TDEE Calculator
Estimate the calories you burn each day and get cut and bulk targets from your stats and activity level.
Example
A 30-year-old man, 75 kg, 178 cm, moderately active (factor 1.55):
BMR = 10(75) + 6.25(178) - 5(30) + 5
= 750 + 1112.5 - 150 + 5 = 1717.5 kcal
TDEE = 1717.5 x 1.55 = 2662 kcal/day
Cut = 2662 - 500 = 2162 kcal/day
Bulk = 2662 + 300 = 2962 kcal/day
How it works
We compute your Mifflin-St Jeor BMR, then multiply by your activity factor to get TDEE. Cut subtracts 500 kcal/day and bulk adds 300 kcal/day.
Good to know
This TDEE Calculator estimates how many calories your body burns in a typical day by combining your resting metabolism with how active you are. You enter your sex, age, weight, and height, pick an activity level, and it returns your Total Daily Energy Expenditure along with your underlying BMR and three ready-made calorie targets: cut, maintain, and bulk. It's aimed at anyone planning a diet or training phase who wants a realistic calorie starting point instead of a generic one-size-fits-all number.
Reach for it when you're setting up a meal plan, deciding how much to eat to lose, hold, or gain weight, or sanity-checking a number an app gave you. It's also handy when your weight has been stuck and you want to confirm whether your current intake is above or below your estimated maintenance level.
Read the results as a daily calorie budget. BMR is what you'd burn at complete rest; TDEE (the "Maintain" figure) is roughly what keeps your weight stable; the Cut value is a 500 kcal/day deficit and the Bulk value is a 300 kcal/day surplus. Higher activity factors raise every number, so picking an honest activity level matters more than getting your weight exactly right.
Treat the output as a hypothesis, not a fixed rule. Equations like Mifflin-St Jeor estimate an average person of your stats, so your real maintenance could be a few hundred calories higher or lower. The practical move is to eat at the suggested target for two to three weeks, track your actual weight trend, and adjust the number based on what the scale does rather than recalculating endlessly.
Frequently asked questions
What activity factor should I pick?
Choose based on weekly training: sedentary 1.2, light 1.375 (1-3 days), moderate 1.55 (3-5 days), active 1.725 (6-7 days), or very active 1.9 (hard daily exercise or a physical job). When unsure, pick the lower option.
How big should my cut or bulk be?
This tool uses a 500 kcal/day deficit for a cut (about 0.45 kg/0.5 kg per week) and a modest 300 kcal/day surplus for a lean bulk. Adjust based on your real-world weight trend over 2-3 weeks.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No — this calculator runs entirely in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Is this a substitute for medical advice?
No. These are educational estimates — consult a qualified health professional for medical decisions.
People also ask
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the energy your body uses at complete rest just to stay alive, while TDEE includes BMR plus the calories burned through daily movement, exercise, and digestion. TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor, so it is always the larger number.
Why does this calculator use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is widely cited in nutrition research as one of the more accurate predictive formulas for resting metabolic rate in the general population. It estimates BMR from weight, height, age, and sex without needing body-fat measurements.
How accurate is a calculated TDEE number?
It is an estimate based on population averages, so actual energy expenditure can vary by several hundred calories due to genetics, muscle mass, NEAT, and other factors. It is best used as a starting point that you refine by comparing it against your real-world weight changes.
Does TDEE change as I lose or gain weight?
Yes. Because BMR depends on body weight, your TDEE drops as you lose weight and rises as you gain, which is why a deficit that worked early on can stall later. Recalculating periodically with your current weight keeps the estimate relevant.
Should I eat back the calories I burn during exercise?
This calculator already factors exercise into your TDEE through the activity level you select, so logging workout calories separately and eating them back would typically double-count them. Choosing an activity factor that reflects your usual training is intended to cover that energy.
What activity level should I choose if I have a desk job but work out?
Activity level reflects your overall weekly movement, including both your job and your training, not just one or the other. A desk worker who trains three to five days a week commonly lands around the moderate factor, though the page notes choosing the lower option when unsure.
Can I use TDEE to maintain my weight instead of dieting?
Yes. The Maintain figure represents the calorie intake estimated to keep your weight roughly stable at your current activity level, which is the target some people use for body recomposition or simply holding steady rather than cutting or bulking.
Why is my TDEE different from what another calculator shows?
Different calculators use different BMR formulas (such as Harris-Benedict or Katch-McArdle) and different activity multipliers, which produces varying results from the same inputs. This tool specifically uses Mifflin-St Jeor with a 1.2 to 1.9 activity range.
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