Calculate your daily calorie needs, BMR, and macros for any goal. Instant results.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the foundation of all nutrition planning. Whether you want to lose fat, build muscle, or maintain weight, knowing your TDEE tells you exactly how many calories to eat.
TDEE has four components:
Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered the most accurate formula for estimating BMR in healthy adults. It was validated against indirect calorimetry (the gold standard for measuring metabolic rate).
The most effective approach: eat 300-500 calories below your TDEE. This creates a sustainable deficit of 0.5-1 lb per week. Aggressive cuts below this often backfire — your body adapts by slowing metabolism, you lose muscle, and rebound weight gain is almost guaranteed.
The #1 error: overestimating activity level. Most "moderately active" people are actually "lightly active." When in doubt, choose the lower level and adjust based on real results. Track your weight for 2-3 weeks at the calculated intake — if you're not losing, drop by another 100-200 calories.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total calories your body burns daily, including BMR plus all activity. It's the calories needed to maintain your current weight.
Within ±10% for most people using Mifflin-St Jeor. Your actual TDEE varies based on muscle mass, genetics, sleep, and hormones. Use as a starting point and adjust over 2-3 weeks.
Eat 300-500 below TDEE for 0.5-1 lb/week loss. Never go below 1,200 (women) or 1,500 (men) without medical supervision. Aggressive cuts cause muscle loss and metabolic slowdown.
BMR = calories at complete rest (organ function). TDEE = BMR × activity. BMR is 60-75% of TDEE. The rest comes from activity and digesting food.
Sedentary: desk job, no exercise. Light: 1-3 days/wk. Moderate: 3-5 days/wk. Very active: 6-7 days/wk. Most people overestimate — choose lower when in doubt.
Protein: 0.8-1g per lb bodyweight. Fat: 0.3-0.4g per lb. Carbs: fill remaining calories. Example at 2,000 cal: 180g protein, 67g fat, 170g carbs.
Generally no. Trackers overestimate exercise burn by 20-50%. If TDEE includes your activity, those calories are already counted. Eating them back often eliminates your deficit.
Common: (1) Overestimating activity, (2) Inaccurate food tracking, (3) Weekend eating, (4) Water retention masking loss, (5) Metabolic adaptation. Track 2-3 weeks minimum before adjusting.