200–300 kcal above. TDEE is a starting estimate — real-world adjustments based on body-weight trends over 2–3 weeks are essential for accuracy.
How to use
Consider a 25-year-old male, 80 kg, 180 cm tall, with a moderate activity level (multiplier 1.55). BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × 80) + (4.799 × 180) − (5.677 × 25) = 88.362 + 1071.76 + 863.82 − 141.925 = 1882.02 kcal. TDEE = 1882.02 × 1.55 = 2,917 kcal/day. For fat loss, target 2,417–2,617 kcal/day. For lean muscle gain, target 3,117–3,217 kcal/day. Track bodyweight daily for two weeks and adjust intake by 100–200 kcal if progress stalls or exceeds targets.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for calculating TDEE?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation predicts BMR within 10% of measured values for roughly 80% of the population, making it the most reliable commonly used formula. However, it is still an estimate — metabolic rate is influenced by muscle mass, hormonal status, gut microbiome, and genetics, none of which are captured by the equation. Indirect calorimetry (metabolic testing) is the gold-standard measurement but requires clinical equipment. For practical purposes, use your calculated TDEE as a starting point and refine it based on 2–3 weeks of consistent tracking and bodyweight data.
What activity multiplier should I use for TDEE if I have a desk job but train regularly?
This is one of the most common sources of error in TDEE calculation. Most people with sedentary jobs who train 3–5 days per week fall into the 'lightly active' (1.375) to 'moderately active' (1.55) range, not the higher categories. Overestimating activity is extremely common and leads to calorie targets that are too high for fat loss. A conservative approach is to choose the lower multiplier and add back the estimated calories burned from your specific workouts using a heart rate monitor or training log, then adjust based on real-world weight change.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE as I lose or gain weight?
TDEE changes meaningfully whenever your body composition shifts significantly. A good rule of thumb is to recalculate every 4–6 kg of bodyweight change, or every 8–12 weeks during a sustained cut or bulk. As you lose weight, your BMR drops because you have less tissue to maintain — a phenomenon sometimes called metabolic adaptation. Failing to recalculate is why fat loss often plateaus after initial progress. Athletes adding significant muscle mass should also recalculate upward, as lean tissue is more metabolically active than fat.