Daily energy estimate
TDEE Calculator
Estimate daily energy expenditure and basal metabolic rate from sex, age, bodyweight, height, and activity level.
- Returns a BMR estimate plus daily energy and macro estimates
- Free to use, no account needed
How BMR is estimated
Without body-fat input, the server uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation with sex, age, bodyweight, and height. When you provide a body-fat percentage greater than zero, it instead uses the Katch-McArdle equation and estimated lean body mass. The optional body-fat route is only as reliable as the measurement you enter.
How activity changes the estimate
The calculated BMR is multiplied by the selected activity factor: Inactive 1.2, Sedentary 1.375, Average 1.55, Moderately active 1.725, Vigorously active 1.9, or Extremely active 2.1. These labels compress work, training, movement, and recovery into one choice, so selecting a higher label does not guarantee that the higher estimate matches your actual expenditure.
How the macro and calorie references are built
The result uses one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, or 2.2 grams per kilogram, and assigns 25 percent of estimated TDEE calories to fat. Carbohydrate fills the remaining calories. The loss and gain references subtract or add 250, 500, 750, or 1,000 calories to the estimated maintenance value. They are mathematical references, not individualized nutrition prescriptions.
Turn the estimate into a useful baseline
Start near the maintenance estimate, keep food tracking and weigh-in conditions reasonably consistent, and compare the trend over multiple weeks. If average bodyweight moves differently from your intended direction, adjust the intake gradually. Illness, pregnancy, growth, medication, eating-disorder history, and medical conditions require qualified clinical guidance rather than a general calculator.
Is TDEE the number of calories I must eat?
No. It is a starting estimate of average daily expenditure. Your observed intake and bodyweight trend provide the evidence needed to refine it.
Should I enter body-fat percentage?
Only if you have a measurement you consider useful and repeatable. Leaving it blank uses Mifflin-St Jeor; entering it switches the BMR calculation to Katch-McArdle.
Why did my estimate change when I changed activity level?
Activity level directly changes the multiplier applied to BMR. Choose the label that best represents your usual combined work and training pattern, then validate the result against several weeks of real data.
Methodology reviewed .