Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) using four BMR formulas. Get estimated calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, and muscle gain based on your activity level.
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period, including basal metabolism, physical activity, the thermic effect of food, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). TDEE is a useful reference point for calorie-based planning — eat below it to lose weight, near it to maintain, or above it to gain.
This TDEE calculator computes your Basal Metabolic Rate using up to four commonly used equations — Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict (Revised), Katch-McArdle, and Cunningham — then multiplies by your activity level to give a broader picture of daily calorie needs. By comparing multiple formulas, you can bracket a plausible estimate rather than relying on a single equation.
Whether you are planning a caloric deficit for fat loss, eating for athletic performance, or reverse dieting after a prolonged cut, knowing your TDEE gives you a practical starting estimate. Enter your details below to get started.
Estimating calorie needs by guesswork often leads to over- or under-eating. A TDEE calculator gives you a structured starting estimate based on body size and activity level. This one shows results from multiple BMR formulas side by side so you can compare the range of estimates and choose a practical starting point for your situation.
TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor BMR Formulas Used: 1. Mifflin-St Jeor (M): 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5; (F): 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161 2. Harris-Benedict Revised (M): 88.362 + 13.397W + 4.799H − 5.677A; (F): 447.593 + 9.247W + 3.098H − 4.330A 3. Katch-McArdle: 370 + 21.6 × LBM (requires body fat %) 4. Cunningham: 500 + 22 × LBM (requires body fat %) Activity Factors: Sedentary 1.2, Light 1.375, Moderate 1.55, Very Active 1.725, Extra Active 1.9
Result: 2,785 kcal/day (Mifflin-St Jeor)
For a 28-year-old, 180 cm, 82 kg male at moderate activity: Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10(82) + 6.25(180) − 5(28) + 5 = 1,795 kcal. TDEE = 1,795 × 1.55 = 2,782 kcal/day. With 16% body fat (LBM = 68.9 kg), Katch-McArdle TDEE = (370 + 21.6 × 68.9) × 1.55 = 2,882 kcal/day.
TDEE is the sum of four components: Basal Metabolic Rate (60-70% of TDEE), Thermic Effect of Food (approximately 10%), Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT (15-30%), and Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or EAT (5-10% for sedentary people, up to 30% for athletes). Understanding these components helps explain why two people of similar size can have very different calorie needs.
No single BMR equation is perfect for everyone. Mifflin-St Jeor was validated on modern mixed populations and is commonly used. Harris-Benedict has decades of usage but tends to estimate slightly higher. Katch-McArdle and Cunningham can be useful for people who know their body composition. By presenting all four results, this calculator helps you bracket a reasonable TDEE range rather than relying on a single formula.
Start by eating near your calculated TDEE for two weeks while tracking weight daily. Compute a weekly average weight to smooth out daily fluctuations from water, sodium, and glycogen. If weight is stable, you have a better sense of your maintenance level. Then apply your deficit or surplus. For every subsequent 5-10 kg of weight change, recalculate. This iterative approach is usually more useful than setting a calorie level once and never revisiting it.
A common mistake is overestimating activity level, which inflates TDEE and can stall fat loss. Another is not recalculating after significant weight changes. Ignoring liquid calories, cooking oils, and weekend eating can also add substantial untracked intake. Aggressive deficits may work briefly for some people but are often harder to sustain than more moderate approaches.
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This page estimates TDEE by first calculating BMR with up to four common prediction equations: Mifflin-St Jeor, revised Harris-Benedict, Katch-McArdle, and Cunningham. The lean-mass equations are shown only when body fat percentage is available. Each BMR estimate is then multiplied by the selected activity factor to generate a planning range for daily energy expenditure.
The page does not measure real energy expenditure directly. It combines standard resting-energy equations with conventional activity multipliers so the result can be used as a starting estimate, then refined against actual body-weight, intake, recovery, and training trends.
The most direct reference methods are indirect calorimetry combined with doubly labeled water, but these are expensive and impractical for most people. For everyday use, equations such as Mifflin-St Jeor provide a reasonable starting BMR estimate for many adults. Multiply by an activity factor, then refine the estimate by tracking weight changes over 2-4 weeks.
Use Mifflin-St Jeor if you don't know your body fat percentage — it is one of the most commonly used formulas for general populations. If you know your body fat, Katch-McArdle can be a helpful lean-mass-based comparison, while Cunningham is often discussed in athletic settings. Harris-Benedict is provided for historical comparison and tends to estimate slightly higher.
A deficit of 500-750 kcal below TDEE is a common starting point and often leads to about 0.5-0.7 kg (1-1.5 lb) of weight loss per week in many adults. Larger deficits can be harder to sustain and may increase the risk of fatigue or lean-mass loss. If intake is being pushed very low, individual supervision matters.
Sedentary: office work, minimal exercise. Lightly active: 1-3 light exercise sessions per week or a job with some walking. Moderately active: 3-5 moderate workouts per week. Very active: intense daily training. Extra active: competitive athletes or very physically demanding jobs with additional exercise. If unsure, start lower and adjust upward.
Yes. As you lose weight, your TDEE decreases because there is less body mass to support. Additionally, metabolic adaptation (your body becoming more efficient) can reduce TDEE by another 5-15% beyond what weight change alone would predict. Recalculate every 5-10 kg of weight change.
Metabolic adaptation (sometimes called "metabolic slowdown") is a physiological response to sustained caloric restriction where your body reduces energy expenditure beyond what would be expected from weight loss alone. Mechanisms include reduced NEAT, lower thyroid hormone output, and improved metabolic efficiency. Diet breaks and reverse dieting can help mitigate this effect.
Yes, calorie cycling is a valid approach. Many people eat at TDEE or slightly above on training days and reduce intake on rest days, keeping the weekly average at their target. This can improve performance during workouts while maintaining the desired overall deficit or surplus.
TDEE tells you the total calories to consume; macronutrients determine how those calories are distributed. A common starting point is 1.6-2.2 g protein per kg body weight, 0.7-1.2 g fat per kg, with remaining calories from carbohydrates. Protein and carbs provide 4 kcal/g while fat provides 9 kcal/g.