Calculator
TDEE Calculator
Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (maintenance calories) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
AnswerCanvas Calculator
TDEE Calculator
Estimated maintenance calories
2,123.89 cal/day
- Base metabolic rate (BMR)
- 1,370.25 cal/day
How the tdee calculator works
Energy expenditure guide
What your TDEE result means
Your estimated Total Daily Energy Expenditure is 2,123.89 calories per day. This is an estimate of the energy needed to maintain your current body weight at the selected activity level.
BMR vs TDEE
Basal metabolic rate is the energy used for basic biological functions at rest. TDEE estimates total daily use by adding activity through a multiplier, so it is better for maintenance-calorie planning.
Mifflin-St Jeor formula
This calculator estimates BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies it by the selected activity factor. The equation uses weight, height, age, and sex.
Why activity changes the answer
A sedentary day and a physically demanding day can have very different energy needs. The activity multiplier is often the largest assumption in a TDEE estimate.
Why it is still an estimate
Sleep, training history, muscle mass, body composition, illness, medications, menstrual cycle, dieting history, and tracking accuracy can all make real energy needs differ from the calculated number.
| Goal | Daily calorie target | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Maintain weight | 2,123.89 cal/day | Use this as your starting maintenance estimate. |
| Gentle fat loss | 1,873.89 cal/day | About 250 calories below maintenance; usually easier to sustain. |
| Faster fat loss | 1,623.89 cal/day | About 500 calories below maintenance; recovery, hunger, and adherence matter. |
| Lean weight gain | 2,373.89 cal/day | About 250 calories above maintenance; useful when paired with progressive training. |
How to use this number
- Start with the calculated maintenance calories rather than making a large immediate change.
- Track body weight trends, energy, hunger, training performance, and adherence for two to four weeks.
- Adjust gradually if your real-world trend does not match the goal.
- Keep protein, fiber, sleep, and activity consistent when comparing calorie targets.
When to be careful
- Do not use TDEE estimates as medical nutrition therapy.
- Use professional guidance for pregnancy, eating-disorder history, diabetes, kidney disease, athletic weight cuts, or medication-related appetite changes.
- Avoid aggressive deficits if they reduce recovery, concentration, menstrual regularity, or training performance.
- Use a registered dietitian or clinician for personalized targets.
Reference basis
The formula uses the Mifflin-St Jeor resting-energy equation and a standard activity multiplier model. Public health guidance describes body weight change as the long-term result of energy intake, energy expenditure, and individual factors.
TDEE Calculator mastery
Estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (maintenance calories) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Use this health calculator as a working model: enter realistic inputs, read the primary answer first, then use the supporting rows to understand what changed and why.
Read the result correctly
Health calculator results are educational indicators, not diagnoses. Use the output to understand ranges and follow-up questions.
Improve accuracy
Enter current measurements consistently and avoid mixing metric and imperial units unless the calculator explicitly converts them.
Use it professionally
Use results as conversation starters with qualified clinicians, especially for medical, pregnancy, medication, or risk-related topics.
Expert suggestions
Professional perspective
How to get more value from the tdee calculator
Health calculators should help you understand a measurement, not replace clinical care. The safest use is to combine the result with context and qualified guidance.
Use current measurements
Old or inconsistent measurements can make a health estimate misleading.
Do not diagnose from one number
Most health metrics need age, history, symptoms, labs, body composition, and clinical context.
Track trends carefully
If you monitor change over time, keep measurement conditions consistent so trends mean something.
Learning path
What to understand next
- What the metric measures
- Normal ranges and limitations
- Personal context
- When to seek professional guidance
Frequently asked questions
- What is this number for?
- It estimates the calories your body uses per day at your current weight and activity level - roughly what you’d need to eat to maintain your current weight, not lose or gain it.
- Is this accurate for me specifically?
- It’s a population-average estimate using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Individual metabolism varies. For guidance on nutrition or weight goals, a registered dietitian or doctor can account for your specific health situation.
- What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
- BMR estimates the energy your body uses at rest for essential functions. TDEE adds estimated activity energy, so it is usually higher than BMR and closer to maintenance calories.
- Should I eat exactly my TDEE every day?
- Not necessarily. TDEE is an estimate. Many people use it as a starting point, track weight and energy trends for a few weeks, then adjust gradually.
- Why does activity level matter so much?
- The calculator multiplies BMR by an activity factor. If the activity level is overstated, the maintenance estimate can be too high; if understated, it can be too low.
- What does the TDEE Calculator estimate?
- It estimates Total Daily Energy Expenditure: the approximate calories your body uses per day after combining basal metabolism with activity level.
- Is TDEE the same as BMR?
- No. BMR estimates calories used at rest. TDEE adds activity, exercise, and daily movement, so it is usually higher than BMR.
- Why is activity level the hardest input?
- Activity multipliers are broad estimates. Two people with the same stated activity level can burn different amounts because of job movement, exercise intensity, body size, and non-exercise activity.
- How should I use TDEE for weight goals?
- Use it as a starting maintenance estimate, then adjust based on body-weight trend over two to four weeks rather than treating the first number as exact.
- Can TDEE be wrong for some people?
- Yes. Individual metabolism, medical conditions, medication, adaptive dieting, tracking errors, and unusual activity patterns can make actual needs different from the estimate.