TDEE Calculator

Enter your sex, age, height, weight and usual activity level to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), and see right away how many calories a day to eat to lose, maintain or gain weight. Height and weight can be entered in feet, inches and pounds or in centimeters and kilograms. Results are estimates; if you have a medical condition or are pregnant, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.

How to use the TDEE calculator​

1. Choose imperial (ft, lb) or metric (cm, kg), select your sex, and enter your age, height and weight.
2. Pick your activity level. Each level has a short description (for example “Exercise 1–3 days a week”); if you are unsure, choose the lower one.
3. The formula defaults to Mifflin-St Jeor, which is right for most people. If you know your body fat percentage, you can enter it and switch to Katch-McArdle. Then click Calculate or press Enter.
4. You will see your BMR, your TDEE for the chosen activity level, and calories to lose, maintain or gain weight. For weight loss you can pick a daily deficit of 300, 500 or 750 kcal and see roughly how many pounds you would lose per week.
5. The table at the bottom shows your TDEE for all five activity levels. If you change any input after calculating, the results fade and a note reminds you to recalculate.

What is BMR?​

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the minimum energy your body needs at complete rest to keep you breathing, keep your heart beating, maintain body temperature and run your organs. In other words, it is the calories you would burn lying still all day. BMR makes up about 60–70% of the calories you burn each day, the largest part of your TDEE.

The main things that affect BMR:

• Muscle mass: muscle burns more energy than fat, so more muscle means a higher BMR. This is why strength training helps your metabolism.
• Age: muscle mass usually declines with age, so BMR slowly goes down.
• Sex: at the same height and weight, men usually carry more muscle and have a higher BMR.
• Height and weight: a larger body needs more energy to maintain.
• Crash dieting: eating far too little for a long time makes the body save energy, which lowers BMR.

What is a normal BMR? (chart)​

BMR depends on height, weight, age and sex, so there is no single “normal” number. The chart below uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate BMR for a few common body sizes at ages 25, 40 and 60:

Values are rounded to the nearest 10 kcal. If your size is different, the calculator above gives the most accurate number. A low BMR does not mean you are unhealthy; what matters more is building muscle through exercise and not letting crash diets push your BMR down.

What is TDEE, and how is it different from BMR?​

TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is the total number of calories you actually burn in a day. It has four parts:

• Basal metabolic rate (BMR): about 60–70%.
• Thermic effect of food (TEF): energy used to digest and absorb food, about 10%. Protein takes more energy to digest than carbs or fat.
• Exercise: workouts such as running, lifting or sports.
• Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): walking, standing, housework, commuting and other everyday movement.

Exercise and NEAT together make up about 20–30%, and this is where people differ the most. Put simply, BMR is what you burn lying still, and TDEE is what you burn once all your daily activity is added. To decide how much to eat, use your TDEE, not your BMR.

How to calculate TDEE: BMR × activity multiplier​

TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. Choose the multiplier that matches your usual activity:

Most office workers are Sedentary or Lightly active. People tend to overestimate their activity, so if you are unsure, pick the lower level and adjust based on how your weight changes.

BMR formulas​

Mifflin-St Jeor equation (recommended)​

Published in 1990 and shown in studies to be more accurate for most people than older equations. It is the default in this calculator:

• Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
• Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161

Harris-Benedict equation​

A classic equation from 1919, revised in 1984. It usually gives slightly higher results than Mifflin-St Jeor:

• Men: BMR = 88.362 + 13.397 × weight + 4.799 × height − 5.677 × age
• Women: BMR = 447.593 + 9.247 × weight + 3.098 × height − 4.330 × age

Katch-McArdle formula (needs body fat %)​

Based on lean body mass, so it is the same for men and women and is more accurate for muscular people:

• Lean body mass = weight × (1 − body fat %)
• BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean body mass (kg)

To use pounds and inches, convert first: kg = lb × 0.4536 and cm = inches × 2.54. The calculator does this for you.

Example​

A 30-year-old man, 5′7″ (170 cm) and 143 lb (65 kg), who exercises 3–5 days a week:

1. BMR = 10 × 65 + 6.25 × 170 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 650 + 1062.5 − 150 + 5 = about 1568 kcal
2. TDEE = 1568 × 1.55 = about 2430 kcal, the calories to maintain his weight
3. To lose weight: eat 500 kcal less, about 1930 kcal a day, to lose roughly 1 lb (0.45 kg) a week

For the same man, Harris-Benedict gives a BMR of about 1605 kcal, and Katch-McArdle with 18% body fat gives about 1521 kcal. Differences of a few dozen to just over 100 kcal between formulas are normal.

What is a calorie deficit, and how do you calculate it?​

A calorie deficit means eating fewer calories than your TDEE. Your body makes up the difference by burning stored fat, so you lose weight:

Calorie deficit = TDEE − calories you eat per day

One kilogram of body fat holds about 7700 kcal (roughly 3500 kcal per pound). A deficit of 500 kcal a day therefore adds up to about 1 lb (0.45 kg) of weight loss per week.

Keep in mind:

• Do not eat below your BMR: very low calories cost muscle, slow your metabolism and are hard to stick to. This calculator never sets weight-loss calories below your BMR.
• Combine diet and exercise: eating 300 kcal less and burning 200 kcal more through exercise is easier to keep up than dieting alone.
• The first week or two usually shows a faster drop, mostly water. After that, about 1 lb a week is a healthy pace.
• As you lose weight, your TDEE drops too, so recalculate every few pounds.

Frequently asked questions​

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?​

BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the minimum number of calories your body needs at complete rest. TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is your BMR plus the calories you burn digesting food, moving around and exercising, which is everything you burn in a day. TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier, and TDEE is the number to use when deciding how much to eat.

What is a normal BMR?​

BMR depends on height, weight, age and sex, so there is no single normal value. With the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a 25-year-old man who is 5′7″ (170 cm) and 143 lb (65 kg) has a BMR of about 1590 kcal, and a 25-year-old woman who is 5′3″ (160 cm) and 121 lb (55 kg) about 1260 kcal. BMR is lower with age and smaller body size. Building muscle through strength training is the most effective way to raise it.

How big should my calorie deficit be to lose weight?​

Calorie deficit = TDEE − calories eaten. One pound of fat is roughly 3500 kcal (7700 kcal per kilogram), so eating 500 kcal less per day leads to about 1 lb of weight loss per week. You can start with 300 kcal, but do not eat below your BMR.

How many calories do I need per day?​

It depends on your BMR and activity level. For example, a sedentary 25-year-old woman who is 5′3″ (160 cm) and 121 lb (55 kg) has a TDEE of about 1520 kcal, and a sedentary 25-year-old man who is 5′9″ (175 cm) and 154 lb (70 kg) about 2010 kcal. The more active you are, the more you need; enter your own details in the calculator for the best estimate.

How accurate is a TDEE calculator?​

Formulas give an average estimate that can be about 10% off, and activity level is often overestimated. Eat at the calculated level for 2–3 weeks and watch your weight: if it stays the same, that is your real TDEE; if you lose more slowly than expected, eat a little less. Very muscular people may get a better estimate from the Katch-McArdle formula.