Calorie & TDEE Calculator
Find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) based on your body stats and activity level. Get personalized calorie targets for losing weight, maintaining, or building muscle — plus a macro breakdown.
All calculations happen in your browser. No data is sent anywhere.
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Understanding Your Calorie Needs
What is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns each day. It combines your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) with an activity multiplier that accounts for exercise and movement. TDEE is the key number for setting calorie targets — eat below it to lose weight, above it to gain.
What is BMR?
Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories your body needs at complete rest to keep vital functions running — breathing, circulation, temperature regulation, and cell repair. For most people BMR accounts for 60–75% of total daily calorie burn. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate formula for the general population.
How many calories to lose weight?
One pound of body fat stores approximately 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb per week you need a daily deficit of 500 calories below your TDEE. To lose 0.5 lb/week, a 250 calorie deficit is enough. A 2 lb/week loss (1,000 calorie deficit) is generally the safe upper limit. Eating below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) is not recommended without medical supervision.
What are macros and why do they matter?
Macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — are the three energy sources in food. Getting the right balance supports muscle retention, energy levels, and satiety. This calculator uses a 30/40/30 protein/carb/fat split as a balanced starting point. Higher-protein splits (40%+) are common for fat loss or muscle building. Track macros in an app and adjust based on performance and hunger.
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FAQ
What is the Mifflin-St Jeor formula?
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula is the most widely validated equation for estimating Basal Metabolic Rate. For men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5. For women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161. Published in 1990, it is generally considered more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict formula for the modern population.
How accurate is TDEE calculation?
Equation-based TDEE estimates are within about 10% of true energy expenditure for most sedentary to moderately active adults. Individual factors such as muscle mass, thyroid function, genetics, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) cause variation. Use your TDEE as a starting point, then track body weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust calories by 100–200 kcal/day as needed.
How many calories should I eat to lose 1 pound per week?
Eat approximately 500 calories below your TDEE per day. Since one pound of body fat is equivalent to roughly 3,500 calories, a 500 calorie/day deficit produces about 1 lb of weekly fat loss in theory. In practice, weight loss is not perfectly linear due to water retention, hormonal changes, and metabolic adaptation — consistency over weeks matters more than daily precision.
What's the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest — it powers your heart, lungs, organs, and basic cellular functions. TDEE is your real-world daily calorie burn: BMR multiplied by an activity factor that accounts for exercise, daily movement, and the energy cost of digesting food (thermic effect). Eating at your TDEE maintains your current weight; eating below it creates a deficit for fat loss.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. All calculations run entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your age, weight, height, and sex are never sent to any server or stored in any database.