TDEE Calculator

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the number of calories you burn in a full day: resting, moving, training, even digesting. Nail this one number and every goal gets simpler. Eat below it to lose fat, at it to maintain, a little above it to build muscle.

This calculator gives you five peer-reviewed formulas, honest activity levels, and calorie and macro targets you can act on today. Every number is traceable to the published research at the bottom of the page.

Illustration of the components of daily energy burn: resting metabolism, movement, exercise, and digestion

Tell Us About Yourself

Metric (cm, kg)

Imperial (ft, lbs)

ft
in
lbs
%

Be honest here, most people pick one level too high. Count what you actually do in a normal week.

Not sure? Keep the recommended one. They all estimate the same thing, just from slightly different research.

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure

2,760

calories per day to maintain your current weight

Mifflin-St Jeor BMR of 1,780 kcal × 1.55 activity (moderately active)

Where Those Calories Go

65% Resting (BMR)
Just being alive: heartbeat, breathing, brain
25% Movement
Workouts plus every step, fidget, and chore
~10% Digestion (TEF)
The energy cost of processing your food

Lose Fat

2,208 kcal/day

A sustainable deficit that preserves muscle (~1.1 lbs/week lost)

Comfortable20% deficit · recommendedAggressive

Protein

144g

Carbs

271g

Fat

61g

Maintain

2,760 kcal/day

Eat at your TDEE to hold steady and recomp slowly

Protein

144g

Carbs

373g

Fat

77g

Build Muscle

3,036 kcal/day

A lean 10% surplus that favors muscle over fat gain (~0.6 lbs/week gained)

Protein

144g

Carbs

426g

Fat

84g

How the Formulas Compare for You

Every equation is an estimate built from lab measurements of real people. If they land within a hundred calories of each other for you, that spread is your realistic margin of error. Start with the recommended number, track for two to three weeks, then adjust.

Mifflin
2,760
Harris
2,872
Oxford
2,676

Katch-McArdle and Cunningham are hidden because they need your body fat percentage. Add it above to compare all five.

What Actually Burns Calories?

Your daily burn is four buckets, and the biggest one has nothing to do with the gym.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

~60-70% of your burn

The energy your body burns at complete rest: heartbeat, breathing, body temperature, and your brain, which alone uses about a fifth of it.

Daily Movement (NEAT)

~15-30% of your burn

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis: walking to the car, cooking, fidgeting, taking the stairs. It varies hugely between people and is why "I have a fast metabolism" is usually really "I move more".

Exercise (EAT)

~5-15% of your burn

Your workouts. Surprisingly small for most people, which is why training earns you far fewer "extra" calories than it feels like.

Digestion (TEF)

~10% of your burn

The thermic effect of food: the energy cost of digesting and storing what you eat. Protein costs the most to process, one reason high-protein diets help.

Illustration of daily calorie burn split between resting metabolism, everyday movement, exercise, and digestion

Your TDEE Is a Starting Point, Not a Verdict

1. Pick your target

Use the goal cards above. A 20% deficit or 10% surplus is the sweet spot where progress is real but muscle, energy, and sanity stay intact.

2. Track for 2-3 weeks

Weigh yourself a few mornings a week and log your food. The scale trend, not any single day, tells you whether the estimate fits your real life.

3. Adjust by ~200 kcal

Not moving toward your goal? Nudge calories by about 200 and reassess. Two or three small corrections beat one dramatic overhaul every time.

Want the deeper story on maintenance calories? Read our full TDEE guide or put your number to work with Macros 101.