TDEE Calculator

This calculator estimates your maintenance calories – the daily intake at which your weight should stay roughly stable – plus a target for losing about 1 lb (0.45 kg) a week and one for a slow lean bulk. It also shows the BMR behind the estimate and a macro split for each goal.

TDEE is an estimate with a typical error of around 10% for individuals. Treat the number as a starting point: eat at that level for two to three weeks, track your weight trend, and adjust by 100–200 kcal if your weight moves when you expect it to hold. People with very high or low muscle mass are most likely to see a gap.

To see BMR on its own, use the BMR calculator. To plan a specific rate of loss, the calorie deficit calculator sets a target date, and the macro calculator gives finer control over protein, carbs and fat. Anyone who is pregnant, under 18 or managing a medical condition should get calorie targets from a doctor or registered dietitian.

BMR uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990), which a review for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found to be the most accurate common equation for healthy adults. The activity factors are the widely used multipliers derived from Harris-Benedict-era research. The cut target subtracts 500 kcal, based on the rough rule that a pound of body fat stores about 3,500 kcal; the lean bulk adds 300 kcal. The equation does not account for body composition – very lean or muscular people may burn more than predicted.

Most people overestimate their activity level, which is the biggest source of error in TDEE. Count your whole day, not just workouts: a desk worker who trains hard for an hour five times a week is often closer to "light" or "moderate" than "heavy". If you are unsure, pick the lower level and adjust after two weeks of tracking.

• BMR (about 60–70%): energy for breathing, circulation and organ function at rest.
• Thermic effect of food (about 10%): energy used to digest food; higher for protein than for fat.
• Exercise: planned workouts – often a smaller share than people expect.
• NEAT (non-exercise activity): walking, standing, fidgeting and chores. This varies most between people and drops when you diet, which is one reason weight loss slows over time.

Because NEAT and BMR fall as you lose weight, re-run the calculator after every 5–10 lb (2–5 kg) of change.

The 500 kcal cut assumes 3,500 kcal equals 1 lb of fat. That holds roughly over the first weeks, but models from the US National Institutes of Health show weight loss slowing as your body gets smaller and adapts. Expect the first week to show extra loss from water and stored glycogen, then a slower steady trend. Judge progress on a 2–4 week average, not daily weigh-ins.