Free calculator
TDEE calculator
Your total daily energy expenditure is the number of calories you burn in a typical day. Everything else, cutting, bulking, maintaining, is an adjustment to this one figure.
Your starting point
Estimated maintenance
- Protein
- 127g
- Fat
- 76g
- Carbs
- 384g
- Estimated maintenance
- 2,728 kcal
- Estimated resting needs
- 1,760 kcal
- Daily adjustment
- 0%
Treat this as a starting estimate. Track your average body weight for 2 to 3 weeks, then adjust calories in small steps if your trend does not match your goal.
How it works
Two numbers, one multiplier.
The calculator first estimates resting energy expenditure, the calories your body uses lying still, with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. In validation studies it predicts measured resting needs within 10% for about 8 in 10 healthy adults, which is better than the older Harris-Benedict equation.
It then multiplies that by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9. This is where most of the error lives. People routinely overestimate how active they are, so if you are unsure, pick the lower option and let your weight trend correct you.
The macro split shown is a maintenance example: protein at 1.6 g/kg, fat at 25% of calories, carbohydrate filling the rest. It is a starting point, not a prescription.
Sources and limitations
- 1. Mifflin MD et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals.
- 2. Frankenfield D et al. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults.
- 3. Morton RW et al. Protein supplementation and resistance training meta-analysis.
This calculator is for generally healthy adults ages 19 to 78. It is not medical advice and is not intended for pregnancy, breastfeeding, eating disorders, or medical nutrition therapy. Predictive equations can differ from measured energy needs by several hundred calories. For a dynamic weight-change model, see the NIH Body Weight Planner or speak with a registered dietitian.
TDEE FAQ
What is the difference between TDEE and BMR?
BMR, or resting energy expenditure here, is what you burn doing nothing. TDEE adds daily movement, exercise, and the energy used digesting food. TDEE is the number to eat at if you want your weight to stay the same.
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
Within roughly 10% for most healthy adults, but the activity multiplier can push it further off. Treat the result as a first guess, eat there for two to three weeks, and adjust based on your average weight.
Which activity level should I pick?
Most people with desk jobs who train three times a week are "lightly active" or "active", not "very active". When in doubt, choose the lower one.
Want to eat below this number? Use the cutting calculator. Above it? The bulking calculator. Just the protein? The protein calculator.
No trial. No asterisk.
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