Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula. Find your daily calorie needs for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
A TDEE calculator estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including resting metabolism and physical activity. It typically starts with your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), calculated via the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, then applies an activity multiplier.
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TDEE (Maintenance Calories)
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TDEE Calculator
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It includes your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories needed for basic bodily functions at rest — plus calories burned through physical activity and digestion (thermic effect of food).
Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate formula for most adults. Your BMR is multiplied by an activity factor to arrive at your TDEE.
Activity Levels
Selecting the wrong activity level is the most common source of inaccuracy. Be honest with yourself — most people overestimate their activity level.
Sedentary: Desk job, no regular exercise. Lightly Active: 1-3 workouts per week. Moderately Active: 3-5 workouts. Very Active: 6-7 workouts. Extra Active: Physical job or double training sessions.
Goals
Once you know your TDEE, managing your weight becomes straightforward math. A 500 kcal/day deficit creates roughly 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week. A 500 kcal surplus builds approximately 0.5 kg of muscle/fat per week.
Recommended protein intake: 0.8–2.2 g per kg of body weight. The higher end is for athletes in muscle-building phases.
Metabolic Adaptation
TDEE is not fixed — it decreases somewhat during sustained weight loss (partly due to lower body mass requiring less energy, and partly due to metabolic adaptation, where the body becomes modestly more efficient during a prolonged calorie deficit). This is why a calorie target that worked initially may need adjusting after significant weight loss.
Conversely, TDEE rises as muscle mass increases, since muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. This is one reason strength training is often recommended alongside calorie management — it helps preserve or grow the metabolically active tissue that determines your baseline energy needs.
Tips
Weigh yourself in the morning
Step on the scale after waking, before eating, for consistent measurements.
Recalculate every 4-6 weeks
Your TDEE changes as your weight and muscle mass change.
Track your actual food intake
Apps like MyFitnessPal reveal whether you are actually hitting your calorie targets.
Avoid extreme deficits
Cutting more than 1,000 kcal/day can slow your metabolism and cause muscle loss.
Prioritize sleep
Poor sleep raises hunger hormones and reduces fat burning efficiency.
Stay hydrated
Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger and affects metabolic rate by 2–3%.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day, including your basal metabolic rate (BMR) plus calories burned through physical activity and digestion.
We use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for BMR, then multiply by an activity factor: Sedentary x1.2, Light x1.375, Moderate x1.55, Active x1.725, Extra Active x1.9.
A common approach is to eat 500 kcal below your TDEE, which creates roughly a 0.5 kg (1 lb) per week deficit. Avoid going below 1,200 kcal/day for women or 1,500 kcal/day for men without medical supervision.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body needs at complete rest, just to maintain basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell repair.
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula is considered one of the most accurate for most people, with an average error of plus or minus 10%. Individual results vary based on genetics, muscle mass, and health conditions.
As you lose weight, your TDEE decreases because a lighter body requires less energy, and some metabolic adaptation also occurs during sustained calorie deficits. Recalculating your TDEE periodically (every 5-10 lbs / 2-5 kg lost) and adjusting your calorie target accordingly helps avoid a plateau.
Yes, though modestly. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, so gaining muscle mass through strength training gradually raises your basal metabolic rate and, therefore, your overall TDEE.